Buddha Nature Talks
In Buddhist philosophy, Buddha-nature is the potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all beings already have a pure buddha-essence within. "Buddha-nature" is the common English translation for several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, most notably tathāgatagarbha and buddhadhātu, but also sugatagarbha, and buddhagarbha. Tathāgatagarbha can mean "the womb" or "embryo" (garbha) of the "thus-gone one" (tathāgata), and can also mean "containing a tathāgata". Buddhadhātu can mean "buddha-element," "buddha-realm" or "buddha-substrate".
Buddha-nature has a wide range of (sometimes conflicting) meanings in Indian and later East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist literature. Broadly speaking, it refers to the belief that the luminous mind, "the natural and true state of the mind," which is pure (visuddhi) mind undefiled by kleshas, is inherently present in every sentient being, and is eternal and unchanging. It will shine forth when it is cleansed of the defilements, that is, when the nature of mind is recognised for what it is.
The Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (written 2nd century CE), which was very influential in the Chinese reception of these teachings, linked the concept of tathāgatagarbha with the buddhadhātu. The term buddhadhātu originally referred to buddha relics. In the Mahāparinirvāṇa, it came to be used in place of the concept of tathāgatagārbha, reshaping the worship of physical buddha relics of the Buddha into worship of the inner Buddha as a principle of salvation.
The primordial or undefiled mind, the tathagatagarbha, is also often equated with emptiness; with the alayavijñana ("storehouse-consciousness", a yogacara concept); and with the interpenetration of all dharmas (in East Asian traditions like Huayan). Buddha nature ideas are central to East Asian Buddhism, which relies on key buddha-nature sources like the Mahāparinirvāṇa. In Tibetan Buddhism, buddha-nature ideas are also important, and are often studied through the key Indian treatise on buddha-nature, the Ratnagotravibhāga.
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December 6th, 1985, Serial No. 00385 Consciousness, Ego, Buddha Nature, Mindfulness, Subject-and-Object, Delusion, Samadhi... |
Dec 06 1985 |
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November 23rd, 1985, Serial No. 00867, Side B Buddha Nature, Building, Heart Sutra, Priest, Happiness, Describe, Conversation, Hate... |
Nov 23 1985 |
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Creating Practice Using the Forms at HandSerial: BZ-00425A Layman Pang, Saturday Lecture Lay Practice, Layman Pang, Mindfulness, Buddha Mind, Sixth Patriarch, Monastic... |
Mar 09 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma Serial 00013 Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Don't Know Mind, Equanimity, Monks, lecture,... |
Feb 08 1985 |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #3Serial: BZ-00409A Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha, Saturday Lecture Buddha, Koan, BCR-3, First Principle, Buddha Nature, Cultivation, Judgement,... |
Feb 02 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sanshi Mompo: Ongoing Practice of Student and TeacherSerial: BZ-00408A Saturday Lecture Teacher-and-Student, Teacher-and-Student, Interview, Lineage, Instruction, Buddha... |
Dec 15 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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What's the Use of Sesshin?Serial: BZ-00407A Difficulty and Ease, Rohatsu Sesshin, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Peace, Daily Life, Doubt, training, Equanimity,... |
Dec 07 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Bowing PracticeSerial: BZ-00406B Rohatsu Bowing, Bowing, training, Non-duality, Instruction, Buddha Nature, Demons, Enemies,... |
Dec 06 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Precepts Before the PreceptsSerial: BZ-00392B Saturday Lecture Precepts, Precepts, Obstacles, Bodhisattva Precepts, Discrimination, Buddha Nature,... |
Nov 10 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Fifth Precept: Do Not Deal in IntoxicantsSerial: BZ-00394B Saturday Lecture Fifth Precept, Precepts, Priest-and-Lay, Culture, Attachment, American, Buddha Nature... |
Sep 08 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Tsembupa Avalokitesvara, Serial 00078 Non-duality, Bodhisattva Vow, Lineage, Buddha Nature, Posture, Avalokiteshvara, Greed... |
Jul 12 1984 Tape 3 |
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May 22nd, 1984, Serial No. 00435 Ordinary Mind, Bodhidharma, Sixth Patriarch, Soto Zen, Impermanence, Culture, Buddha... |
May 22 1984 |
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Practicing Enlightenment Without Desiring EnlightenmentSerial: BZ-00422B Saturday Lecture Enlightenment, Emotions, Lay Practice, Monastic Practice, Samadhi, Buddha Nature, Lay... |
Feb 11 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Inside OutSerial: BZ-00420B Saturday Lecture Buddha Nature, Demons, Ego, Enthusiasm, Harmonizing, Intuition, Bowing, Enemies,... |
Jan 14 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Dharma of EffortSerial: BZ-01520B Saturday Lecture Effort, Mindfulness, Study Period, Concentration, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Religion... |
Nov 27 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Mumonkan: Case #12 Pt. IISerial: BZ-00403B Calling and Answering, Saturday Lecture MM-12, Buddha Nature, Precepts, Subject-and-Object, Daily Life, Sixth Patriarch, Don... |
Oct 01 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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1983.09.28-serial.00057 Ego, Silence, Intuition, Buddha Nature, Death |
Sep 28 1983 |
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Mumonkan: Case #12 Pt. ISerial: BZ-00403A Zuigan's Calling the Master, Saturday Lecture Zuigan, MM-12, stubbornness, Buddha Nature, Daily Life, Fox, Birth-and-Death,... |
Sep 24 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Practice LifeSerial: SF-00102 Talk given at Berkeley per introduction. Teacher-and-Student, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Posture, resistance, Suzuki Roshi,... |
Aug 07 1983 |
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August 7th, 1983, Serial No. 00401 Teacher-and-Student, Daily Life, Don't Know Mind, Posture, Buddha Nature, Priest... |
Aug 07 1983 |
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The First Grave PreceptSerial: SF-00026 Not Killing Precepts, Buddha Nature, Peace, Heart Sutra, Politics, realization, Mahayana,... |
Aug 04 1983 2 of 3 |
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The Second Grave PreceptSerial: SF-00027 Not taking what is not given. Buddha Nature, Precepts, Peace, training, realization, Samadhi, Ceremony, Ego,... |
Aug 04 1983 3 of 3 |
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Eight Ways of an Enlightened Person IISerial: BZ-00399B Saturday Lecture Enlightenment, Buddha Nature, Eight Aspects, Concentration, Right Speech, Samadhi,... |
Jul 02 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Prajna Paramita: Four SamadhisSerial: BZ-00002B Sesshin Day 4 Samadhi, Samadhi, Concentration, Describe, Nirvana, Emotions, Hate, Buddha Nature,... |
May 14 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Law of KarmaSerial: BZ-00003A Most Important in Buddhism, Saturday Lecture Big Mind, Buddha Nature, Bowing, Vows, Karmic Consequences, Study Period, Priest,... |
Apr 16 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Scientific Validation of ZazenSerial: BZ-00044B Saturday Lecture zen meditation, Religion, Concentration, Buddha Nature, Describe, Priest, Beginners,... |
Jan 08 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Gakudo Yojin-Shu Section 8Serial: BZ-00048A Conduct (understanding) Zazen Mind, Saturday Lecture Gakudo Yojin-Shu, Birth-and-Death, Sixth Patriarch, Buddha Nature, true dharma,... |
Nov 27 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Women in Buddhism, Ordination Ordination, Transmission, Lay, Precepts, Obstacles, Passions, Family Practice, Buddha... |
Oct 04 1982 |
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Pre-Practice versus PracticeSerial: BZ-00040A The "Gap", Saturday Lecture Attachment, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Lay Practice, resistance, confusion,... |
Oct 02 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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1982.09.25-serial.00110 Forgiveness, Daily Life, Continuous, Concentration, Compassion, Liberation, Freedom,... |
Sep 25 1982 |
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Natural Zen and Buddhist ZenSerial: BZ-00039B Saturday Lecture Priest, Commitment, Lay, American, Posture, Buddha Nature, training, Enthusiasm,... |
Sep 11 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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1982.09.04-serial.00111 Compassion, Impermanence, Daily Life, resistance, Buddha Nature, Birth-and-Death,... |
Sep 04 1982 |
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1982.09.DD-serial.00102 Liberation, Buddha Nature, Concentration, Commitment, Zendo, Freedom, confusion,... |
Sep 1982 |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #80Serial: BZ-00033 Does a Baby Have the 6th Consciousness?, Saturday Lecture Consciousness, Storehouse Consciousness, Monastic Practice, Discrimination, Buddha... |
Jul 31 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Heart of Practice Prajna as Compassionate WisdomSerial: BZ-00030B Remembering our deepest intention; noble friendship is the entirety of spiritual life; connection between Berkeley ZC and San Francisco ZC. Ordination, Heart Sutra, Precepts, Describe, Posture, Lotus Sutra, Mahayana, Buddha... |
Jun 11 1982 |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #17Serial: BZ-00029B "Sitting Long and Getting Tired", Sesshin Day 5 BCR-17
Composure, Zazen, Koan, First Principle, Ordinary Mind, Samadhi, Composure,... |
May 23 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Fundraising for the New ZendoSerial: BZ-00007B What is Our Basis?, Sesshin Day 4 Fundraising, Zendo, Berkeley Zen Center, Sangha, Building, Samadhi, Fundraising, Non-... |
May 22 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Essence of Mind: The Fifth ParamitaSerial: BZ-00008A Subject and Object--Buddhanature, Saturday Lecture Paramitas, Subject-and-Object, Duality, Buddha Nature, Buddha Nature, Daily Life,... |
May 15 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Japanese Zen Practice in AmericaMeditation, Alan Watts, Buddha Nature, Obstacles, Posture, American, Priest,... |
May 07 1982 |
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May 7th, 1982, Serial No. 00160 Impermanence, Nirvana, Birth-and-Death, difficulty, Buddha Mind, Emotions, Buddha... |
May 07 1982 |
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April 9th, 1982, Serial No. 00152 Lotus Sutra, Evil, Mahayana, Buddha Nature, Sangha, Culture, Lay, difficulty... |
Apr 09 1982 |
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The Meaning of DevotionSerial: BZ-00011A Saturday Lecture Buddha Nature, Emotions, Mahayana, Religion, Heart Sutra, Avalokiteshvara, Ego,... |
Apr 03 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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March 19th, 1982, Serial No. 00149 training, Transmission, Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Dharma Transmission, Buddha Mind... |
Mar 19 1982 |
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March 12th, 1982, Serial No. 00148 Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Perfect Wisdom, Nirvana, Liberation, Compassion,... |
Mar 12 1982 |
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March 8th, 1982, Serial No. 00147 Buddha Nature, Compassion, Suffering, Meditation, Evil, Funeral, Precepts, Silence,... |
Mar 08 1982 |
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Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo -- Endless DimensionSerial: BZ-00016A Ten Phrase Avalokiteshvara Sutra, Sesshin Day 1 Dharani, Buddha Nature, Birth-and-Death, Sangha, Big Mind, Evil, Karma, Manjushri,... |
Feb 20 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |