You are currently logged-out. You can log-in or create an account to see more talks, save favorites, and more. more info

Buddha Nature Talks

In Buddhist philosophy and soteriology, Buddha-nature (Chinese: fóxìng 佛性, Japanese: busshō, Vietnamese: Phật tính, Sanskrit: buddhatā, buddha-svabhāva) is the innate potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all sentient beings already have a pure Buddha-essence within themselves. "Buddha-nature" is the common English translation for several related Mahāyāna 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 Buddhism and later in 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 afflictions, 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 recognized for what it is.

The Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (2nd century CE), which was very influential in the Chinese reception of these teachings, linked the concept of tathāgatagārbha with the buddhadhātu. The term buddhadhātu originally referred to the relics of Gautama Buddha. In the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, it came to be used in place of the concept of tathāgatagārbha, reshaping the worship of physical relics of the historical Buddha into worship of the inner Buddha as a principle of salvation.

The primordial or undefiled mind, the tathāgatagārbha, is also often equated with the Buddhist philosophical concept of emptiness (śūnyatā, a Mādhyamaka concept); with the storehouse-consciousness (ālāyavijñāna, a Yogācāra concept); and with the interpenetration of all dharmas (in East Asian traditions like Huayan). The belief in Buddha-nature is central to East Asian Buddhism, which relies on key Buddha-nature sources like the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. In Tibetan Buddhism, the concept of Buddha-nature is equally important and often studied through the key Indian treatise on Buddha-nature, the Ratnagotravibhāga (3rd–5th century CE).

From Buddha-nature on Wikipedia

Showing 982 talks
 

- Reset Search

Title Speaker

Bodhisattva Vows

Vow, Liberation, Evil, Precepts, Passions, Buddha Nature, Samsara, Oneness, Bell,...
Mar 14 2009

Breath's Wisdom: Zen Reality Unveiled

Serial: RB-02773

Practice-Period_Talks

Breath, Buddha Nature, Practice
Mar 08 2009
Crestone Zen Mountain Center

Tao Wu's Condolence Call

Blue Cliff Record, Birth-and-Death, Offering, Duality, Buddha Nature, Funeral,...
Feb 15 2009
Berkeley Zen Center

Platform Sutra: Irritation with Sesshin, helping vs. criticizing: Serial No. 01078

Serial: BZ-01078

Rohatsu Day 2, Side B

Nirvana Sutra, Transmission, Dharma Transmission, Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Don...
Dec 08 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Platform Sutra of 6th Ancestor Hui Neng: Irritation with Sesshin, helping vs. criticizing

Serial: BZ-01183

Rohatsu Day 2

Transmission, Birth-and-Death, Nirvana Sutra, Dharma Transmission, Buddha Nature, Don...
Dec 08 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Platform Sutra of 6th Ancestor Hui Neng

Serial: BZ-02005

Irritation during sesshin/helping versus Criticizing, Rohatsu Day 2

Hui Neng, Transmission, Buddha Nature, Birth-and-Death, Nirvana Sutra, Dharma...
Dec 08 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Platform Sutra: Serial No. 01077

Serial: BZ-01077

Rohatsu Day 1, side B

Buddha Nature, Platform Sutra, Don't Know Mind, Lay, Buddha Ancestors, Evil,...
Dec 07 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Platform Sutra of 6th Ancestor Hui Neng

Serial: BZ-01453

Rohatsu Day 1

Buddha Nature, Buddha Ancestors, Don't Know Mind, Ordination, Big Mind,...
Dec 07 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Platform Sutra of 6th Ancestor Hui Neng

Serial: BZ-02004

Rohatsu Day 1

Hui Neng, Buddha Nature, Buddha Ancestors, Platform Sutra, Don't Know Mind,...
Dec 07 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind themes: Open, Big Mind in Activity, Composure, Emotions

Serial: BZ-01073

One-Day Sitting

Big Mind, Composure, Emotions, Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, Big Mind, Posture,...
Nov 15 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Traditional Zen Spirit: Zen Mind Beginner's Mind

Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, Right Effort, Monkey Mind, Posture, Buddha Nature,...
Nov 01 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Traditional Zen Spirit

Right Effort, Monkey Mind, Posture, Buddha Nature, Karma, Practice Period, Teacher-...
Nov 01 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Beginner's Sitting; Serial No. 01163

Serial: BZ-01163

Beginners' Sesshin

Zazen, Monastic Practice, Soto Zen, Religion, Don't Know Mind, Priest, Precepts...
Oct 05 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Just This - Dogen's Fukanzazengi: Have Know Kidzendo

Serial: BZ-01161C

Saturday Lecture

Fukanzazengi, Dogen, Duality, Dragons, Posture, Non-duality, Instruction, Buddha...
Sep 27 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

September 27th, 2008, Serial No. 01564

Non-duality, Duality, Dragons, Posture, Buddha Nature, confusion, Instruction, Lay,...
Sep 27 2008

Being with the conditions we find ourselves in: Meeting the Tassajara fire: Serial No. 01159

Serial: BZ-01159

Saturday talk

Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Enemies, Building, Anger, Impermanence, Practice...
Sep 20 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Precepts and Zazen

Serial: BZ-01158

Harmonizing Buddha Nature, Instincts, and Desires, Saturday Lecture

Precepts, Zazen, Desire, Buddha Nature, Precepts, Concentration, Buddha Nature,...
Sep 13 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Blue Cliff Record: Case #53

Serial: BZ-01143

Hyakujo's Wild Duck, Sesshin Day 5

Hyakujo, BCR-53, Absolute-and-Relative, Buddha Nature, Ordinary Mind, Daily Life,...
Jun 22 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Blue Cliff Record: Case #3: Introduction to Kôan Study

Serial: BZ-01128

Baso's Sun-face Buddha, Moon-face Buddha, Saturday Lecture

Buddha, Baso, BCR-3, First Principle, Duality, Non-duality, Buddha Nature, Non-...
May 03 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

Embodying the Lotus Sutra 

Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Manjushri, Heart Sutra, Book of Serenity
Apr 24 2008
The Yoga Room

Embodying the Lotus Sutra 

Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Intimacy, Emptiness
Apr 17 2008
The Yoga Room

Embodying the Lotus Sutra 

Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Emptiness, Religion, Manjushri
Mar 13 2008
The Yoga Room

March 13th, 2008, Serial No. 03555

Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Emptiness
Mar 13 2008

February 15th, 2008, Serial No. 03536

Don't Know Mind, Buddha Nature, Silence
Feb 15 2008

Blue Cliff Record: Case #63

Serial: BZ-01113

Nansen Kills the Cat, Saturday Lecture

Nansen, BCR-63, Karmic Consequences, Karma, Buddha Nature, Silence, Forgiveness,...
Feb 09 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

2008.01.19-serial.00112B

Buddha, Practice, Buddha Nature
Jan 19 2008

Buddha's Enlightenment

Serial: BZ-01105

Rohatsu Day 7

Enlightenment, Buddha, Buddha Nature, Daily Life, Duality, Interdependence,...
Dec 08 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

The Shape of Buddhanature: Essence in Form

Serial: BZ-01100

Clarifying Illumination of Enlightenment, Rohatsu Day 2

Practice, Enlightenment, Humility, Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Don't Know Mind,...
Dec 03 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

Three Bodies of Buddha

Serial: BZ-01098

Saturday Lecture

Trikaya, Buddha Mind, Buddha Nature, Dogen, Manjushri, Continuous Practice, Dragons,...
Dec 01 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

Actualizing the Prajna Paramita

Serial: BZ-01095

Saturday Lecture

Manjushri, Mindfulness, Four Noble Truths, Buddha Nature, Doubt, Subject-and-Object,...
Nov 10 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

The Mindful Taste of Life

Death, Addiction, Sutra, Karma, Buddha Nature
Oct 14 2007

Taking Care: Paramitas, Precepts and Eightfold Path

Serial: BZ-01003

Illumination Without Hindrance, Saturday Lecture

Precepts, Vinaya, Buddha Nature, Bodhisattva Precepts, Platform Sutra, Hindrances,...
Oct 13 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

"Cooking Your Life": Commentary

Serial: BZ-00993A

Teaching Retreat, part 2 of 2

Tenzo Kyokun, Practice Period, Monkey Mind, Intuition, Buddha Nature, Ego, Separation...
Sep 01 2007
2
Berkeley Zen Center

BCR: Case #75: "Ukyû's Unfair Blows"

Serial: BZ-00990

Kid Zendo, Saturday Lecture

Ukyu, BCR-75, Giving-and-Taking, Teacher-and-Student, Absolute-and-Relative, Bell,...
Aug 18 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva Vow

During this course, we will study the bodhisattva vow, to see how the compassionate intentions of enlightening beings generate, work, and play with the mind of enlightenment to promote peace and...

Nirvana, Faith, Buddha Nature, difficulty
Aug 14 2007
The Yoga Room

Introduction to Zen

Serial: BZ-01276

Saturday Lecture

Monastic Practice, Practice Period, Nirvana, Lay Practice, Soto Zen, Buddha Nature,...
Jul 17 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

The Mind of the Great Sage of India

Satipattana Sutra, Theravada, Zazen, Big Mind, Four Noble Truths, Realization, Suzuki...
Jul 10 2007
City Center

Reading from “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind”: Control

Serial: BZ-00984

Saturday Lecture

Composure, Concentration, Buddha Nature, Right Effort, Impermanence, Mundane Life,...
Jul 07 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

Faith in Buddhism: What is Buddhist Faith

Serial: BZ-01057A

Class 5 of 5

Karma, Constancy, Ordinary Mind, Buddha Nature, Continuous Practice, Birth-and-Death...
Jun 14 2007
5
Berkeley Zen Center

Faith in Buddhism: True Buddhism Has No Gste

Serial: BZ-01056A

Class 4 of 5

Discrimination, Doubt, Buddha Mind, Ego, Nirvana Sutra, Priest, Eight Aspects, Pure...
Jun 07 2007
4
Berkeley Zen Center

Faith in Buddhism: Faith and Doubt

Serial: BZ-01055A

Class 3 of 5

Doubt, Mahayana, Lotus Sutra, Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Non-duality, Big...
May 31 2007
3
Berkeley Zen Center

Faith in Buddhism: Ignition

Serial: BZ-01054A

Class 2 of 5

Manjushri, Heart Sutra, Buddha Nature, Cultivation, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Ordinary...
May 24 2007
2
Berkeley Zen Center

Faith in Buddhism: Introduction

Serial: BZ-01053A

Class, 1 of 5

Subject-and-Object, Doubt, Religion, Mahayana, First Principle, Concentration, Buddha...
May 17 2007
1
Berkeley Zen Center

The Light of Buddha's Wisdom - Precepts of Compassion

Buddha sheds the light of wisdom on the true nature of suffering, liberation, and the human mind, on the teachings of compassion, moral causation, and the whole phenomenal universe. This retreat...

Evil, Letting Go, Precepts, Buddha Nature
May 05 2007
Part 2
Mount Madonna Center

Faith in Mind

Serial: BZ-01433

Saturday Lecture

Buddha Mind, Doubt, Buddha Nature, Attachment, Ordinary Mind, Buddha Ancestors,...
Apr 28 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

Sesshin as a Koan for the Body

Serial: SF-00990

Sesshin Lecture: Easter/Buddha's Birthday; enlightenment experiences; dharmakaya; not doing anything; nirmanakaya; this is your life

Sesshin, Enlightenment, San Quentin, Zazen, Buddha's Birthday, Birth-and-Death,...
Apr 08 2007
Green Gulch Farm

Intelligence of the Natural World

Serial: SF-00941

Sesshin Lecture: frog chorus; silence and activity; pain and fear of pain; Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma, Sesshin, Prajna Paramita, Silence, Buddha Ancestors, Composure, Buddha...
Apr 07 2007
Green Gulch Farm

Check The Messenger Within

Serial: SF-00994

Strategies, gaining ideas; "paying it forward"; close investigation of the self; Orpheus and Eurydice; Rilke; hidden anger - staying with the emotion 

Dongshan, Sesshin, Suzuki Roshi, Monkey Mind, Vow, Buddha Nature, Emotions, Manjushri...
Apr 05 2007
Green Gulch Farm

The Secrets of the Body

Serial: SF-00993

Sesshin Lecture: great effort, no result; ritual, bowing; Diamond Sutra; boundaries

Right Effort, Suzuki Roshi, Buddha Nature, Bowing, Bodhisattva Way, Vow, Liberation,...
Apr 04 2007
Green Gulch Farm

Sesshin Practices

Serial: SF-00992

Sesshin Lecture: ordinary mind is the Tao; practice of confession; guilt/shame; Self-Receiving and -Employing Samadhi

Sesshin, Zhaozhou, Ordinary Mind, Suzuki Roshi, Right Effort, Posture, Buddha Nature...
Apr 03 2007
Green Gulch Farm

Pages