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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August 24th, 2002, Serial No. 00156, Side B Vows, American, Monkey Mind, Samadhi, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Bodhisattva Vow, Don... |
Aug 24 2002 |
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Faith in BuddhanatureSerial: BZ-00156A Saturday Lecture Faith, Buddha Nature, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Separation, Culture, Composure, Ego,... |
Aug 17 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Summer Practice with GuestsSerial: BZ-00115 Lecture Practice Position, Attachment, Teacher-and-Student, Buddha Nature, Sangha, Daily Life... |
Aug 08 2002 |
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Master Hongzhi's Practice InstructionsSerial: BZ-00153B Saturday Lecture Hongzhi, Practice, Birth-and-Death, Darkness and Light, Light-and-Darkness, Buddha... |
Jul 13 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Lay OrdinationSerial: BZ-00149B Saturday Lecture Lay Ordination, Precepts, Ordination, Buddha Nature, Bodhisattva Way, Buddha... |
Jun 15 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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June 6th, 2002, Serial No. 00452 Dragons, Monastic Practice, Buddha Nature, Tassajara, Concentration, Chanting, Bowing... |
Jun 06 2002 |
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June 6th, 2002, Serial No. 01013, Side A Dragons, Buddha Nature, Tassajara, Monastic Practice, Concentration, training,... |
Jun 06 2002 |
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Tenzo KyokunSerial: BZ-00147B Saturday Lecture Tenzo Kyokun, Buddha Nature, Monkey Mind, Practice Period, Vinaya, Practice Position... |
May 18 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Tenzo KyokunSerial: BZ-00147A One-Day Sitting Tenzo Kyokun, Practice Position, Practice Period, Tassajara, Instruction, Big Mind,... |
May 11 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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April 27th, 2002, Serial No. 00146, Side A Monastic Practice, American, Greed, Teacher-and-Student, Bell, Humility, Culture,... |
Apr 27 2002 |
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2002.03.24-serial.00013 Priest, Big Mind, Money, Buddha Nature, Faith |
Mar 24 2002 |
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2002.03.24-serial.00172 Priest, Big Mind, Money, Buddha Nature, Faith |
Mar 24 2002 |
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Cultivating the GroundSerial: BZ-00141B Comentary on Suzuki Roshi Lecture, Sesshin Day 2 Emptiness, Silence, Buddha Nature, causation, Big Mind, Ego, Karma, Attachment,... |
Mar 16 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Harmonizing Breath, Body, Mind and FeelingsSerial: BZ-00141A Sesshin Day 1 Birth-and-Death, Posture, Concentration, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Emotions,... |
Mar 15 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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2002.03.14-serial.00171 Buddha Ancestors, Buddha Nature, Daily Life, Attachment, Impermanence, Subject-and-... |
Mar 14 2002 |
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2002.03.12-serial.00075 Happiness, Culture, Nirvana Sutra, Passions, Impermanence, Instruction, Buddha Nature... |
Mar 12 2002 |
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Tenth PreceptSerial: BZ-00140B "Shoes Outside the Door", Saturday Lecture Precepts, Richard Baker, Religion, Sangha, Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Intuition... |
Mar 09 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Buddha's ParinirvanaSerial: BZ-00139A One-Day Sitting Parinirvana, Nirvana, Birth-and-Death, Obstacles, Precepts, Liberation, Buddha Nature... |
Feb 16 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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No Fault-Finding--Sixth PreceptSerial: BZ-00062A Skillful Criticism, Saturday Lecture Precepts, Precepts, Big Mind, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Oneness, Mahayana, Buddha Nature... |
Feb 02 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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"Evil" and "Good"Serial: BZ-00095B Saturday Lecture Evil, Evil, Buddha Nature, War, Priest, Enemies, Happiness, Passions, Describe,... |
Nov 24 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Dogen and Plum BlossomsSerial: BZ-00094A Saturday Lecture Dogen, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Dragons, Priest-and-Lay, Buddha Ancestors,... |
Nov 03 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Mumonkan: Case #35Serial: BZ-00093B Saturday Lecture MM-35, Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Separation, Rinzai, Karma, Lay, Samsara,... |
Oct 27 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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October 20th, 2001, Serial No. 00093, Side A Birth-and-Death, Attachment, Offering, Buddha Nature, Conversation, Rinzai, Aspects... |
Oct 20 2001 |
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2001.10.09-serial.00086 Dragons, Instruction, Culture, Teacher-and-Student, confusion, lecture, Anger, Buddha... |
Oct 09 2001 |
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August 19th, 2001, Serial No. 00086, Side B Buddha Nature, Funeral, Nirvana, Composure, training, Aspects of Practice, Intuition... |
Aug 19 2001 |
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Ten Beneficial DharmasSerial: BZ-00084A Saturday Lecture Anger, Karma, Doubt, Greed, Equanimity, Renunciation, Nirvana, Buddha Nature, Sixth... |
Jul 21 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Invite Difficulty InSerial: BZ-00106B Sesshin Day 5 Dogen, Japan, Manjushri, Intuition, Harmonizing, Daily Life, Building, Non-duality,... |
Jun 24 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Tenzo's Awakening from Eihei ShingiSerial: BZ-00104B Sesshin Day 2 Eihei Shingi, Tenzo, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Manjushri, Ego, Five Ranks, Tassajara,... |
Jun 21 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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June 9th, 2001, Serial No. 00103, Side B Buddha Nature, Intuition, Culture, Don't Know Mind, Karma, Buddha's... |
Jun 09 2001 |
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March 1st, 2001, Serial No. 00131, Side B Attachment, Karma, Non-attachment, Karmic Consequences, Buddha Nature, Enemies,... |
Mar 01 2001 |
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February 24th, 2001, Serial No. 00131, Side A Silent Illumination, Instruction, Daily Life, Cultivation, confusion, Branching... |
Feb 24 2001 |
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Essence of Mind & the Five HinderancesSerial: BZ-00130A One-Day Sitting Hindrances, Hindrances, Daily Life, Doubt, Big Mind, Nirvana, Attachment, Buddha... |
Feb 19 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Monk/Fox and The Law of KarmaSerial: BZ-00129A One-Day Sitting Hyakujo, Monks, Fox, Karma, Fox, causation, Karma, Dependent Origination, Birth-and-... |
Jan 20 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Hongzhi's Second MethodSerial: BZ-00127A Rohatsu Day 5 Hongzhi, Buddha Nature, Emotions, Aspects of Practice, Instruction, Lay, Echo,... |
Dec 08 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #36Serial: BZ-00125A Um-mon's “Everyone has their Light”, Rohatsu Day 1 Ummon, BCR-36, Doubt, Buddha Nature, Subject-and-Object, Gaining Mind, Don't... |
Dec 04 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Preparing/Not Preparing for SesshinSerial: BZ-00124B Saturday Lecture Sesshin, Ego, Demons, Emotions, Posture, Equanimity, Buddha Nature, Obstacles,... |
Dec 02 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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November 30th, 2000, Serial No. 00486 Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Hate, Samsara, Darkness and Light, Six... |
Nov 30 2000 |
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Sun-face Buddha, Moon-face BuddhaSerial: BZ-00123B Saturday Lecture
Buddha, Koan, Buddha Nature, Blue Cliff Record, Thoroughness, Priest, Ordinary Mind,... |
Nov 18 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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How Love Drives the WorldSerial: BZ-00122B Saturday Lecture Love, Emotions, Hate, Anger, Buddha Nature, War, Ego, Attachment, Peace, Cultivation... |
Nov 04 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |