Buddha Nature Talks
In Buddhist philosophy and soteriology, Buddha-nature (Chinese: fóxìng 佛性, Japanese: busshō, 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).
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Sunday Lecture Buddha Nature, New Year, Right Effort, Conversation, Vow, Practice Period, Suzuki... |
Dec 31 2000 Green Gulch |
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Hongzhi's Second MethodSerial: BZ-00127A Rohatsu Day 5 Hongzhi, Buddha Nature, Emotions, Aspects of Practice, Instruction, Lay, Dragons,... |
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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Sunday Lecture Mill Valley, Buddha Nature, Delusion, true dharma, Buddha Ancestors, Teacher-and-... |
Dec 03 2000 Green Gulch |
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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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Saturday Lecture Letting Go, Karma, Gratitude, Faith, Happiness, Buddha Nature, Tassajara Zen Mountain... |
Nov 25 2000 City Center |
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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 |
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Surangama Sutra Class Emptiness, confusion, Cultivation, Silent Illumination, Light-and-Darkness, Subject-... |
Sep 18 2000 Unknown |
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One Buddha, Three Boddhisattvas: Practice is EverythingSerial: BZ-00081B Saturday Lecture Buddha, Bodhisattva, Practice, Composure, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Manjushri, Daily... |
Aug 26 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Branching Streams Flow in the DarknessSerial: BZ-00085B Unity in Diversity, Diversity in Unity, Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Subject-and-Object, Diversity, Bell, Oneness, Precepts,... |
Aug 19 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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July 27th, 2000, Serial No. 00851 Transmission, Dragons, Passions, Heart Sutra, Buddha Nature, Beginners, Conversation... |
Jul 27 2000 |
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July 20th, 2000, Serial No. 00852 Silent Illumination, Lineage, Interview, Soto Zen, Attachment, Chanting, Obstacles,... |
Jul 20 2000 |
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July 13th, 2000, Serial No. 00853 Silent Illumination, Lineage, Doubt, Dharma Transmission, Buddha's Birthday,... |
Jul 13 2000 |
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Five Spiritual Controlling Factors of the MindSerial: BZ-00056A Sesshin Day 3 Concentration, Mindfulness, Buddha Nature, Posture, Religion, Attachment, Bodhisattva... |
Jun 16 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Seven Limbs of EnlightenmentSerial: BZ-00055B Sesshin Day 2 Enlightenment, Mindfulness, Concentration, Enthusiasm, Equanimity, Don't Know... |
Jun 15 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Surangama Sutra Class Emptiness, Light-and-Darkness, Skandas, true dharma, Emotions, Doubt, Buddha Nature,... |
Jun 06 2000 Green Gulch |
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Branching Streams Flow in the DarknessSerial: BZ-00159 Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Oneness, Branching... |
May 27 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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May 20th, 2000, Serial No. 00162, Side B Rinzai, Concentration, Heart Sutra, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Buddha Nature,... |
May 20 2000 |
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Branching Streams Flow in the DarknessSerial: BZ-00161B Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Light-and-Darkness, Absolute-and-Relative, Birth-and-... |
May 06 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Wednesday Lecture Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Ordination, Suzuki Roshi, Patience, Liberation, Zazen... |
May 03 2000 Green Gulch |
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April 15th, 2000, Serial No. 00163, Side A Daily Life, Separation, Precepts, true dharma, Buddha Nature, Posture, Commitment,... |
Apr 15 2000 |
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Wednesday Lecture Six Realms, Suzuki Roshi, Right Effort, Enemies, Equanimity, Right Speech, Happiness... |
Mar 15 2000 Green Gulch |
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Branching Streams Flow in the DarknessSerial: BZ-00205B Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Precepts, Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Observe,... |
Mar 11 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Fukanzazengi ClassSerial: SF-03517 Monday Class Hsin Hsin Ming, Buddha Nature, confusion, Platform Sutra, realization, Bodhisattva... |
Feb 28 2000 Green Gulch |
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Branching Streams Flow in the DarknessSerial: BZ-00204B Fire Heats, Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Buddha Nature, Birth-and-Death, Branching Streams,... |
Feb 26 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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February 3rd, 2000, Serial No. 00926 Buddha Ancestors, Buddha Nature, Bodhidharma, Karma, Transmission, Teacher-and-... |
Feb 03 2000 |
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2000.02.02-serial.00122 Heart Sutra, Four Noble Truths, Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Freedom, lecture,... |
Feb 02 2000 |
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January 15th, 2000, Serial No. 03934 Equanimity, Don't Know Mind, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Samadhi, Impermanence,... |
Jan 15 2000 City Center |
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December 3rd, 1999, Serial No. 00200, Side B Big Mind, Birth-and-Death, Patience, Buddha Mind, Ego, Transmission, Bell, Practice... |
Dec 03 1999 |
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Branching Streams Flow in the DarknessSerial: BZ-00200A Zendo Behavior, Rohatsu Day 4 Sandokai, Zendo, Buddha Nature, Transmission, Big Mind, Oneness, Branching Streams,... |
Dec 02 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Precious Mirror Samadhi: The Five RanksSerial: BZ-00927 Class 8 of 8 Five Ranks, Big Mind, Culture, Observe, Samadhi, Mahayana, Duality, Vow, Buddha... |
Nov 25 1999 8 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Precious Mirror Samadhi, 8 of 8Serial: BZ-01548 #duplicate-please-hide Five Ranks, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Culture, Observe, Duality, Karma, Patience,... |
Nov 25 1999 BZC |
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Precious Mirror Samadhi: The Five RanksSerial: BZ-00928 Class 7 of 8 Five Ranks, Discrimination, Subject-and-Object, Big Mind, Precious Mirror, Nirvana... |
Nov 11 1999 7 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Precious Mirror Samadhi, 5 of 8Serial: BZ-00930 Class 5 of 8 Precious Mirror, Karma, Big Mind, confusion, Buddha Nature, Five Ranks, Harmonizing,... |
Oct 28 1999 5 Berkeley Zen Center |
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October 23rd, 1999, Serial No. 01114 realization, Blue Cliff Record, Faith, Soto Zen, Religion, Peace, Sangha, resistance... |
Oct 23 1999 Unknown |
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October 14th, 1999, Serial No. 00859 Five Ranks, Practice Period, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Zazen Mind, Ego, Absolute-and-... |
Oct 14 1999 |
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Precious Mirror Samadhi, 3 of 8Five Ranks, Practice Period, Zazen Mind, Buddha Nature, Absolute-and-Relative, Ego,... |
Oct 14 1999 3 of 8 BZC |
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September 23rd, 1999, Serial No. 00861 Precious Mirror, Five Ranks, Light-and-Darkness, Absolute-and-Relative, Buddha Nature... |
Sep 23 1999 |
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Precious Mirror Samadhi, Class 1 of 8Serial: BZ-01008A Fall practice period 1999
Hokyo Zanmai, Precious Mirror, Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi, Absolute-and-Relative, Buddha... |
Sep 23 1999 Class 1 of 8, |
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September 23rd, 1999, Serial No. 01541 Five Ranks, Precious Mirror, Light-and-Darkness, Absolute-and-Relative, Buddha Nature... |
Sep 23 1999 |
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September 18th, 1999, Serial No. 00195, Side B Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Ordinary Mind, Samsara, Hindrances, American, Lay, Evil,... |
Sep 18 1999 |
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August 28th, 1999, Serial No. 00193, Side A Continuous Practice, Buddha Nature, Buddha Ancestors, Commitment, Gratitude, Dragons... |
Aug 28 1999 |
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1999.08.12-serial.00147A Bowing, Buddha Nature, Desire, Offering, Letting Go, Faith, Observe, Discrimination,... |
Aug 12 1999 |
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1999.08.12-serial.00147B Bowing, Buddha Nature, Observe, Desire, Offering, Letting Go, Discrimination, Faith,... |
Aug 12 1999 |
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August 7th, 1999, Serial No. 00191, Side B Buddha Nature, Subject-and-Object, Daily Life, Separation, Transmission, Duality,... |
Aug 07 1999 |
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Genjokoan (Pt. 8/8)Serial: BZ-00674B “The place is lost; from here the Way unfolds”, Saturday Lecture Genjokoan, Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Daily Life, Bodhidharma, Separation,... |
Aug 07 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
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One-day Sitting Lecture Faith, Buddha Nature, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Ceremony, Non-duality, Equanimity, Six... |
Jul 17 1999 Green Gulch |
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Genjokoan (Pt. 6/8)Serial: BZ-00158A Saturday Lecture Genjokoan, Big Mind, Buddha Nature, Non-discrimination, Dharma Transmission,... |
Jul 10 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |