Buddha Nature Topics List

Awareness, Adventitious stains / defilements, Against Buddha-Nature, Analytic Tradition, Bon, Buddha-nature as Emptiness, Buddha-nature as Luminosity, Buddha-nature as Self - Atman, Christian thought and Buddha-Nature, Consciousness, Contemporary, Contemporary American Buddhist, Debates / Debate, Defining buddha-nature, Disclosure model, Doctrine, Drikung Kagyu, Drukpa Kagyu, Dzogchen, Enlightening qualities, Gelug, History, History of buddha-nature in China, History of buddha-nature in India, History of buddha-nature in Japan, History of buddha-nature in Tibet, History of buddha-nature in Korea, Jonang, Kagyu, Karma Kagyu, Madhyamaka, Mahamudra, Meditation, Meditative Tradition, Metaphors for buddha-nature, Nyingma, Potential or already-perfected, Production model, Provisional or definitive, Pure Land, Rangtong, Rime, Sakya, śamatha, Sentient beings, Shakyamuni Buddha, Shangpa Kagyu, Terma Traditions and Buddha-Nature, Terms, Textual study, The doctrine of buddha-nature in Chinese Buddhism, The doctrine of buddha-nature in Early Buddhism, The doctrine of buddha-nature in Indian Buddhism, The doctrine of buddha-nature in Japanese Buddhism, The doctrine of buddha-nature in Theravadin Buddhism, The doctrine of buddha-nature in Tibetan Buddhism, The Path, The Problem of buddha-nature, Third Turning, Tien Tai, Transformation model, Two Extremes, Two Truths, Universal or limited, Vajrayana, vipaśyanā, Yogācāra, Zen / Chan, Zhentong, —————— Source Texts ——————, 'da' ka ye shes kyi 'chi kha ma'i man ngag, 'od gsal snying po'i don, Anūnatvāpūrṇatvanirdeśaparivarta, Aṅgulimālīyasūtra, Bde gshegs snying po gsal ba'i rgyan, Bde gshegs snying po'i stong thun chen mo seng+ge'i nga ro, Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra, Chos nyid kyi lam khrid, Dam chos yid bzhin gyi nor bu thar pa rin po che'i rgyan, Dasheng qixin lun, Dbu ma chos dbyings bstod pa'i rnam par bshad pa, Dbu ma gzhan stong smra ba'i srol legs par phye ba'i sgron me, De bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po bstan pa'i bstan bcos, De bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po bstan pa'i bstan bcos kyi rnam 'grel rang byung dgongs gsal, De bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po gtan la dbab pa zhes bya ba'i bstan bcos, De bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po gtan la dbab pa'i bstan bcos mchan can, Dharmadhātustava, Dhāraṇīśvararājasūtra, Dṛḍhādhyāśayaparivarta, Gaganagañjaparipṛcchāsūtra, Ghanavyūhasūtra, Gzhan stong dbu ma chen po'i lta khrid rdo rje zla ba dri ma med pa'i 'od zer, Gzhan stong dbu ma'i brgyan, Gzhan stong dbu ma'i brgyan gyi lung sbyor, Gzhan stong khas len seng ge'i nga ro, Gzhan stong snying po, Jingang sanmei jing, Laṅkāvatārasūtra, Mahābherīsūtra, Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra, Mahāyānottaratantraśāstraṭippanī, Mahāyānottaratantraśāstropadeśa, Mahāyānābhidharmasūtra, Ratnacūḍaparipṛcchāsūtra, Ratnadārikāsūtra, Ratnagotravibhāga Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra, Ratnagotravibhāgavyākhyā, Rgyu dang 'bras bu'i theg pa mchog gi gnas lugs zab mo'i don rnam par nges pa rje jo nang pa chen po'i ring lugs 'jigs med gdong lnga'i nga ro, Rgyud bla ma'i 'grel pa mdo dang sbyar ba nges pa'i don gyi snang ba, Rgyud bla ma'i rnam bshad sngon med nyi ma sogs chos tshan bzhi, Rgyud bla ma'i tshig don rnam par 'grel pa, Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra, Sarvabuddhaviśayāvatārajñānālokālaṃkārasūtra, Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra, Sde snod bcud bsdus man ngag gi snying po, Sdom gsum rab dbye, Stong thun gnad kyi zin thun, Sāgaramatiparipṛcchāsūtra, Tathāgatagarbhasūtra, Tathāgataguṇajñānācintyaviṣayāvatāranirdeśa, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation (Guenther), The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma, Volume One, Theg chen rgyud bla ma'i don bsdus pa, Theg chen rgyud bla ma'i gdams pa, Theg mchog shin tu rgyas pa'i dbu ma chen po rnam par nges pa, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma rgyan gyi me tog, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i 'grel pa nges don gsal bar byed pa'i 'od zer, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi 'grel ba gsal ba nyi ma'i snying po, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi 'grel bshad de kho na nyid rab tu gsal ba'i me long, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi bshad pa nges don nor bu'i mdzod, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi mchan 'grel mi pham zhal lung, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi nges don gsal bar byed pa'i rin po che'i gron me, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi rnam par bshad pa nges don rab gsal snang ba, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos kyi tshig dang don gyi cha rgya cher bsnyad pa phra ba'i don gsal ba, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos legs bshad nyi ma'i 'od zer, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos legs par bshad pa, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos snying po'i don mngon sum lam gyi bshad pa srol dang sbyar ba'i rnam par 'grel ba phyir mi ldog pa seng ge'i nga ro, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i bstan bcos zhes bya ba'i mchan 'grel, Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma'i ṭīkka, Theg pa chen po'i bstan bcos rgyud bla ma'i sa bcad, Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitāsūtra, Vajrasamādhisūtra, Ye shes kyi 'jog sa, Śrīmālādevīsūtra, —————— People ——————, Agate, M., Ahmad, Z., Allione, T., Almogi, O., Asaṅga, Atīśa, Bagchi, P., Bailey, H., Bernert, C., Blum, M., Jiang, B., Brambilla, F., Brown, B., Brunnhölzl, K., Burchardi, A., Bu ston rin chen grub, Bod sprul mdo sngags bstan pa'i nyi ma, Cabezón, J., Candrakīrti, Carré, P., Carteron, S., Phywa pa chos kyi seng+ge, Charrier, C., Chen, S., Chenique, F., mchog gyur gling pa, Bcom ldan rig pa'i ral gri, Chödron, Ani K., Nyima, Chökyi, Chos dbyings stobs ldan rdo rje, Cole, A., Coleman, J., collins, S., Conze, E., D'Amato, M., Dwags po bkra shis rnam rgyal, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Demieville, P., Dennis, M., Khyentse, Dilgo, Dongyal, Khenpo Tsewang, Karmapa, 17th, Dorjee, Dudjom, Draszczyk, M., Gro lung pa blo gros 'byung gnas, 'brom ston pa, Duckworth, D., Dudjom Rinpoche, Bdud 'joms gling pa, Duff, T., Bdud mo bkra shis 'od zer, Dol pa shes rab rgya mtsho, Dol po pa, Ehrhard, F., Karmapa, 8th, Tai Situpa, 8th, Faure, B., Karmapa, 15th, Shamarpa, 5th, Fischer, N., Foulk, T., Shamarpa, 4th, Frauwallner, E., Fuchs, R., Fāzàng, Sgam po pa, Gardner, A., Gawang, Khenpo, Chöpel, Gendün, Germano, D., Rinchen, Sonam, Dge rtse ma hA paN+Di ta tshe dbang mchog grub, Gilks, P., Gimello, R., Gokhale, V., Goldstein, J., Go rams pa bsod nams seng ge, Goswami, S., Gregory, P., Griffiths, P., Grosnick, W., Guenther, H., Rgyal tshab rje dar ma rin chen, Gyamtso, Khenpo Tsultrim, Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa, Gómez, L., 'gos lo tsA ba gzhon nu dpal, Harding, S., Helm, A., Higgins, D., Holmes, Katia, Holmes, Ken, Hopkins, J., Hubbard, J., Jackson, D., 'jam mgon kong sprul, 'jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse'i dbang po, 'jigs med gling pa, 'bri gung skyob pa 'jig rten mgon po, Jinpa, Thupten, Johnston, E., Jones, Christopher, Joos, S., Jorden, N., Kalu Rinpoche, Kano, K., Kapstein, M., Karma phrin las pa, Karthar, Khenpo, Keenan, J., Kemp, C., KaH thog rig 'dzin tshe dbang nor bu, mkhas grub rje, Paljor, Dawa, Mkhan po gang shar, Khenpo Namdrol, Sodargye, Khenpo, Khenpo Tamphel, Khosla, U., Khyentse, Dzongsar, King, S., Kitzes, J., Klein, A., Komarovski, Y., Konchog Gyaltsen, Khenchen, Kumagai, S., Kunsang, E., Kyabgon, Traleg, Skyo ston smon lam tshul khrims, La yag pa byang chub dngos grub, Lief, J., Zhen, L., Loden, Thubten, Klong chen pa, Lopez, D., Loyon, E., Luo, H., Maitreya, Maitrīpa, Mar pa do pa chos kyi dbang phyug, Mathes, K., Blacker, M., mi la ras pa, Mingyur, Yongey, Smin gling lo chen d+harma shrI, Mi nyag bla ma ye shes rdo rje, Mi pham rgya mtsho, Ngag dbang kun dga' dbang phyug, Ngag dbang blo gros grags pa, Rngog blo ldan shes rab, Gnyan chen dpal dbyangs, Nyoshul Khenpo, Nāgārjuna, Obermiller, E., Ostensen, M., Palmo, Jetsunma Tenzin, Parahitabhadra, Paramārtha, Dpal sprul rin po che, Pad+ma dkar po, Ringu Tulku, Zhang tshe spong chos kyi bla ma, Powers, J., Prasad, H., Querl, K., Radich, M., Ramble, C., Ratnamati, Ratnākaraśānti, Red mda' ba gzhon nu blo gros, Thrangu Rinpoche, Yangthang Rinpoche, Gyatrul Rinpoche, Roberts, P., Roesler, U., Corless, R., Rong ston shes bya kun rig, Rong zom chos kyi bzang po, Ruegg, D., Sa bzang ma ti paN chen blo gros rgyal mtshan, Sajjana, Sa skya paN+Di ta, Salzberg, S., Gsang phu ba blo gros mtshungs med, Schaeffer, K., Sebastian, C., Pawo Rinpoche, 2nd, Sera Khandro, Sharf, R., Zhechen Gyaltsab, 4th, Rabjam, Shechen, Sheehy, M., Hookham, S., Sherab, Khenchen Palden, Shih, Heng-Ching, Silk, J., Sonam, R., Stambaugh, J., Stearns, C., Sthiramati, Stone, J., Swanson, P., Sāramati, Takasaki, J., Rta nag rin chen ye shes, Tarocco, F., Gter bdag gling pa 'gyur med rdo rje, Tharchin, Lama, Dalai Lama, 14th, Karmapa, 3rd, Chodron, T., Thogs med bzang po, Trungpa, Chögyam, Rtse le sna tshogs rang grol, Btsan kha bo che, Tseng, C., Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche, Tsong kha pa, Bardor Tulku, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, TA ra nA tha, Vairocanarakṣita, Wangchuk, Dorji, Wangchuk, Tsering, Wǒnhyo, G.yu khog bya bral chos dbying rang grol, Yu mo mi bskyod rdo rje, Zasep Tulku, Gzhan phan chos kyi snang ba, Zimmermann, M., Gzus dga' ba'i rdo rje, Zur mang pad+ma rnam rgyal, Schaik, S., ShAkya mchog ldan, —————— Terms ——————, *Amalavijñāna, Actualized Enlightenment, advaya, analytical meditation, bhūmi, bodhi, bodhigarbha, buddhadhātu, bīja, dak nyi chen, dharmadhātu, dharmakāya, dharmatā, dhātu, Geluk, gotra, Great Madhyamaka, guṇapāramitā, Jonang, Kadam, Kagyu, kunshi, Madhyamaka, Mahāyānottaratantraśāstravyākhyā, neyārtha, Ngok Tradition, ngowo, niḥsvabhāva, niḥsvabhāvatā, Nyingma, nītārtha, Original Enlightenment, paramārthasatya, paratantrasvabhāva, parikalpitasvabhāva, pariniṣpannasvabhāva, paryudāsapratiṣedha, prajñā, prakṛtisthagotra, prasajyapratiṣedha, pratipakṣa, rangtong, Sakya, samudānītagotra, Sangpu Neutok, saṃvṛtisatya, sugatagarbha, svabhāva, tathatā, tathāgatagarbha, tridharmacakrapravartana, trisvabhāva, Tsen Tradition, Uttaratantra, Yogācāra, zhentong, āgantukamala, ālayavijñāna, śūnyatā

Literally, that which obscures or conceals. Often listed as a set of two obscurations (sgrib gnyis): the afflictive emotional obscurations (Skt. kleśāvaraṇa, Tib. nyon mongs pa'i sgrib pa) and the cognitive obscurations (Skt. jñeyāvaraṇa, Tib. shes bya'i sgrib pa). By removing the first, one becomes free of suffering, and by removing the second, one becomes omniscient.

Ngok Lotsāwa Loden Sherab's "analytic tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.

In a general sense, that which clears away darkness, though it often appears in Buddhist literature in reference to the mind or its nature. It is a particularly salient feature of Tantric literature, especially in regard to the advanced meditation techniques of the completion-stage yogas.

The Kagyu school traces its origin to the eleventh-century translator Marpa, who studied in India with Nāropa. Marpa's student Milarepa trained Gampopa, who founded the first monastery of the Kagyu order. As many as twelve subtraditions grew out from there, the best known being the Karma Kagyu, the Drikung, and the Drukpa.

The Geluk tradition traces its origin to Tsongkhapa, who propagated a modified version of the Kadampa lojong and lamrim teachings. It is the dominant tradition of Tibet, having established its control of the government under the figure of the Dalai Lama.

Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā.

Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.

The Nyingma, which is often described as the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, traces its origin to Padmasambhava, who is said to have visited Tibet in the eighth century.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

The Sakya tradition developed in the eleventh century in the Khön family of Tsang, which maintained an imperial-era lineage of Vajrakīla and which adopted a new teaching from India known as Lamdre.

Along with Madhyamaka, it was one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Asaṅga and Vasubandhu around the fourth century CE, many of its central tenets have roots in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra and the so-called third turning of the dharma wheel (see tridharmacakrapravartana).

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

In a general sense, that which clears away darkness, though it often appears in Buddhist literature in reference to the mind or its nature. It is a particularly salient feature of Tantric literature, especially in regard to the advanced meditation techniques of the completion-stage yogas.

The reality or the objective state of things as they are. In the Buddhist context, it refers to the ultimate nature of things although what exactly suchness means would depend on the philosophical position of the specific schools. The Middle Way school, for instance, consider emptiness as the suchness of all things.

Though it can simply be used as the expression "I" or "me", in Indian thought the notion of self refers to a permanent, unchanging entity, such as that which passes from life to life in the case of people, or the innate essence (svabhāva) of phenomena.

Actualized enlightenment is enlightenment that is attained through practice. It is contrasted with original enlightenment, which is the mind's innate purity in its natural state. Ultimately, there is no difference between them. Because of the presence of ignorance, sentient beings are blind to their true nature. By removing that ignorance, one actualizes enlightenment.

Analytical meditation is a technique involving critical analysis that focuses the mind on a specific contemplation, such as impermanence.

The fundamental expanse from which all phenomena emerge.

A fundamental component or essential constituent.

Disposition, lineage, or class; an individual's gotra determines the type of enlightenment one is destined to attain.

Although it is commonly used as an abbreviation of ālayavijñāna (kun gzhi'i rnam shes), in later Tibetan traditions, particularly that of the Kagyu and the Nyingma, it came to denote an ultimate or pure basis of mind, as opposed to the ordinary, deluded consciousness represented by the ālayavijñāna. Alternatively, in the Jonang tradition, this pure version is referred to as ālaya-wisdom (kun gzhi'i ye shes).

Ngok Lotsāwa Loden Sherab's "analytic tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.

Essence or the most basic, fundamental nature or natural state of being. It is often used as a synonym for rang bzhin.

One of the key terms for wisdom or knowledge, most often having the sense of insight, transcendent knowledge, or perhaps gnosis. In some contexts it can also refer to cognition or intellectual understanding.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

Sangpu Neutok is an important monastery in central Tibet, just south of Lhasa, that was founded in 1072 by Ngok Lekpai Sherab, a disciple of Atiśa, and developed by his nephew, Ngok Lotsāwa Loden Sherab. Originally a Kadam monastery with two colleges, it evolved into a monastery that includes both Sakya and Geluk traditions. At its peak in the 11th to 14th centuries, it was one of the most highly esteemed centers for monastic education and the study of Buddhist philosophy in all of the Tibetan plateau. Many influential philosophers of the time studied there.

Buddha-nature, literally the "womb/essence of those who have gone (to suchness)."

According to the Yogācāra school, all phenomena can be divided into three natures or characteristics: the imaginary nature (parikalpitasvabhāva), the dependent nature (paratantrasvabhāva), and the perfect or absolute nature (pariniṣpannasvabhāva).

The Ultimate Continuum, or Gyü Lama, is often used as a short title in the Tibetan tradition for the key source text of buddha-nature teachings called the Ratnagotravibhāga of Maitreya/Asaṅga, also known as the Mahāyānottaratantraśāstra.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

Mental stains that are not inherent to the nature of the mind but are temporarily present as the residue of past actions or habitual tendencies. It is sometimes iterated as adventitious defilements (Skt. āgantukakleśa, Tib. glo bur gyi nyon mongs), which references the fickle and temporary nature of disturbing emotions that lack an ultimately established basis for existence.

The state of being empty of an innate nature due to a lack of independently existing characteristics.