Property:PosEmptyLuminNotes
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J
There are different takes on what is view was:
*Karl includes him in the category of those assert buddha-nature to be Mind's Luminous Nature. Stating, "Jñānaśrīmitra cites ''Uttaratantra'' I.154 and RGVV and explains that real aspects are mental forms that have the nature of being appearances of lucidity (''prakāśarūpa''), which he equates with buddha nature—the tathāgata element (''tathāgatadhātu'')." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'',pp. 57-58.
*However, Kano suggests his view is is that buddha-nature shares features (or coincides) with emptiness and is a property (''dharma'') of the image (''ākāra''), which in turn is its possessor (''dharmin''). In this he was a precursor to Ngok's innovative equation of buddha-nature = emptiness. See [[Kano, K.]], [[Buddha-Nature and Emptiness]], p. 61. +
K
Though he might be an early antecedent to the position that combines emptiness and luminosity, Brunnhölzl counts him among those that hold this position.
*"One should add here Kamalaśīla’s (c. 740–795) ''Madhyamakāloka'', which takes the tathāgata heart to be natural luminosity but defines the latter as the dharmadhātu characterized by twofold identitylessness: "This statement “All sentient beings possess the tathāgata heart” teaches that all are suitable to attain the state of unsurpassable completely perfect awakening since it is held that the term tathāgata expresses that the dharmadhātu, which is characterized by personal and phenomenal identitylessness, is natural luminosity." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], [[When the Clouds Part]], p. 56. +
L
"He also describes an “ultimate universal ground” (''don gyi kun gzhi'') in his autocommentary of his ''Wish-Fulfilling Treasury'': “The basic element is called ‘the ultimate universal ground’ because it co-exists with the unconditioned qualities of the naturally pure nirvāna.” He says that this ground is the support for both samsāra and nirvāna, and identifies it with Buddha-nature: Due to abiding as the expanse neither conjoined with nor separable from the exalted body and wisdom, it is Buddha-nature; due to supporting all phenomena of samsāra and nirvāna, it is the abiding reality called “the ultimate universal ground”; it is unconditioned and abides as the great primordial purity..." [[Duckworth, D.]], [[Mipam on Buddha-Nature]], p. 104. +
M
"YDC clearly subscribes to the disclosure model of buddha nature, asserting that the stainless tathāgata heart adorned with all major and minor marks as well as awakening exists in all beings, refuting that the reality of cessation is a nonimplicative negation, and denying the position that the fully qualified sugata heart exists solely on the buddhabhūmi, while it is only nominal at the time of sentient beings." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', p. 310. +
Though Mipam clearly presents several different perspectives on this issue:
* "Mipam states that the basic element (Buddha-nature) is empty of adventitious defilements, yet not empty of consummate qualities. These consummate qualities are inseparable from the suchness of phenomena that is luminous clarity and self-existing wisdom." [[Duckworth, D.]], ''[[Mipam on Buddha-Nature]]'', p. 18.
* "Mipam’s two models of two truths support his interpretation of the compatibility of emptiness and Buddha-nature. The indivisibility of the two truths, empty appearance, is Buddha-nature; and the unity of appearance and emptiness is what is known in authentic experience." [[Duckworth, D.]], ''[[Mipam on Buddha-Nature]]'', p. 26.
*"In his ''Trilogy of Innate Mind'', Mipam also calls this suchness of mind “Buddhanature”: “Existing in the minds of all sentient beings in the manner of suchness on the occasion when obscurations dwell as suitable to be removed, it is called ‘Buddha-nature’ because when this suchness of mind is realized, one becomes a Buddha.” The suchness, or nature, of mind is Buddha-naure.
Self-existing wisdom is simply made manifest; it is not produced by a cause." [[Duckworth, D.]], ''[[Mipam on Buddha-Nature]]'', p. 100.
*"Mipam also refers to Buddha-nature as the abiding reality of the “ground of the primeval beginning” (ye thog gi gzhi) in his Trilogy of Innate Mind: Buddha-nature is not a mere absence; it is emptiness and luminous clarity. It is the abiding reality of the ground of the primeval beginning of all phenomena, the abiding reality that is the indivisible truth of unity—emptiness endowed with all supreme aspects (rnam kun mchog ldan gyi stong nyid)." [[Duckworth, D.]], ''[[Mipam on Buddha-Nature]]'', p. 105.
*"In his ''Lion’s Roar: Exposition of Buddha-Nature'', Mipam describes the essence of the Buddha-nature as follows: “The essence of the Buddha-nature itself is free from all conceptual constructs such as existence and nonexistence, permanence and annihilation; it is the equality of the single sphere of indivisible truth.” [[Duckworth, D.]], ''[[Mipam on Buddha-Nature]]'', p. 107.
*In conclusion Duckworth sums up Mipam's view as such, "Since he depicts Buddha-nature with the qualities of the Buddha present at the time of a sentient being, his presentation shares an important feature with the Jonang tradition. His interpretation also shares a quality with the Geluk tradition, given that he equates Buddha-nature with emptiness. However, Mipam’s integration of Buddha-nature and emptiness most directly reflects Longchenpa’s description of the ground of the Great Perfection, the pinnacle of Buddhist vehicles in his Nyingma tradition, where Buddha-nature represents the unity of primordial purity and spontaneous presence." [[Duckworth, D.]], ''[[Mipam on Buddha-Nature]]'', p. 115.
N
* "As to the interpretation of Buddha-nature, on the other hand, Sajjana and rNgog hold different views, for Sajjana equates Buddha-nature with the luminous mind, which is not empty, while rNgog equates it with emptiness." [[Kano, K.]], ''[[Buddha-Nature and Emptiness]]'', p. 239.
* According to Brunnhölzl, he also equates it with the ālaya-consciousness: "Moreover, Ngog equates “dhātu” not only with the tathāgata heart (as in RGVV) but also with the ālaya-consciousness (maybe influenced by the ''Laṅkāvatārasūtra''). Obviously, this creates a considerable tension with his definition of the tathāgata heart as emptiness, but he does not resolve it..." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', p. 66.
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P
#From Śākya Chogden's summary of the main positions on buddha nature his view is included among the heading "Asserting buddha nature as the compound of natural purity and buddha qualities’ being inseparable" and with the sub-heading of "Asserting those qualities to be the qualities of the fruitional dharmakāya of realization (many Kagyüpas such as Pamo Trupa)." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], [[When the Clouds Part]], p. 79.
#A more complete translation of the above summary can be found in [[Mathes, K.]], [[A Direct Path to the Buddha Within]], p. 34.
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R
"Ratnākaraśānti generally describes the tathāgata heart as being equivalent to naturally luminous mind, nondual self-awareness, and the perfect nature (which he considers to be an implicative negation and not a nonimplicative negation). As for the ontological status of mind, his ''Prajñāpāramitopadeśa'' says that it does not exist as apprehender and apprehended, but the existence of the sheer lucidity of experience cannot be denied." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', p. 58. +
"Rongtön explains that what is called “the tathāgata heart” is suchness with stains (the basic element not liberated from the cocoon of the afflictions), which is the emptiness of mind with stains. By contrast, the dharmakāya of a tathāgata is what is liberated from this cocoon. The term “tathāgata heart” is used in terms of what is primary because this heart (in the sense of emptiness) is explained to exist at the time of the fruition too. This also refutes the assertion that the fully qualified tathāgata heart is solely the buddhahood that is endowed with twofold purity (natural purity and purity of adventitious stains) because it is explained repeatedly that the primary tathāgata heart is suchness with stains. Rongtön’s commentary on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra says that the Mādhyamikas identify the disposition as the dharmadhātu specified by the six inner āyatanas." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', p. 76. +
S
"As to the interpretation of Buddha-nature, on the other hand, Sajjana and rNgog hold different views, for Sajjana equates Buddha-nature with the luminous mind, which is not empty, while rNgog equates it with emptiness." [[Kano, K.]], ''[[Buddha-Nature and Emptiness]]'', p. 239. +
"An opinion shared by rNgog and Sapan is that Buddha-nature should be understood in the sense of emptiness. The difference is that rNgog directly equates Buddha-nature with emptiness, whereas Sapan regards the intentional ground (''dgongs gzhi'') of Buddha-nature to be emptiness." [[Kano, K.]], ''[[Buddha-Nature and Emptiness]]'', pp. 309-310. +
*[[Wangchuk, Tsering]]. ''[[The Uttaratantra in the Land of Snows]]'', p. 32.
*"One of the central doctrinal points of Blo-gros-mtshungs-med’s position is the two modes of Buddha-nature: the gnosis aspect and sphere aspect. Under the former, Buddha-nature is existent in terms of its qualities, while under the latter it is empty in terms of its mode of existence. [[Kano, K.]], ''[[Buddha-Nature and Emptiness]]'', p. 336.
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T
He doesn't state this explicitly but his presentation fall within this category. For instance:
*"...he argues, 'Because freedom from adventitious defilements is the very nature of the tathāgata-element since the primordial time, there are no afflictive emotions that need to be eliminated [from the element]. Because the perfect dharma-reality that is indivisible from enlightened qualities is the very nature of the tathāgata-element, there are no virtuous qualities that need to be newly acquired.'" [[Wangchuk, Tsering]]. ''[[The Uttaratantra in the Land of Snows]]'', p. 35. +
*"The tathāgata heart is mind’s luminous ultimate nature or nondual wisdom, which is the basis of everything in saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. Its essence is empty, its nature is lucid, and its display is unimpeded (this is also how the nature of the mind is presented in the Mahāmudrā tradition, and the Karmapa’s commentary on the ''Dharmadhātustava'' indeed equates the tathāgata heart with Mahāmudrā)." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', p. 72.
*Another take on this is found in [[Mathes, K.]], ''[[A Direct Path to the Buddha Within]]'', pp. 51-54, in which he seems to suggest that his views are more inclined to view it as the dharmadhātu, which is equivalent to dharmakāya.
*"This becomes clear from an answer to a rhetorical question in the autocommentary of the Zab mo nang gi don:
Question: How are the properties of purification produced?
They are supported by buddha nature, [in as much as] it is the dharmakāya of the above-mentioned purity of mind." [[Mathes, K.]], ''[[A Direct Path to the Buddha Within]]'', p. 58.
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*[[Kano. K.]], ''[[Buddha-Nature and Emptiness]]'', p. 242, footnote 4. Van der Kuijp via Shakya mchog ldan.
*Mathes cites Gö Lotsāwa as stating, "The followers of the tradition of Tsen (Btsan) maintain that since the luminous nature of mind is the buddha nature, the cause of buddha[hood] is fertile" [[Mathes, K.]], ''[[A Direct Path to the Buddha Within]]'', p. 33.
*"According to BA, those who follow the tradition of Dsen Kawoché (Tib. Btsan Kha bo che) hold that since the tathāgata heart is the naturally luminous nature of the mind, it is the powerful vital cause of buddhahood. TOK agrees, saying that, according to the Eighth Situpa, the texts in Dsen Kawoché’s lineage accepted a really established, self-aware, self-luminous cognition empty of the duality of apprehender and apprehended to be the powerful vital cause of buddhahood." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', p. 65.
*Karl Brunnhölzl cites ShAkya mchog ldan: "The sugata heart is the naturally pure wisdom, luminous by nature, that pervades everyone from buddhas to sentient beings." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], [[When the Clouds Part]], p. 124.
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Ś
#"In sum, Śākya Chogden distinguishes three kinds of tathāgata hearts: (1) the nominal tathāgata heart that is the mere natural purity (as taught in the second dharma wheel and its Madhyamaka commentaries), (2) the actual tathāgata heart that is the purity of adventitious stains and represents the relative tathāgata heart (as taught in the third dharma wheel and the Nonaspectarian system of Maitreya and Asaṅga, as well as in the teachings of expedient meaning in the second dharma wheel as these are interpreted by the third dharma wheel), and (3) the actual tathāgata heart that is the natural purity that is inseparable from all buddha qualities and represents the ultimate tathāgata heart (as taught in the system of Maitreya and Asaṅga and in the third dharma wheel)." [[Brunnhölzl, K.]], ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', p. 78.
#See also [[Wangchuk, Tsering]], ''[[The Uttaratantra in the Land of Snows]]'', p. 115.
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