The Cause: Buddha Nature

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche. "The Cause: Buddha Nature." Chapt. 1 in Path to Buddhahood: Teachings on Gampopa's Jewel Ornament of Liberation. Edited by Maggy Jones, Briona Nic Dhiarmada, and Corinne Segers. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2003.

The first factor is the ju,^[1] which translates literally as "cause." In this context, it has three meanings: primary cause, seed, and nature. This is the buddha nature that is inherent in everyone. It is what gives us the possibility of getting out of samsara and attaining enlightenment, or nirvana. We should, however, understand that this is just a way of speaking.

Samsara and nirvana are not two separate places or locations: one does not leave the one to enter the other. This is one of the most important and basic principles of Buddhism. Once in nirvana, one never returns to samsara, because nirvana is not some destination to be reached but an understanding of the true nature of samsara. It is a permanent state, because it means understanding and total wisdom. What we call samsara is our state of confusion and suffering. To understand the true nature of the suffering implies an understanding of how things truly are. As the confusion disappears, so does the suffering. That is nirvana. As is said in the beginning, the basic nature of samsara and nirvana are the same: they are both what we call shunyata, or emptiness.

BUDDHA NATURE

The seed refers to our buddha nature. We can attain enlightenment because we already possess the nature of a buddha. All living beings have this buddha nature. One might wonder how we know this. Traditionally we are presented with three distinct types of evidence.

The first is scriptural authority. Buddha Shakyamuni himself asserted the presence of buddha nature, and we have every reason to trust what he said, as he himself attained buddhahood. Who better to tell us whether buddha nature exists or not? In the Samadhiraja Sutra,^[2] the Buddha says, "The essence of buddhahood^[3] pervades all beings." Likewise, the Mahaparinirvana Sutra says, "All beings possess the nature of buddha, or tathagatagarbha." This same sutra goes on to explain that buddha nature is inherent in all beings, as butter is inherent in milk. This assertion was made not only by Buddha himself but also by his successors, particularly those who founded and developed Mahayana Buddhism such as Asanga and Nagarjuna.

The second way to demonstrate the existence of buddha nature consists rather in describing precisely what buddha nature is and then determining if and how it manifests in beings. The nature of both samsara and nirvana is shunyata. Therefore, the basic nature of all beings is also shunyata. This is synonymous with the term dharmakaya. In Buddhism there is much talk of the "three kayas": dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. These ideas are not the most easily accessible at first, but they will be explained in more details in later chapters. Dharmakaya has many different meanings, but here I use the term to describe the true, ultimate nature of phenomena. In this context the word dharma signifies "true appearance" or "true nature," while kaya means "form." Dharmakaya means therefore "the form of the true nature or ultimate reality." Whether one is in samsara or nirvana, our true nature can be nothing other than this ultimate truth, or dharmakaya. If we understand, experience, and realize this ultimate nature, this fundamental truth, we attain-indeed we become-the dharmakaya. The true nature, the dharmakaya, does not change. Nothing has ever altered it. Whether one is a samsaric being or an enlightened being, the dharmakaya isn't any smaller or worse in the former or any bigger or better in the latter. A buddha and an ordinary being have exactly the same basic nature. Attaining buddhahood does not mean we become someone completely different. Rather we become fully conscious of what we have always been. It isn't something that "descends upon us;' but rather is an understanding, a realization. Our confusion disappears. We can compare samsara to a thick fog that prevents us from seeing anything except as vague and confused shapes. When the mist clears, the landscape hasn't changed, but now we see it clearly.

Finally, although we are in samsara, we can still see the proof of the existence of buddha nature permeating all living beings. This third way in which we can discern whether beings have buddha nature is rig,^[4] in other words, the quality we perceive in one who possesses this buddha nature. Rig is a word that is difficult to translate. Literally, it means "caste." Guenther translates it as "family," but it is not quite that. It means something more like a "tribal gene." For example, Europeans often have fair hair and blue eyes. Orientals have black hair and eyes. This is due to rig. All beings have buddha nature because all beings have within themselves what we call the essence of the buddha, this ju, this seed, which can blossom into a buddha and which constitutes our potential for enlightenment.

But what is a buddha? Briefly, a buddha is one who has developed his or her compassion and wisdom to the ultimate level, beyond all limits. Wisdom, in this context, refers not to an accumulation of knowledge but to the ability to see the true nature of all things. What characterizes a buddha therefore is wisdom and compassion.

To determine whether buddha nature exists in all beings, we need to examine whether they possess the qualities of wisdom and compassion. Without wisdom and compassion, it is impossible to become a buddha, but if one possesses even an embryonic amount of these qualities, one can then develop them to their ultimate level and become buddha. The most concrete proof of the presence of this nature is that we possess, to varying degrees, these qualities of wisdom and compassion.

According to Buddhism, there is no being, human or otherwise, who doesn't possess some wisdom and compassion. However bad, however evil, every being has some minimal amount of love, kindness, or compassion, at least for themselves or for one other being. Similarly, all of us have some understanding, instinctual or otherwise, of what is right or wrong. These two qualities, kindness and the understanding of right from wrong, however small or insignificant they are, are present in every living being. As these two qualities can potentially be developed to their ultimate level, it can be said that all beings have buddha nature. We can therefore all be said to be "little buddhas"!

THE FIVE STAGES

Gampopa goes on to describe how the rig, or the qualities visible in buddha nature, develop in five stages.

The first stage is called rig che,^[5] which literally means "cut off from the caste or family" and describes the state of those whose buddha nature is not apparent. They can be recognized by six signs: They feel no sorrow in the face of the shortcomings of samsara and no desire for liberation. Even when they experience intense suffering, they don't recognize the causes. They don't even see that there is a problem. They feel no confidence or trust when they hear about the qualities of the buddhas and the states superior to samsara. They feel no culpability when they harm others. The whole world can criticize them, but they feel no shame. They never feel the slightest remorse nor the slightest compassion. The beings who present these signs belong to the family of those with "switched-off" potential. They appear not to have the required qualities, and they live as if they didn't possess buddha nature. This does not mean, however, that they will never become buddhas, but it does mean that it will take them a long time.

The second stage groups those whose situation is not definite. Their buddha nature manifests according to the circumstances. When they are under a good influence or in a good frame of mind, then their buddha nature can be seen. When the same people are in a bad mood or in bad company, then they show no compassion or kindness and their buddha nature seems to disappear.

The third stage is that of the shravakas. They recognize that samsara offers nothing but problems and unhappiness and have resolved to leave it all behind. They tend to focus their efforts on attaining nirvana by concentrating on developing their wisdom but not their compassion.

The fourth stage is that of the pratyekabuddhas. They have the same qualities as the shravakas. They are very intelligent but also very proud and arrogant. They give no credit to their teachers and wish to find their own path. Even if they do have a guide, or if somebody gives them good advice, their pride won't let them admit it because they want to advance by themselves. For them Buddha has taught what is called the shravaka and pratyekabuddha path, which leads to the state of arhat. An arhat is liberated from the sufferings of samsara but is not yet ready to become a buddha. Arhats are sort of "foe destroyers" who destroy their enemies, not external but inner enemies, their own negative emotions. Having eliminated their negative emotions, they no longer experience any unhappiness, because suffering arises out of negative emotions. Nevertheless, they still have some progress to make in order to become fully realized beings.

The fifth and highest stage is that of the bodhisattvas. Here we can distinguish two different aspects regarding the potential of bodhisattvas: the potential that exists naturally and the potential that is acquired. We are referring here to the potential already inherent in all beings to become bodhisattvas and the potential they have to develop the qualities leading to enlightenment. This potential is realized in those who have engaged in virtuous actions in the course of their past lives. When we speak about the "family of bodhisattvas;' we are usually referring to this category. We can say that those in whom the qualities of wisdom and compassion are apparent belong to this family of bodhisattvas.

According to Gampopa, there are two types of bodhisattvas: those who are "evolved" thanks to their positive actions and efforts in previous lives, in whom the characteristics are apparent, and those who are not, in whom the characteristics are latent. The latter have all the qualities of a bodhisattva but still remain under the influence of hindrances and negative emotions. These hindrances or obstacles can, however, be overcome if the person concerned works at it. Whatever the case, the characteristics of a bodhisattva can be more visible at certain times than at others.

In the Dashadharmaka Sutra, it says: "The potential of bodhisattvas is detected by its signs, as fire is recognized through smoke and water detected by the presence of waterfowl." We might wonder what these signs are. The body and speech of bod hi sattv as are by nature gentle, regardless of the influence of a spiritual friend. Their mind and character are not tainted by fraud or deceit, and they feel love for all beings. There is also a great inner purity. Therefore, if someone, without coming under the positive influence of someone else, is naturally kind, full of compassion, and without duplicity, then he or she is a member of the family of bodhisattvas and is very near to becoming or developing into a buddha.

All living beings have these qualities latent within them. Through work and practice, all of us can succeed in developing into and becoming buddhas. There is no reason to think that the sufferings of samsara are inevitable or that we have to accept them as such. If we are suffering, we can do something about it. All our sufferings, all our neuroses, are merely temporary and can be totally eliminated. Even when we are in the grip of confusion and undergoing great sufferings, there is no need to fall prey to frustration and despair: there is hope! It is not necessary to wait until the next life to change from one "family" or stage to another. In Buddhist philosophy, this life is not some static state in which we live before passing on to the next. Moving from this life to the next is simply one change in the midst of constant changes. What we call the next life then is merely a continuation of this process of change. Change is possible every single second, since change occurs every single second. It is not necessary to wait until the next life in order to transform oneself. Indeed, if we don't decide to take full responsibility for improving our future lives, there is often very little change as to our general status from one life to the next. According to Buddhism, what we do now creates the following moment, which creates the one after that. In the same way, the moment of our death creates the next moment, which in this case is our next life.