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Explaining the Understanding of Buddha-Nature in the Jonang Tradition through Nine Characteristics
Starting his presentation with a prayer of homage to Dolpopa, Lopen Dawa Zangpo explains how the buddha-nature has been received via Nāgārjuna and Asaṅga and their followers, who interpreted the buddha-nature sūtras. In this context, he clarifies that in the Jonang tradition, which holds the buddha-nature teachings, the first turning of the wheel of dharma showed buddha-nature without any clarity, the second turning showed buddha-nature with partial clarity, and the third turning showed buddha-nature with full clarity. Thus, the Jonang tradition highlights how the third turning is the definitive teaching.
In continuation of the presentation of buddha-nature as an eternal, permanent, absolute, and innate nature which is endowed with all the sublime qualities of enlightenment, he clarifies the sūtras which teach this doctrine. Explaining the etymology of buddha-nature, he explains that the term garbha implies the possession of all qualities, the term hṛdaya indicates the supreme and ultimate true nature of buddha-nature while other phenomena are illusory and deceptive, and the term sāra refers to the stability, firmness, and immutability of buddha-nature.
Lopen Dawa went on to explain the Jonangpa understanding of buddha-nature with nine characteristics.
1. Buddha-nature is permanent as it involves no birth, abiding and ceasing. What exists as an object of conceptual thought is impermanent and what is a realm of non-conceptuality is permanent and eternal.
2. Buddha-nature is all pervasive or immanent. It permeates all phenomena as the ultimate true nature.
3. Buddha-nature is self-awareness as it is open and luminous awareness or the consciousness of the ultimate truth.
4. Buddha-nature is diverse in its aspects as the ultimate truth can manifest in myriad expressions.
5. Buddha-nature is free from all elaborations of existence, non-existence, etc. and transcends all points of fixation.
6. Buddha-nature is stainless and pristine as it is not stained or polluted by the adventitious impurities even at the stage of sentient beings.
7. Buddha-nature is a union of emptiness and non-emptiness, i.e. emptiness of what is imputed and dependent, and non-empty of the absolute truth.
8. Buddha-nature is the spiritual gene or seed which exists in all sentient beings and serves as the basis of enlightenment.
Abstract from the Author
About the video
| Featuring | |
|---|---|
| Creator | Tsadra Foundation |
| Director | Perman, M. |
| Producer | Tsadra Foundation |
| Event | 2023 Buddha-Nature Conference Kathmandu (2 June 2023, Shechen Monastery, Kathmandu) |
| Related Website | Buddha-Nature |
| Creation Date | 2 June 2023 |
| Citation | Dawa Zangpo, Lopen. "Lopen Dawa Zangpo at the 2023 Buddha-Nature Conference." Day 2, Talk 4. 2023 Buddha-Nature Conference, Shechen Monastery, Kathmandu, June 1–3. Produced by the Tsadra Foundation Research Department. Video, 57:55. https://youtu.be/MEDBfnEFK0g. |
