Buddha-Nature

The mechanism for how receiving an initiation prepares us for successful tantra practice.

Buddha-nature (sangs-rgyas-kyi rigs) – as discussed by Maitreya in Uttaratantra (rGyud bla-ma; The Furthest Everlasting Continuum) – is basically those factors that are responsible for everybody to become a Buddha. Why is it possible that we can become Buddhas and that...

What Is Buddha-Nature? Our topic for this seminar is the five Buddha wisdoms, or as I prefer to call them, the five types of deep awareness. I find the term five types of wisdom to be less accurate and helpful because everybody has these, including the worm and the cockroach....

Introduction The Tibetan term rigs, meaning “caste” or “family,” appears in the technical term sangs-rgyas-kyi rigs (Buddha-caste, Buddha-family) and is usually translated as “Buddha-nature.” More specifically, in the context of the discussion of Buddha-nature, it means a...

Everyone has the Buddha-nature factors that will enable them to reach enlightenment and become a Buddha.

Abiding and Evolving Buddha-Family Traits Buddha-families – more fully, Buddha-family traits – refer to aspects of Buddha-nature that all of us have, even worms. In general, Buddha-nature factors allow for or account for everyone being able to become a Buddha. More...

Review We were speaking this morning about deepest bodhichitta. And we saw that it was not enough just to have relative bodhichitta, either: Just the aspiring state in which we aspire to attain our not-yet-happening enlightenmentOr, in addition, the pledged state of aspiring...

Linear and Nonlinear Models of Progress We all wish to make progress on the spiritual path, but because we have unrealistic ideas about how progress happens, we are frustrated. Many want instant and consistent results, and that does not happen. Consequently, following an...