Self(buddhanature)

Banned For waht?, modified 7 Years ago at 10/9/16 6:30 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 10/9/16 5:49 AM

Self(buddhanature)

Posts: 500 Join Date: 7/14/13 Recent Posts
From MahaParinirvana Sutra
(Yamamoto)

Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! Is there Self in the 25 existences or
not?" The Buddha said: "O good man! "Self" means "Tathagatagarbha" [Buddha-Womb,
Buddha-Embryo, Buddha-Nature]. Every being has Buddha-Nature. This is the Self. Such Self
has, from the very beginning, been under cover of innumerable defilements. That is why man
cannot see it.
O good man! [Imagine that] there is a poor woman here. She has true gold
concealed in her house. But none of the people of her house, whether big or small, know of it.
But there is a stranger, who, through expediency, says to the poor woman: "I shall employ you.
You must now go and weed the land!" The woman answers: "I cannot do this now. If you let
my son see where the gold is hidden, I will soon work for you." The man says: "I know the way.
I shall point it out to your son." The woman further says: "Nobody of my house, whether big or
small, knows [of this]. How can you?" The man says: "I shall now make it clear." The woman
says further: "I desire to see. Pray let me." The man digs out the gold that had lain hidden. The
woman sees it, is gladdened, and begins to respect that person. O good man! The case is the
same with the Buddha-Nature which man has. Nobody can see it. This is analogous to the gold
which the poor woman possessed and yet could not see. O good man! I now let persons see the
Buddha-Nature that they possess, which is overspread by defilements. This is analogous to the
poor woman who cannot see the gold, even though she possesses it. The Tathagata now reveals
to all beings the storehouse of Enlightenment, which is the Buddha-Nature, as it is called. If all
beings see this, they are gladdened and will take refuge in the Tathagata. The good expedient
is the Tathagata, and the poor woman is all the innumerable beings, and the cask of true gold
is the Buddha-Nature.
....
"If it is stated that ignorance resides in all things, common mortals hear this and think of
two different existences, the "bright" and the "non-bright". The wise man sees that the nature
is not-two and that the nature of the not-two is the real nature ["self-nature"]. If it is stated
that things sit on [depend on] consciousness, common mortals say "two", which are “samskara”
[volition, mental impulse] and “vijnana” . But the wise know that its nature is
not-two and that the nature of the not-two is the "svabhavika" ["own-nature", "self-nature"].
If we speak of the "ten good deeds"and "ten evil deeds", of what can be made and what cannot
be made, of good realms and evil realms, white teaching [sukladharma=saddharma=Wonderful
Dharma] and black teaching [krsnadharma =Pali kanhadhamma], common mortals conceive of
two things. But the wise know that the nature is not-two and that the nature of the not-two
is the real nature. When it is stated that all things end in suffering, common morals say that
this is two. But the wise know that the nature is not-two and that the nature of the not-two
is the real nature.....page108
There cannot be the two things of Self and non-Self. This is what the undisclosed store of the Tathagata refers to. This is what is praised by uncountable, innumerable, boundless numbers of all Buddhas. I, now, in
this all-perfect sutra, explain all. There is the not-two in the nature and characteristics of Self
and non-Self. You should take things thus. O good man! You should strongly uphold and think
about such sutras. I have already stated in the “Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra” that there are not
the two phases [aspects, phenomena] of Self and non-Self.

The case is thus. From fresh milk we get cream, from cream fresh butter, from fresh butter clarified butter, and from clarified butter sarpirmanda. Does the nature of the cream come from the milk itself, or from without? And the
same is the case with sarpirmanda. If it comes from without, it is something made by another
and not something come out of the milk itself. If it does not come out of the milk, the milk
has nothing to do with its coming about. If it comes out of the milk itself, it cannot come out
in a similar way and continuously. If it comes out continuously, it cannot come out together.
If it does not come out together, the five tastes cannot be for once only. Though not for once
only, it cannot definitely come about from other places. Know that in milk there is already the
phase [element, aspect] of cream. As it possesses much sweetness, it cannot change. The same
with sarpirmanda. When the cow feeds on the grass of watery places, its blood changes and we
get milk. If the cow feeds on sweet grass, the milk becomes sweet, and if on bitter grass, the
milk becomes bitter. In the Himalayas, there is a type of grass called pinodhni. If the cow feeds
on this, it will produce pure sarpirmanda and there will be no such colour as blue, yellow, red,
white or black. The grass and cereals work upon the colour and taste of the milk. Two
aspects come out of all beings by the karmic relations of brightness and ignorance. When the
gloom changes, brightness comes about. The case is the same with the good and not-good of
all things. There can be no two aspects."
Pål R, modified 7 Years ago at 10/9/16 7:02 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 10/9/16 7:02 AM

RE: Self(buddhanature)

Posts: 115 Join Date: 8/3/16 Recent Posts
Ah, the buddhist teaching of yesself! Sounds like the sutta on the luminous mind, bit he uses the heretical word "Self" instead of mind. I don't know what to think or feel emoticon
Banned For waht?, modified 7 Years ago at 10/9/16 7:25 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 10/9/16 7:25 AM

RE: Self(buddhanature)

Posts: 500 Join Date: 7/14/13 Recent Posts
the reason why there is no-self, selflessless taught is also revealed somewhere in sutras.

...
These ordinary people generate false views in succession from one on to the other. In
order to eliminate such false views, the Tathagata reveals and discourses on the non-existence
of a self..

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