BUDDHA-NATURE

When the Buddha became enlightened he realized that all beings without exception have the same nature and potential for enlightenment, and this is known as buddha-nature.  This is to say, all beings have buddha-nature because all beings have within them what is called the essence of the Buddha, this seed, which can blossom into a buddha and which constitutes one's potential for enlightenment.

Buddha-nature, also called Buddha-dhatu or Buddha Principle, (Tathagatagarbha in Sanskrit; Bussho in Japanese) is taught differently in the various Buddhist traditions.  In Chinese Ch’an Buddhism, for example, buddha-nature is seen as the essential nature of all beings.  Here, enlightenment is a process of uncovering this inherent nature.  Buddha nature is considered to be identical with transcendental reality.  It is the unity of the Buddha with everything that exists.

Tibetan Buddhism speaks of buddha-nature in terms of the true nature of mind.  The true nature of mind, they say, is beyond conception, yet it is present in every object.  The true nature is always here, but due to our temporary obscurations, i.e. our activities in the world, our egoic perceptions, etc., we do not recognize it.  Buddha-nature is beyond conception; it cannot be explained, cannot be encompassed by words.  Although we can say it is, for instance, clarity and vastness, we cannot see it or touch it; it is beyond expression.

The doctrine of buddha-nature is often associated with the Lotus Sutra and its influence on later sutras. One of the unique themes in the Lotus Sutra, particularly in the tenth chapter titled "Teachers of the Dharma," is the assertion, again, that everyone has the ability to become a buddha, that this ability is not limited to monks, nuns, laypeople, or bodhisattvas, but is present in other beings even in non-human creatures.  All living beings not only have the ability to become a buddha, but indeed can be a "teacher of the Dharma" here and now.