The Individuality of the Buddha-nature

The individuality of the Buddha-nature is the state or quality of the Buddha-nature that is endowed within a person. Individually, the Buddha-nature is the inherent potential ability of transcendental wisdom and compassion hidden inside all beings that can make them become Buddha.^[1] In this dimension, the Buddha-nature is called with the names such as the Buddhatā or Buddhagotra (foxing 佛性; the Buddha-nature), Tathāgatagarbha (rulaicang), Dharmakāya (fashen; truth body), zixing (self-nature), zhenxin (real mind), benxin (original mind), etc.^[2]

The Tathāgatagarbha

The Sanskrit term Tathāgatagarbha was first translated into Chinese as rulaicang by Paramārtha (Zhen-di, 499-569 CE), who was a famous founder of the She-lun school in China.^[3] Although the term rulaicang is not the Chinese translation of the Buddha-nature, it is a close synonymic term of the Buddha-nature and very popular in both writing and speaking substituted for the Buddha-nature. The assimilation of these two terms which can be derived from the work entitled Foxing-lun (The Buddha-nature Treatise)^[4] attributed to Vasubandhu and translated into Chinese by Paramārtha in the fifth century CE, because of the similarity of the text title (foxing) and the Tathāgatagarbha inside. Although there is no Sanskrit equivalent scripture of the text, scholars attempt to put forward the Sanskrit original terms for foxing (Buddha-nature) in this text that may be Tathāgatagarbha, Tathāgatadhātu, Tathāgatagotra, the Buddhagotra or the Buddhadhātu.^[5]

The term Tathāgatagarbha consists of two main parts tathāgata and garbha. Tathāgata, one of the ten epithets of the Buddha, is used by the Buddha to refer to him.^[6] D.T. Suzuki argued that the question is whether to divide tathāgata into tathā and gata, or into tathā and āgata. In the first case, gata is “gone” or “departed,” and in the second case, if it is āgata, it means “is come” or “is arrived.” Hence, the reason for the use of the term is uncertain. Whatsoever may be the case he further mentioned that it does not matter whether the tathāgata is the “one thus come,” or the “one thus gone.” When his appearance in the world is made the center of interest, he is the “one who has thus come”; on the other hand if we think more of his disappearance from among us, he is the “one who has thus departed.” To sum up, the Chinese translators have adopted the second reading as they have rendered tathāgata by (rulai), i.e. “one who has thus come”.^[7] Garbha is generally translated into Chinese as (藏 cang) meaning “to store” or “a store-house”, same as ālaya; but literally it means “womb” (子宮 zigong) or “embryo” (胎 tai). Thus, the term tathāgatagarbha literally contains two meanings: “embryonic Tathāgata”, i.e. the incipient Buddha and “womb of the Tathāgata”, i.e. the container of the Buddha inside. In both cases, the tathāgatagarbha refers to the state of the Tathāgata or Buddha still hidden and covered by defilements. However, Sallie B. King may be wrong when she writes that:

The “womb of the Tathāgata” is understood as that possesses the essential attributes of the Tathāgata in their fully developed form, it represents the fulfillment of the Buddha Path and is linked with such terms as Dharmakāya, Nirvāṇa, perfect wisdom and realization.^[8]

Here, Sallie B. King incorrectly identifies the term tathāgatagarbha (womb of the Tathāgata), i.e. the hidden state of the Buddha, with the term Tathāgata (Dharmakāya or Buddha), i.e. the exposed state of the Buddha.

The Chinese translators were very correct when they rendered Tathāgatagarbha as Rulaicang (the Tathāgata Store)^[9] because the term cang in Chinese implies the state of something that is still hidden (to store or store-house). They also never translated Tathāgatagarbha as Rulaitai (the Tathāgata Embryo) because the term “embryo” refers to something that is immature and incipient which is not suitable with the term the “Buddha” which is always perfect and unborn.

Thus, with the correct meaning of Tathāgatagarbha as the Tathāgata Store in the Laṅkāvatārasūtra, it is completely correct to identify Tathāgatagarbha with Ālayavijñāna (Store-consciousness).

The Dharmakāya

If the Tathāgatagarbha refers to the undiscovered state of the Buddha-nature hidden in all living beings, the Dharmakāya represents the actual complete freedom from all concealment of the Buddha-nature in the Buddha.

Dharmakāya is literally rendered as the Truth Body, one of the “three bodies” (trikāya) of the Buddha, which functions as the ground for the other two bodies, namely the saṃbhogakāya (Enjoyment Body) and nirmāṇakāya (Emanation Body).^[10] It is also synonymous with perfect enlightenment, primordially existent, transcending all perceptual forms and not possible to understand.^[11]

In the Śrīmālāsūtra, Dharmakāya is identical with the Buddha-nature. The sūtra confirms:

世尊,非壞法故,名無始無作無起無盡離.盡常住自性清淨離一切煩惱藏.世尊,過於恒沙不離不脫不異不思議佛法成就說如來法身.世尊,如是如來法身不離煩惱藏名如來藏^[12]

The Dharmakāya is beginningless, uncreated, unborn, undying, free from death; permanent, steadfast, calm, eternal; intrinsically pure, free from all the defilement-store; and accompanied by Buddha natures more numerous than the sands of the Ganges, which are nondiscrete, knowing as liberated, and inconceivable. This Dharmakāya of the Tathāgata when not free from the store of defilement is referred to as the Tathāgatagarbha.^[13]

Thus, when the Buddha-nature is covered by defilements, it is called Tathāgatagarbha. When the Buddha-nature is exposed, it is called Dharmakāya which is the Dharma Body of the Buddha, the Buddha himself. This Dharmakāya, when seen as inherently free from spiritual ignorance, is said to constitute Eternity, Bliss, Purity and Self in their perfect state.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sallie B. King, Buddha Nature, p. 1.

[2]:

Ibid., p. 3.

[3]:

Hajime Nakamura, Indian Buddhism: Aṅguttaranikāya Survey with Bibliographical Notes, p. 229.

[4]:

Taisho Tripiṭaka (CBETA 2011) [T31n1610], pp. 787a-813a.

[5]:

Hajime Nakamura, Indian Buddhism: Aṅguttaranikāya Survey with Bibliographical Notes, p. 270.

[6]:

G.P. Malalasekera, Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, Vol. I, p. 989.

[7]:

Dīghanikāya.Taisho Tripiṭaka (CBETA 2011). Suzuki, Studies in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, p. 340 ff.

[8]:

Sallie B. King, Buddha Nature, p. 4.

[9]:

W.E. Soothill and L. Hodous, Aṅguttaranikāya Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, p. 210.

[10]:

Damien Keown, Dictionary of Buddhism, p. 75.

[11]:

Ibid.

[12]:

Taisho Tripiṭaka (CBETA 2011) [T12n353] , p. 0221c.

[13]:

The Lion’s Roar of Queen Śrīmālā, tr. Alex Wayman and Hikedo Wayman, p. 98.