Buddha-nature (as Depicted in the Lankavatara-sutra)
by Nguyen Dac Sy | 2012 | 70,344 words
This page relates ‘Middle period (a): The Mahayanasutralamkara’ of the study on (the thought of) Buddha-nature as it is presented in the Lankavatara-sutra (in English). The text represents an ancient Mahayana teaching from the 3rd century CE in the form of a dialogue between the Buddha and Bodhisattva Mahamati, while discussing topics such as Yogacara, Buddha-nature, Alayavijnana (the primacy of consciousness) and the Atman (Self).
2. Middle period (a): The Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra
In the middle period of the Tathāgatagarbha literature, although both Tathāgatagarbha and Ālayavijñāna are simultaneously explained, no clear explanation of their relations was made as yet. Scriptures produced in this period consist of the following texts.
The Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra also known as “The Adornment of Mahāyāna Sūtras” is attributed to Asaṅga. However, according to Tibetan tradition, the verses were written by Maitreya, and were expanded into prose form by Asaṅga, or his brother Vasubandhu.[1] The text was translated in to Chinese with the title Dashengzhuangyanjinglun[2] by Prabhākaramitra (Boluopomiduoluo) during 630-633 CE. There is also a Tibetan translation. Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra is an important text for the Yogācāra School; it is one of the eleven treatises on which the Xuanzang’ s Chengweishilun (Vijñāptimātratāsiddhi) is based. It consists of twenty-four chapters, the content of which are almost exactly the same as that of the chapter of the Bodhisattva Stages in the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra with the most important discussions being in regard to the Bodhisattvas seeds, Arising of the Bodhicitta, faith, understanding, six perfections, and the merits of practice.
The Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra analyses the concept of Ālayavijñāna, which is not the self or ego (ātman), but a permanent store of volitional deeds as causes that can arise effects. Ālayavijñāna and Tathāgatagarbha are two different states which blend together in ordinary people. But when the fictitious ego is abolished and substituted by the universal consciousness through the internal revolution, the differentiation between Ālayavijñāna and Tathāgatagarbha ceases, at that time, the sense of others and “I” is seen as equal and identical.
Tathatā, though without particularization for all beings is still pure, so is Tathāgata; hence it is the Tathāgatagarbha and all the embodied beings.[3]
Thus, according to this sūtra, the suchness (tathatā) is always pure and called Tathāgatagarbha; it is not Ālayavijñāna because of no particularization but for universalization for all beings and that is why it is said that all the beings are Tathāgatagarbha mastered by the Tathāgata.
In brief, according to this sūtra, the Buddha-nature is pure and identical with suchness, while Ālayavijñāna is a stored-consciousness which stores all tainted good or bad volitional deeds and blends with the Buddha-nature in ordinary people. When people are enlightened and become the Buddha, Ālayavijñāna loses its name and merges with suchness.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra of Asaṅga, ed. Saṃyuttanikāya. Bagchi, p. 9.