Buddha-nature (as Depicted in the Lankavatara-sutra)

by Nguyen Dac Sy | 2012 | 70,344 words

This page relates ‘Middle period (b): The Buddha-nature Treatise’ 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 (b): The Buddha-nature Treatise

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The Buddhatvaśāstra or the Buddha-nature Treatise (Foxinglun)^[1] was attributed to Vasubandhu and translated into Chinese by Paramārtha. Although neither a Tibetan translation nor a Sanskrit original survives, most of scholars believe that this text was written by the Indian, not by the Chinese because it contains an extensive refutation of several nonBuddhist Indian philosophical schools, which was not the Chinese tendency.^[2] Jikido Takasaki believes that the text was written by Indian monk Paramātha in China based on his knowledge of the Ratnagotravibhāga.^[3]

This treatise consisting of sixteen chapters discusses the theory of the Buddha-nature in great detail in sixteen chapters, the four aspects of:

dependent arising;
breaking attachment;
manifestation of essence; and
discriminated aspects.

In the course of explaining how it is that all sentient beings have the Buddha-nature, the mistaken views of non-Buddhists and Hīnayāna are refuted. The Sanskrit original terms for “Buddha-nature” in this text may be Tathāgatagarbha, Tathāgatadhātu, Tathāgatagotra, Buddhagotra or Buddhadhātu.^[4] The text does not open with the more straightforward a definition of the Buddha-nature as its title the Buddha-nature Treatise, but with the question “why the Buddha speaks of Buddha-nature”.^[5] It is possible that the author might assume that the Buddha-nature is not “something” to define, but has an ontological and metaphysical status. The text then answers this question that:^[6]

The Buddha spoke of the Buddha-nature to help people overcome five shortcomings (inferior mind, arrogance, delusion, slandering the truth, and attachment to self) and to produce in them five virtues, i.e., diligent mind, reverence, wisdom (prajñā), knowledge (jñāna), and compassion.^[7]

Thus, the Buddha spoke of the Buddha nature to help all the people put an end to ignorance, produce virtues, and attain enlightenment. The author of the Foxinglun, like the Buddha (he claims), wants to speak positively of the Buddha nature. In this text, the author also repeats the declaration of the Buddha that all living beings possess the Buddhanature, which is available in the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra. The essence of the Buddha-nature, according to the text, includes three natures divided into two sets, the three no-nature and the three nature.

The three nonatures are the no-mark nature, the no-birth nature, and the no-reality nature; and the three nature are:

一分別名者.為隨名言假說故.二依他性者.是十二因緣所顯道理. 三真實性者.一切諸法真如.^[8]

First, the discriminating nature is established on the basis of the use of the language of provisional speech. Second, the relative nature is the principle that manifests as the twelvefold chain of conditioned origination (Pratīyasamutpāda). Third, the true nature is the Thusness of all things.”^[9]

So the Fo-xing-lun’ s three-nature doctrine describes the relationship between the Buddha-nature and conditioned phenomenal world as well as the essence of the Buddha-nature per se. It show the ways in which the Buddha-nature exists itself in all things, and all things possess Buddha-nature. The text also details the concept of Tathāgatagarbha, which is the final component of the essence of the Buddha-nature. Because the Tathāgatagarbha is itself a close synonym of the Buddha-nature, this is a crucial component for outstanding of the Buddha-nature.

For this reason, the entire text on the subject will be presented with interpretation. The text writes:

復次如來藏義有三種應知.何者為三.一所攝藏.二隱覆藏.三能攝藏^[10]

There are three aspects of Tathāgatagarbha which should be known: the contained, the hiddenness, and the container.^[11]

These three aspects of Tathāgatagarbha, therefore, are similar with the concept of Ālayavijñāna, which was above presented. However, the Fo-xing-lun does not analyze their relationship. This is the reason why the text is arranged into the second phase of the Tathāgatagarbha literature.

The concept of the Buddha-nature in the Foxinglun may be summarized as the following main points:

-The Buddha-nature really exists in all things

-The Buddha-nature can be perceived by means of Buddhist practice.

-The Buddha-nature in living beings is hidden because of defilement.

-The Buddha-nature is full of merits and wisdoms of Buddhahood.