Tathagatagarbha, Tathāgatagarbha, Tathagata-garbha: 7 definitions
Introduction:
Tathagatagarbha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Tathāgatagarbha (तथागतगर्भ) literature, which carries the thought of the Buddha-nature or Tathāgatagarbha, is considered one of the main streams of the Mahāyāna literature. This literature is not the property of any identical person, group or school in Indian Buddhism. Arising between the third and the fourth century CE in India, the Tathāgatagarbha literature has been quickly introduced and translated into Chinese, and has contributed to the rise and development of the thought of Chinese Buddhist schools.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Tathāgatagarbha (तथागतगर्भ) (or: Sugatagarbha) (Sanskrit; in Tibetan: bde gshegs snying po; or: de gshegs snying po) — (lit. “Buddha nature”) — The capacity for enlightenment inherent in all beings according to Mahayana Buddhism. Debates about the negative or positive characterization of buddha nature form the basis of the debate in Tibet between proponents of extrinsic emptiness and intrinsic emptiness
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Tathāgatagarbha (तथागतगर्भ).—m., (1) in Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra according to Suzuki (see Studies 405 with references), the womb where the T. is conceived and nourished and matured = the Ālayavijñāna fully purified of its…vāsanā and…dauṣṭhulya: Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 77.14 ff., etc.; (2) name of a Bodhisattva: Mahāvyutpatti 669.
Tathāgatagarbha (तथागतगर्भ):—[=tathā-gata-garbha] [from tathā-gata > ta-thā > tat] m. Name of a Bodhi-sattva, [Buddhist literature; cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Tathāgatagarbha (तथागतगर्भ):—(ta + garbha) m.
1) Titel eines buddh. Sūtra [WASSILJEW 174. 302.] —
2) Nomen proprium eines Bodhisattva [Vyutpatti oder Mahāvyutpatti 21.]
Tathāgatagarbha (तथागतगर्भ):—m. —
1) Titel eines buddh. Sūtra. —
2) Nomen proprium eines Bodhisattva.
Tathāgatagarbha (in Sanskrit) can be associated with the following Chinese terms:
1) 佛藏 [fú cáng]: “Buddha-store”.
2) 如來藏 [rú lái cáng]: “matrix of the thus come one(s)”; “womb of the Tathāgata”.
3) 佛法藏 [fú fǎ cáng]: “storehouse of the buddha-dharma”.
4) 法身 [fǎ shēn]: “dharma-body”; “law body”; “reality body”; “truth body”.
5) 藏理 [cáng lǐ]: “matrix-principle”.
Note: tathāgatagarbha can be alternatively written as: tathāgata-garbha.
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Garbha, Tathagata.
Starts with (+0): Tathagatagarbhahridaya, Tathagatagarbhasutra.
Full-text (+118): Ru lai cang, Tathagatagarbhahridaya, Tathagatagarbhasutra, Cang li, Ru lai cang xin, Bu kong ru lai cang, Er ru lai cang, Ru lai cang xing, Buddha Nature, Ru lai cang yuan qi, Bao xing, Da fang guang ru lai cang jing, Anunatva Apurnatva Nirdesa, Xing se, Da fang guang ru lai mi mi cang jing, Sa da duo ban da luo, Nhu lai tang tu tuong, Tarunavipassanakala, Da fang deng ru lai cang jing, Pancamaabhibhayatana.
Relevant text
Search found 23 books and stories containing Tathagatagarbha, Tathāgatagarbha, Tathagata-garbha, Tathāgata-garbha; (plurals include: Tathagatagarbhas, Tathāgatagarbhas, garbhas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
A Study of the Early-Stage Translations of Foxing佛性 in Chinese... < [Volume 13, Issue 7 (2022)]
Fang Yizhi’s Transformation of the Consciousness-Only Theory in Yaodi... < [Volume 15, Issue 8 (2024)]
The Essential Content, Integrative Characteristics, and Theoretical Origins... < [Volume 15, Issue 8 (2024)]
Theravada Buddhist studies in Japan (by Keiko Soda)
5. Theory of Consciousness-only in Mahayana < [Chapter 3 - Theravada and Mahayana (comparison and contrast)]
3. Development of Mahayana Sutras < [Chapter 3 - Theravada and Mahayana (comparison and contrast)]
The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion’s Roar
Hevajra Tantra (analytical study) (by Seung Ho Nam)
1.3. (ii) The Intrinsic Pure Mind and the Accidental defilements < [Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra]
1.3. Buddha Nature (tathagatagarbha) and the Cult of Deity Yoga < [Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra]
1.3. (iii) The All Pervading Truth Body < [Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra]
Buddha-nature (as Depicted in the Lankavatara-sutra) (by Nguyen Dac Sy)
Summary (the Tathagatagarbha literature) < [Chapter 2 - The Buddha-Nature in the Tathāgatagarbha Literature]
1.3. Ālayavijñāna and Tathāgatagarbha < [Chapter 4 - The Thought of Buddha-Nature in the Laṅkāvatārasūtra]
4. The Revulsion < [Chapter 5 - The Practice of Buddha-Nature in the Laṅkāvatārasūtra]
Lankavatara Sutra (by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki)