Buddhanature: Further Reading Buddhadharma Fall 2023

There’s of course lots more to say about the Buddhadharma, Fall 2023 issue’s theme, “Buddhanature.” So we’ve hand-picked this selection of further reading from the Lion’s Roar and Buddhadharma archives, all examining the concept of “Buddhanature” from a range...

Buddhanature: Further Reading Buddhadharma Fall 2023

There’s of course lots more to say about the Buddhadharma, Fall 2023 issue’s theme, “Buddhanature.” So we’ve hand-picked this selection of further reading from the Lion’s Roar and Buddhadharma archives, all examining the concept of “Buddhanature” from a range of helpful perspectives. 

Emptiness / Buddhanature

The Buddhist schools are rich and varied in their perspectives, but these many points of view all advance the Buddhist concept of the middle view.

Empty Splendor

The tantric path teaches us how to cut through our concepts, says the late Traleg Rinpoche, so we can experience reality in its full clarity.

The Clarity Aspect

Emptiness without wisdom can lead to nihilism, explains Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. That’s why we have the teachings on buddhanature.

The Lamp of Zazen

The point of zazen, says Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, is to live each moment in complete combustion, like a clean-burning kerosene lamp.

The Practice of Wonderment

When your life takes the shape of a question, says Guo Gu, then you have entered the practice of huatou.

Wisdom Seeks for Wisdom

In this teaching from 1965—taken from the oldest extant recording of his talks—Shunryu Suzuki Roshi explains what it means to understand your true nature.

We Always Have Joy

The sun doesn’t stop shining just because there are clouds in the sky. Our buddhanature is always present and available, even in difficulty.

You Are Already a Buddha

In this, the first of a four-part series on tantra, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche presents the three stages of meditation. Meditation, he says, is the process of recognizing your buddhanature, then nurturing that recognition.

Buddhadharma - Winter '08 Dzogchen Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche Mahayana Maitreya Prajnaparamita Uttaratantra Shastra

Spotless from the Start

In order to overcome the five main obstacles facing a bodhisattva, says Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, we must realize that all beings are primordially pure. He presents the essential teachings on buddhanature from Maitreya’s Uttaratantra Shastra.

How to Be Kind to Yourself

You have enlightened nature, says Pema Khandro Rinpoche. If you truly know that, you’ll always be kind to yourself.

Buddhanature: You’re Perfect As You Are

Why feel bad about yourself when you are naturally aware, loving, and wise? Mingyur Rinpoche explains how to see past the temporary stuff and discover your own buddhanature.

You Are the Great Perfection

Rest in your true nature without effort or distraction — Mingyur Rinpoche teaches the renowned practice of Dzogchen.

Buddhanature & Original Sin

Basic Goodness or Original Sin?

Buddhist psychology is based on the notion that human beings are fundamentally good. Their most basic qualities are positive ones: openness, intelligence and warmth.

The Real Meaning of Original Sin

Buddhists misrepresent the Christian view of human nature, says theologian Steven Shippee. It’s a lot closer to Buddhism than you think.

Everything Is Buddhanature

Original sin vs. original goodness: Mahayana Buddhism offers a more hopeful view of human nature. Zen teacher Melissa Myozen Blacker reveals how nondual practice frees us from our temporary obscurations and reveals our true, awakened nature.

Bodhisattva statue

You Are Already Enlightened

Guo Gu, a longtime student of the late Master Sheng Yen, presents an experiential look at the Chan practice of silent illumination.

This Very Mind Is Buddha

In the Chan and Zen traditions, says Guo Gu, enlightenment is not something we create or achieve. It’s who we already are.

Mind Is Buddha

A simple three-word koan. Or just a one-word koan: buddhanature. So deceptively simple, yet it penetrates to the very heart of the matter.

Do you have buddhanature?

Investigating the most famous koan of all time, Buddhadharma’s deputy editor Koun Franz helps us to understand buddhanature.