Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature Read online

  Advance Praise for

  SAṂSĀRA, NIRVĀṆA, AND BUDDHA NATURE

  “Saṃsāra, Nirvāṇa, and Buddha Nature is the third volume in the series of books coauthored by Venerable Thubten Chodron and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This has proven to be a remarkable partnership, producing lucid, accessible articulations of Buddhadharma and demonstrating the relevance of philosophy to practice. The present volume ably advances the project begun in the first two volumes and expands its scope enormously. His Holiness and Ven. Thubten Chodron together set out a comprehensive vision of the nature of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, of the Buddhist understanding of the nature of mind, and of the path to liberation grounded in the realization of our buddha nature. The philosophical analysis is precise and comprehensive. The application to personal practice is insightful, direct, and easy to apply. This is a wonderful example of how Buddhist philosophy and Buddhist practice can be integrated.”

  — Jay L. Garfield, Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities, Smith College and Harvard Divinity School

  “This third volume in the Wisdom Publications series The Library of Wisdom and Compassion presents an in-depth examination of the idea of ‘buddha nature’ and explores and illustrates how the mind itself serves as the basis for both our suffering and our liberation. Helpful reflections throughout the text guide our journey. These are truly textbooks tailored for our times.”

  — Jan Willis, author of Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist, and Buddhist — One Woman’s Spiritual Journey

  “This third volume of the marvelous Library of Wisdom and Compassion series provides an exploration of saṃsāra — the painful cycle of unenlightened existence — as well as its causes and how to attain freedom from it. The final sections contain a beautiful elucidation of the nature of the mind and its potential — buddha nature — signifying that every living being has the ability not only to be free of suffering and its causes but also to attain full awakening. The material in this volume is invaluable for those who sincerely wish to understand the Buddhist path and begin following it.”

  — Venerable Sangye Khadro, author of How to Meditate

  THE LIBRARY OF WISDOM AND COMPASSION

  The Library of Wisdom and Compassion is a special multivolume series in which His Holiness the Dalai Lama shares the Buddha’s teachings on the complete path to full awakening that he himself has practiced his entire life. The topics are arranged especially for people not born in Buddhist cultures and are peppered with the Dalai Lama’s unique outlook. Assisted by his long-term disciple, the American nun Thubten Chodron, the Dalai Lama sets the context for practicing the Buddha’s teachings in modern times and then unveils the path of wisdom and compassion that leads to a meaningful life, a sense of personal fulfillment, and full awakening. This series is an important bridge from introductory to profound topics for those seeking an in-depth explanation from a contemporary perspective.

  Volumes:

  1. Approaching the Buddhist Path

  2. The Foundation of Buddhist Practice

  3. Saṃsāra, Nirvāṇa, and Buddha Nature

  More volumes to come!

  THE LIBRARY OF WISDOM AND COMPASSION

  The Library of Wisdom and Compassion is a special multivolume series in which His Holiness the Dalai Lama shares the Buddha’s teachings on the complete path to full awakening that he himself has practiced his entire life. The topics are arranged especially for people seeking practical spiritual advice and are peppered with the Dalai Lama’s own unique outlook. Assisted by his long-term disciple, the American nun Thubten Chodron, the Dalai Lama sets the context for practicing the Buddha’s teachings in modern times and then unveils the path of wisdom and compassion that leads to a meaningful life and a sense of personal fulfillment. This series is an important bridge from introductory to profound topics for those seeking an in-depth explanation from a contemporary perspective.

  “This book is a veritable tour de force in its explanation of the role of the mind in saṃsāra and the realization of nirvāṇa, which is the mind’s own ultimate nature. In its examination of buddha nature—spanning early discussions of the mind’s potential in the Pāli canon through to the teachings of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection—it casts a bright light to dispel the darkness of materialism, which deludedly reduces the mind to a mere epiphenomenon or emergent property of the brain. Books such as this are urgently needed to trigger a true revolution in the mind sciences.”

  —B. Alan Wallace, founder and president,

  Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies

  HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and a beacon of inspiration for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. He has persistently reached out across religious and political lines and has engaged in dialogue with scientists in his mission to advance peace and understanding in the world. In doing so, he embodies his motto, “My religion is kindness.”

  BHIKṢUṆĪ THUBTEN CHODRON has been a Buddhist nun since 1977. A graduate of UCLA, she has studied and practiced Buddhism in Asia and the West and is the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastery in Washington state. She is a popular speaker for her practical explanations of how to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life, and she is the author of several books on Buddhism.

  PUBLISHER’S ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous help of the Hershey Family Foundation in sponsoring the production of this book.

  Contents

  Preface by Bhikṣuṇī Thubten Chodron

  Abbreviations

  INTRODUCTION BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

  1. THE SELF, THE FOUR TRUTHS, AND THEIR SIXTEEN ATTRIBUTES

  Three Questions about the Self

  The Four Truths

  The Coarse and Subtle Four Truths

  The Sixteen Attributes of the Four Truths of Āryas

  2. REVOLVING IN CYCLIC EXISTENCE: THE TRUTH OF DUḤKHA

  Knowing Duḥkha for What It Is

  Realms of Existence

  Three Types of Duḥkha

  Feelings, Afflictions, and Duḥkha

  Six Disadvantages of Cyclic Existence

  Eight Unsatisfactory Conditions

  Examining True Duḥkha via Ten Points

  Our Human Value

  3. TRUE ORIGINS OF DUḤKHA

  The Six Root Afflictions

  More Types of Defilements

  Afflictions

  Underlying Tendencies

  Auxiliary Afflictions

  Fetters

  Pollutants

  Hindrances

  4. AFFLICTIONS, THEIR ARISING, AND THEIR ANTIDOTES

  Eighty-Four Thousand Afflictions

  The Order in Which Afflictions Arise

  Factors Causing Afflictions to Arise

  Feelings That Accompany Afflictions

  The Ethical Dimension of Afflictions

  Counterforces to the Afflictions

  Afflictions, Our Real Enemy

  5. AFFLICTIONS AND KARMA, THEIR SEEDS AND LATENCIES

  Acquired and Innate Afflictions

  Coarse and Subtle Afflictions

  Seeds, Latencies, and Having-Ceased

  Latencies and Ideas in Other Religions and in Psychology

  Virtue, Nonvirtue, Merit, and Roots of Virtue

  6. KARMA, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVOLUTION

  The Origin of the Universe

  Mind and the External World

  The Laws of Nature and the Law of Karma and Its Effects

  Karma and Our Present Environment

  Karma, Instinctual Behavior, and Our Bodies

  7. REVOLVING IN CYCLIC EXISTENCE: THE TWELVE LINKS
OF DEPENDENT ORIGINATION

  Dependent Arising

  How Cyclic Existence Occurs

  1. Ignorance (avidyā)

  2. Formative Action (saṃskāra karman)

  3. Consciousness (vijñāna)

  4. Name and Form (nāma-rūpa)

  5. Six Sources (ṣaḍāyatana)

  6. Contact (sparśa)

  7. Feeling (vedanā)

  8. Craving (tṛṣṇā)

  9. Clinging (upādāna)

  10. Renewed Existence (bhava)

  11. Birth (jāti)

  12. Aging or Death (jarāmaraṇa)

  8. DEPENDENT ORIGINATION: CYCLING IN SAṂSĀRA

  How the Twelve Links Produce a Life

  An Example

  Flexibility

  Pāli Tradition: How We Cycle

  An Example from a Pāli Sūtra

  Who Revolves in Cyclic Existence?

  The Ultimate Nature of the Twelve Links

  9. THE DETERMINATION TO BE FREE

  The Benefits of Meditating on the Twelve Links

  Invigorating a Dry Dharma Practice

  Can a Leper Find Happiness?

  Compassion for Ourselves and Others

  The Demarcation of Generating the Determination to Be Free

  10. SEEKING GENUINE PEACE

  The “Ye Dharmā” Dhāraṇī

  Forward and Reverse Orders of the Afflictive and Purified Sides of the Twelve Links

  Transcendental Dependent Origination (Pāli Tradition)

  Karma in Saṃsāra and Beyond

  11. FREEDOM FROM CYCLIC EXISTENCE

  Stages Leading to Liberation and Full Awakening

  The Two Obscurations

  Nirvāṇa

  Pāli Tradition: Nirvāṇa

  Bodhi

  12. THE MIND AND ITS POTENTIAL

  The Mind’s Potential

  Is Liberation Possible?

  Excellent Qualities Can Be Cultivated Limitlessly

  Afflictive Mental States and the Nature of the Mind

  The Equality of Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa

  Levels of Mind

  13. BUDDHA NATURE

  The Mind’s Potential according to the Pāli Tradition

  Ārya Disposition according to the Vaibhāṣikas and Sautrāntikas

  Buddha Nature according to the Cittamātra School

  Buddha Nature according to the Madhyamaka School

  Buddha Nature according to Tantra

  Nine Similes for Tathāgatagarbha

  Three Aspects of the Tathāgatagarbha

  Three Aspects of Buddha Disposition

  A Puzzle

  14. GOING DEEPER INTO BUDDHA NATURE

  The Three Turnings of the Dharma Wheel and Buddha Nature

  A Link between Sūtra and Tantra

  Nothing Is to Be Removed

  The Capacity Giving Rise to the Three Kāyas

  A Buddha’s Nature Dharmakāya

  Pristine Wisdom Abiding in the Afflictions

  Causal Clear Light Mind

  What Continues to Awakening?

  Dzogchen and Mahāmudrā

  Are We Already Buddhas?

  Awareness of Our Buddha Nature Eliminates Hindrances

  Notes

  Glossary

  Further Reading

  Index

  About the Authors

  Preface

  THE FIRST VOLUME of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, Approaching the Buddhist Path, explored the Buddhist view of life, mind, and emotions. It provided historical background, introduced us to a systematic approach to the spiritual path, and discussed how Buddhist ideas could pertain to contemporary issues. The second volume, The Foundation of Buddhist Practice, discussed gaining nondeceptive knowledge, rebirth, spiritual mentors, and how to structure a meditation session. From there we considered the essence of a meaningful life and karma — the ethical dimension of our actions. If we use our lives wisely and make good ethical decisions, our deaths will be free from regret and fear. Having fortunate rebirths in the future, we will have conducive circumstances to continue our spiritual practice.

  A fortunate rebirth is definitely desirable, but it is still within cyclic existence (saṃsāra), bound by ignorance, afflictions, and polluted karma. The unsatisfactory circumstances (duḥkha) of saṃsāra are immense and, knowing that, we seek to free ourselves from it. To do so, we must know its causes and whether those causes can be ceased. When convinced the causes can be stopped, we learn the path to eradicate them. Knowledge of guideposts along the way is helpful, as is continuously keeping our goal — the genuine peace and freedom of nirvāṇa for all living beings — in mind. Self-confidence and joyous effort are good friends on our journey to buddhahood.

  While ostensibly this volume is about saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, it is actually about our minds — our minds that are sometimes tumultuous and at other times peaceful. Although our minds are always with us and are the basis of designation of the person, I, our minds remain a mystery to us. How can it be both the basis for the extreme duḥkha of saṃsāra and the incredible bliss and fulfillment of nirvāṇa?

  Knowledge of the two types of buddha nature answers this question. One is the naturally abiding buddha nature — the emptiness of inherent existence of our minds — which has always been and will always be the ultimate nature of our minds. The second is the transforming buddha nature — the mind whose continuity goes on to awakening but at present is not yet freed from defilement. This mind serves as the basis for the emptiness that is the naturally abiding buddha nature. These two types of buddha nature are already present within us. The afflictions are not embedded in our minds; our minds are obscured by defilements but are not the nature of defilement. These obscuring factors can be forever eliminated by applying suitable antidotes.

  This buddha nature is an indelible part of us. Each sentient being has it, so no matter how low we or others may fall as a result of our afflictions, afflictions and suffering are not our nature. We are worthwhile beings who deserve happiness. Our buddha nature can never be lost and we do not need to prove ourselves to anyone. The unpurified mind is saṃsāra; the purified mind is the basis of nirvāṇa. All that is needed is our confidence and sincere effort to follow the path, purify our buddha nature, and cultivate awakened qualities. These are the topics of the present volume.

  How This Book Came About

  The prefaces of volumes 1 and 2 — Approaching the Buddhist Path and The Foundation of Buddhist Practice — contain longer explanations of the origin of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion. To give a brief account, it began with my requesting His Holiness in 1995 to write a short text on the stages of the path (lamrim) that lamas could use when teaching serious students new to Buddhism. Much to my surprise, His Holiness responded by saying that a larger book needed to be compiled first. Because the existing lamrim texts are excellent, there was no need to repeat them. This book needed to be different: It must contain material from the philosophical treatises so that readers will gain a deeper and more detailed explanation of the important points. It must contain material from the Pāli Buddhist tradition so that Tibetan Buddhists will have a more expanded view of the Buddha’s teachings that will lessen sectarianism and help students to appreciate the Buddha’s remarkable skill and versatility in instructing people with diverse interests, aptitudes, and dispositions.

  Using material from His Holiness’s teachings in Asia and the West, I began writing. I also compiled questions from his non-Tibetan disciples to ask during the series of interviews that occurred over the years. These questions dealt with topics that the authors of lamrim texts either assumed readers already knew or didn’t discuss because they weren’t pertinent at that time or in that culture. The book was also designed to clarify misunderstandings that arise when the meaning from another faith is superimposed onto Buddhism — for example, when people mistakenly understood karma and its effects to be a system of reward and punishment, as in theistic religions.

  His Holines
s often invited two, three, or four geshes to join the interviews, and engaged them in intriguing discussions about the topics I raised. The section on karmic seeds and having-ceaseds in chapter 5 of this volume came from such an interview. I asked about the similarities and differences between karmic seeds and having-ceaseds and a lengthy energetic discussion, punctuated with much laughter, followed. The discussion and debate continued after the session with His Holiness as I asked the geshes more questions over tea. At the end, we concluded that there were many more questions and points of debate to explore.

  While writing, it sometimes seemed that I was “translating from English into English.” The philosophical texts are lengthy, filled with debates, and often have sentences that are one page long. We had to extract the important points and express them in easy-to-understand English, including background material when necessary and examples to help the reader understand. As the manuscript increased in length, we realized that instead of being a book it would become a series.

  In oral teachings, His Holiness weaves various topics together in a way that we listeners may not have considered before, opening up new meanings and perspectives. He also goes from simple to complex topics and back again in a matter of minutes, making one talk pertinent for both beginners and advanced practitioners. He doesn’t expect us to understand everything at the first explanation and knows that our understanding will grow slowly as new layers of meaning are revealed to our minds as a result of our purification, collection of merit, study, and reflection. For this reason, the volumes in this series are meant to be read again and again, so that each time you will discover new gems. The books may also be read individually if you are interested in a particular topic, or be used as a resource when you need to look up specific points.

  Overview of Saṃsāra, Nirvāṇa, and Buddha Nature

  This book will lead us through a fascinating journey regarding our present situation and the possibility of attaining unsurpassed awakening where all duḥkha and its causes have been forever ceased and all excellent qualities have been developed limitlessly. Underlying both our saṃsāra and nirvāṇa is the fundamental innate clear light mind that by nature is empty of inherent existence. When obscured by defilements, it is buddha nature; when purified of defilements, it is the truth body (dharmakāya) of a buddha.