Monthly Archives: November 2017

Death Be Not Final

Came across this. Food for contemplation. Imagine one’s “consciousness” being transported to “the Cloud” for all eternity? What’s to become of rebirth? read more

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Having Faith in the Tathāgata-garbha

Within this series we have encountered the seven Vajra-points that essentially constitutes the main leitmotiv of the Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra, which is the core make-up and teachings of the Tathāgata-garbha: read more

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The Acts of the Buddha

In this fourth chapter we have arrived at the seventh and last Vajra-point—Ktya-kriyā, or the acts/functions of the Tathāgata. read more

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The Powers of the Buddha

The Ten Powers (daśa-balāni) of the Buddha:

  1. Sthānāsthāna:

Perfect Buddhagnosis of drawing right conclusions, of what is appropriate and inappropriate. A Buddha, unlike common worldlings, makes firm resolutions that are never broken, based on former Bodhisattvic vows that are reinforced through bodhicitta. read more

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Buddha-Guṇa

Chapter Three of the Ratnagotra involves the Buddha-Guṇa (sixth vajra-point), or the properties and/or characteristics of Buddhahood. This is based on the term Guṇādhikāra—or the make-up of the favorable qualities of the Buddhakāya. read more

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The Magnificent Eight

Bodhi itself is bracketed by Eight-Points or essential-qualities. The Eight Points are: Purity (svabhāva), Cause (hetu), Result (phala), Functions (karman), Union (yoga), Manifestations (vṛtti), Permanence (nitya), and Inconceivability (acintya). These “terms” should be familiar as they mostly were covered earlier in the series. Now they are associated in terms of Pure and Immaculate qualities of the Absolute Staturehood. read more

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Bodhi: The Essence of Realization

We have completed the first four Vajra-points. Now is time to describe in Chapter Two the fifth Vajra-point, Bodhi: read more

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The Three Svabhāvas of the Tathagata-garbha

The Tathagata-garbha is three-fold in nature (Svabhāva): Dharma-kāya, Tathatā and Tathāgata-gotra. They are seen in correspondence with the nine sheathes reinforced with a purity aspect. Firstly, though, we would be remiss if neglecting to indicate the Concordance between the 9 Illustrations and the 9 Defilements. Obermiller succinctly indicates them as follows: read more

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