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Category Archives: The Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra
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:
The Acts of the Buddha
In this fourth chapter we have arrived at the seventh and last Vajra-point—Kṛtya-kriyā, or the acts/functions of the Tathāgata.
The Powers of the Buddha
The Ten Powers (daśa-balāni) of the Buddha:
- 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.
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.
Posted in The Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra
Tagged Buddha-Guṇa, Guṇādhikāra, Paramārtha-kāya, Samvṛtikāya
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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.
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:
Posted in The Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra
Tagged anuttara, awareness, Bodhi, bodhicitta, Bodhicittotpada, Enlightenment, Mahabodhicitta, nirmalā tathatā, sambodhi, samyak
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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:
The Nine-Sheaths
Even though the Tathagata-garbha is “within” all sentient beings, it is still plagued by a series of kleśas that soil and keep it dormant until efficacious Buddha-qualities peel-away the damning-sheathes. The Ratna gives nine-examples of these defilements that are by their very nature adventitious. Once un-sheathed, the unadulterated Buddhadhātu shines through. The nine are taken directly from the Tathagata-garbha Sutra. This is a prime example of how the Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra is compiled from a wide array of Tathāgata-scriptures.
Posted in The Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra
Tagged bodhichild, Buddha-dhatu, clay-covered gotra, diseased lotus flower, hidden treasure, impoverished woman, kernels, Munis, small seed, soiled garment, soiled treasure, swarming bees, Tathagata-dharmagarbha, Tathagata-dhatu, Tathagata-garbha Sutra, Tathagatakaya
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The Top-Ten Qualities of the Ratnagotra
We have arrived at the core-teaching of the Ratna: all sentient beings are endowed with the Buddhagarbha, or the transcendent seed (gotra) of Bodhi. It is taught as Vajra-point four–the Dhātu, or the essence of the Buddha-Element—Tathagata-garbha. As essence, the Dhātu as the inner-most nature is still best serviced by the Gotra, or the [Germ] bodhi-seed enlivening one with the spirit of Bodhi. Obermiller’s translation of the forthcoming is “And the Germ of Buddhahood exists in every living being. Therefore, forever and anon, all that lives is endowed with the Essence of the Buddha.”
Posted in The Ratnagotravibhāgaśāstra
Tagged abheda, avasthāprabheda, avikāra, dhātu, Germ, gotra, guṇa-pāramitās, Hetu, Karman, phala, sarvatraga, svabhāva, vrtti, Yoga
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The Family Jewels
If asked to sum-up one of the prominent qualities of the Ratnagotra-vibhāgaśāstra it would zero-in on a “family”, in particular the “Tathata-family”, and the nature of the three-jewels that constitutes the essence of this family. The Tathagata-garbha is the womb of impressions, both pure and impure, that go-into the makeup of this family and bears both soiled sensorial and immaculate transcendent qualities. This next section of the Ratna is a form of systematic analysis highlighting the germination of these qualities.