Tag Archives: Tathagata

The Inconceivable Master

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Vajragoni

“World-Honored One, the cycle of birth and death [samsara] is based on the Tathagata-embryo. Because of the Tathagata-embryo, the beginning [of samsara] cannot be known. World-Honored One, if one says that because there is the Tathagata-embryo there is samsara, he speaks well. read more

Posted in The Lion's Roar of Queen Śrīmālā | Tagged bodhichild, defilements, Dharma, faith, Queen Śrīmālā’s Lion’s Roar, soteriological principle, Tathagata, The Heaven of the Thirty-Three, Unconditioned-samsara | Leave a comment

To Tell the Truth

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Vajragoni

For Baby-Boomers the old TV Game-Show, To Tell the Truth, has some fond memories, in particular during its Black & White heydays from the mid-50’s into the mid-60’s. Its inception runs as follows: read more

Posted in Spirituality, The Lion's Roar of Queen Śrīmālā | Tagged cessation, dukkha, eternalism, nihilism, Pratyekabuddhas, suffering, Tathagata, Tathāgatagarbha, Tathagatagarbha as soteriological principle, the four Maras, The four reliance’s, the four wrong views, The Noble Truths, the ten powers, To Tell the Truth | Leave a comment

The Pure Lands

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Vajragoni

Bassui had the distinction of empowering others to see beyond their literal notions of the Buddha Pure Lands. However he would not make the attempt if the inquirers were exclusively attached to the phenomenal world and incapable of seeing beyond it. For those who were in earnest, i.e., who could see beyond phenomenal categories with the clear-light of zen, he would engage them with that clear-understanding. The following are extracted portions from his Pure-Land Dialogs. read more

Posted in Mud and Water: Bassui Zen | Tagged Amida, Buddha Pure Lands, form, Mind, Pure Land, Tathagata, Western Pure Land | 1 Comment

The Pure Zen of the Tathagatas

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Vajragoni

A layman asked: “Though Zen is said to be transmitted outside the scriptures and not through words, there are many more incidents of monks questioning teachers and inquiring of the Way than in the teaching sects. How can Zen be said to be outside the scriptures? And can reading the records of the old masters and seeing how they dealt with koans ever be considered outside the realm of words? What is the true meaning of the statement, ‘Outside the scriptures, not through words’?” read more

Posted in Mud and Water: Bassui Zen | Tagged Mind, Mind transmission, Self, Tathagata, Tathagatas, Zen | Leave a comment

The Hidden Jewel

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Vajragoni

“O Bhagavat! We have always thought we had attained complete nirvana. We now realize that we were ignorant. Why is this? We should have attained the wisdom of the Tathāgatas. Yet we were satisfied with little wisdom! read more

Posted in The Lotus Sutra | Tagged Dharma, nirvana, Tathagata, understanding | Leave a comment

The Prodigal Sons

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Vajragoni

The thing that strikes me most about the parable in Chapter 4, the “‘Buddhist’ Prodigal Son”, is that it is told to the Buddha (instead of vice-versa) by four of his most loyal disciples, Subhuti, Maha Katyayana, MahaMaudgalyayana and particularly by Mahākāśyapa. Two of them are well-known, Subhuti, who often plays a prominent role in sutras, in particular the Diamond Sutra, and of course, Mahākāśyapa, who was the first one to receive “Dharma-Mind transmission” from Gautama Buddha. Like devoted adepts on a long spiritual-journey, they were late in coming to realize their own share in “Buddha-nature”, yet their devotion to principles within the Buddhadharma led many to become enlightened. Hence, this parable is truly about them and other “devoted ones”, who at first without the added benefit of the Marvelous Bodhi-Pearl of Noble Wisdom, eventually progress through various spiritual-stages before setting their sights on the ultimate prize. read more

Posted in The Lotus Sutra | Tagged dust, loneliness, Mahākāśyapa, nirvana, prodigal, Tathagata | Leave a comment

(22) The Monastic Mind

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Vajragoni

When the mind reaches a spiritual need and maturity to contemplate its true nature, it is most wise to first try entrance into the monastery of Mind Only, which is Unborn. read more

Posted in The Dragon Mind of Zen Tarot | Tagged desire, Mind, Mind-only, Monastic Mind, Tathagata | Leave a comment

(12) The Tathagata

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Vajragoni

The undivided and real body of the Mind, the Tathagata is unborn.

This “unborn-ness”, is a non-tangible and indestructible essence with a highly dynamic and animative self-nature of sheer productiveness. read more

Posted in The Dragon Mind of Zen Tarot | Tagged Buddha Mind, Mind, Tathagata, Unborn Mind | Leave a comment

(6) The Womb of Light

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Vajragoni

The desireful, skandha-poisoned “false” self, is doomed to fail and become reborn in different forms (depending on its karma) as long as it does not acknowledge the treasure that follows it wherever it goes. read more

Posted in The Dragon Mind of Zen Tarot | Tagged attention, Birth, bodhichild, Buddha Gotama, luminous child, spiritual birth, spiritual pregnancy, Tathagata | Leave a comment

The Cardinal Dynamism of the Unborn

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Vajragoni

TWO: THE CARDINAL DYNAMISM OF THE UNBORN

Vajradhara Buddha addressed Vajarpanī:

“Noble Bodhisattva, attend well to this instruction! The Unborn Mind is the All-Creative Sovereign—the cardinal-dynamism of all created spheres and organisms. read more

Posted in The Tathāgatagarbhatārā Tantra | Tagged Cardinal Dynamism, dharmakaya, Garbhadhatu, gotra, Holy Matrix, Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakāya-Body, Tathagata, Trikaya, Trikayic Nature, TWO, Unborn | Leave a comment