Tag Archives: Tathagatakaya

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. read more

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The Jewel of the Dharma

We next turn to the Dharma as the Second Vajra-point. “From the Jewel of the Buddha comes the Jewel of the Doctrine.” This is presented with the same structure: a direct homage to the Blessed Teaching of the Tathagata by highlighting its prominent aspects. Then it enumerates the eight qualities of the Dharma. read more

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The Three Methods

11. Q: You stated that Right Gnosis is the function of the Gateless Gate of Spontaneous Illumination—what do you mean by Gnosis?
A: The Gnosis that empowers one to break free from the chains of all duality. Its function is the very nature of voidness which is representative of the all-encompassing Substance; IT is free (void) from all that IT is not, whilst also celebrating the Fullness of Its own creative actuosity; thus the substance that undividedly generates non-dual Gnosis itself.
Q: How does one penetrate the gateless gate of this non-dual realization?
A: By way of the perfection of beneficence (dana-paramita).
Q: But how can this be? The Blessed One emphasized six paramitas that must be won on the Bodhisattva-path, yet you mention just this one; how, then, does this one empower us to enter through that gateless gate?
A: The deluded ones do not recognize that the other five emanate from just this particular one; thus, by its practice the others will be fulfilled.
Q: Please explain why it’s called the dana-paramita.
A: By being beneficent one is able to drop all former dualistic proclivities that prevent proper union with the Unborn.
Q: Please expound further…
A: It entails dropping all dualistic assertions, like being and non-being, existence and non-existence, love and hate, pure and impure; through beneficence one drops all these attachments and simply returns to the good of the One, or the Mind that is void of all that is not Itself. Our True Nature does not dwell on anything else whatsoever; hence, THAT which contains no foreign-thing is the nature of Absolute Reality—one which is revealed in the Tathagatakaya, or the perfect embodied mindfulness of the Tathagatas. As the Diamond Sutra states, those who have abandoned all formal realms and its myriad objects are Buddhas.
Q: Once again, however, the Blessed One did emphasize six paramitas—why do you seem to reject the other five for this exclusive one?
A: The Sutra of the Questions of Brahma states that Bodhisattvas who have dropped all former attachments fulfill the dana-paramita; thus, if there are no dharmas left, one is centered in quiescence. The worldlings become bogged-down with a myriad of attachments which keep them on the perpetual-wheel of samsara. I therefore exhort you adepts of the Unborn Way to stay centered in quiescence which brings to perfection the other five paramitas. read more

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The Tathāgata’s Dharma-body

“As I have expounded, Śāriputra, the meaning of the dharma-body is inseparable from, indivisible from, not cut-off from, not different from the inconceivable qualities definitive of a buddha, greater in number than the sands of the Ganges, [namely,] the merits and insight of a tathāgata.  read more

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The Dharma of Absolute Thusness

Chapter Five: Accessing the Edge of Reality, con’t

Bodhisattva, the Dharma which thus accesses is not devoid of characteristics; and the Dharma itself is not void. That Dharma is [in fact] all-pervading. Why? The Dharmas (the Buddha’s definitive teachings) which are not nonexistent are replete with merits. They are beyond [the creations of] the mind and its shadows. They are naturally pure (please see the Buddha’s explanation later).” read more

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No Footprints

Twenty-nine: No Footprints

“And again, O Subhuti, whoever says that the Tathagata goes, or comes, or stands, or sits, or lies down does not understand the meaning of my teaching. And why? Because the word Tathagata means one who does not go to anywhere, and does not come from anywhere; such a one is called the Tathagata, arhat, and fully enlightened.” read more

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