Buddha Nature - Your journey

[DSFriend]

It is said that beings possesses the buddha nature. It is this believe that we embark on the buddhist path to free ourselves of all that has held us from being in our natural state. Though this state is the closest to us because it is the real state, yet we can't grasp it...or rather be one with that nature. So near....yet so far!  What would it take to see the Buddha nature in us.

There are many senior dharma students in this forum and it would be encouraging to read about your breakthroughs, overcoming challenges, how you are now with dharma in your lives...

peace and happiness

[Roberto]

Senior student I am not, but my experience from Dharma before and now is a calmer mind. Not to say that I don't  those up's and down's and the odd loss of control, but all in all the mind is quick to return to a state of rest.

I am new to protector practice, but it also is fantastic! A protector especially for my spiritual practice. Coming from a christian country it was strange at first to have dharma protectors and my friends always raise an eye lid when I begin talking about protector practices. But I don't care, they can't lead me to enlightenment.

tks

[Big Uncle]

It is said that recognizing his Buddha nature took countless aeons for Buddha Shakyamuni to perfect. However, we are truly fortunate because the Buddha laid out a roadmap so our journey of discovery would have less obstacles. In his teachings, the Buddha mentioned that the true nature of our mind (or our Buddha nature) is clarity, compassionate and without boundaries.

It is eons of negative karma, delusions and all manner of reincarnations that clouds our minds, sets self-creating boundaries and makes us unnaturally self-cherishing. Hence, every person we know have somebody they cherish and care about. Even the most hardened criminal loves or cares about someone.  That capacity for love and care is a reflection of the compassionate and true nature of our mind. In Mahayana Buddhist practice is to extend that love from our loved ones towards all beings through our spiritual practice. Unfortunately, many of us don't even know how to really love and care for those who are closest to us.

The true nature of our mind is clarity and that means having awareness of our ourselves, our surroundings, the people around us and most importantly, the effects of our actions upon others. Reflection, meditation and ultimately taking greater responsibility for our lives and others are great ways to extend this clarity. A person with great clarity sees not just people for who they are but what makes them suffer. That clarity drives these great beings towards working and benefitting more and more beings.

Last of all, boundaries are set in our mind based on our limited perception or rather of what we project our world to be. More often than not, our projections rule our lives and makes us miserable. True realizers of the mind contemplate the lack of inherent nature of projections and through practice of creating merit and meditation, they chip away at their projections until they realize 'emptiness'. I don't know enough on this topic to elaborate further.

There is of course much more than what I have laid out here but this is as far as I know. I am not realised any of them yet but i do hold a great fascination for this topic to retain some info.
 

[vajrastorm]

Here’s just to share something, which I recently came across in my reading. It says that we can catch glimpses of the Buddha nature in us and in others when we see people performing spontaneous acts of kindness and compassion. This leads me to think that if we keep going on a path of performing spontaneous acts of kindness and compassion, we will surely be able to catch more than a glimpse of the Buddha nature.
I see the Buddha nature, before my very eyes, in my selfless Spiritual Guide, in his untiring and consistent acts of kindness and great compassion at all times.

[Helena]

Beautifully written, Vajrastorm!

I concur!

In my personal experience, the closest resemblance of Buddha Nature on earth in my Guru as well.

I believe this is why they say the Guru is like a mirror. He shows us the Buddha Nature is us as well as being the breathing and living Buddha Nature for us to aspire to be.

Honestly, in my worldly life and environment, there is very little glimpses of Buddha Nature. Not even in myself. My acts of spontaneity are very much crippled by self doubt or suspicions of others. And if it's not that - they are all tainted with the 8 worldly dharmas.

It's only recently that I am learning to acknowledge how much I need validation and recognition of my professional work. And the fear of looking bad in the professional context, stops me from doing what I should be doing.

It is indeed a journey. And to me, it is like a journey of shedding of the layers - layers of superficiality, doubts, insecurities, etc.

I thank the Buddhas that we have access to many great teachers now. May we never separate from our Gurus and persevere in our personal journey to the realisation of our very own Buddha Nature.

[hope rainbow]

I find the path, very often not easy. And I would notice 2 things that help me along the way:

KNOWLEDGE
(and I don't mean wisdom)
In fact, what saves me from running away from it is the Dharma knowledge I have gathered and the great hopes I have for the outcome of a steady grip at one's spiritual growth.
Buddha nature may be in us, may be our true nature, but my attachments and delusions can appear so much stronger and even attractive at times... Without the lamrim, I would be very weak in front of my attachments, very weak.

MY GURU
What makes me also keep my resolve is the thought of my guru who has given me so much and whom I would disappoint so greatly by falling backwards. If there is someone I wouldn't want to disappoint, it is my guru.

[Helena]

I find the path, very often not easy. And I would notice 2 things that help me along the way:

KNOWLEDGE
(and I don't mean wisdom)
In fact, what saves me from running away from it is the Dharma knowledge I have gathered and the great hopes I have for the outcome of a steady grip at one's spiritual growth.
Buddha nature may be in us, may be our true nature, but my attachments and delusions can appear so much stronger and even attractive at times... Without the lamrim, I would be very weak in front of my attachments, very weak.

MY GURU
What makes me also keep my resolve is the thought of my guru who has given me so much and whom I would disappoint so greatly by falling backwards. If there is someone I wouldn't want to disappoint, it is my guru.

So well written and beautiful, HR.

I do agree, though we may have in us the Buddha Nature, but we also have our deep attachments and delusions. These two are the most deadly enemies of our lives. There is no greater enemy than them. If only we can recognise them fast enough and be diligent in standing guard against them. We must be very vigilant and always ready. We just never know when they will strike and they are such elusive hiders.

[hope rainbow]

It is said that beings possesses the buddha nature. It is this believe that we embark on the buddhist path to free ourselves of all that has held us from being in our natural state. Though this state is the closest to us because it is the real state, yet we can't grasp it...or rather be one with that nature. So near....yet so far!  What would it take to see the Buddha nature in us.

My thoughts on this.

To see a Buddha is to become one.
Two aspects:
1.  it requires from me to recognize buddhahood in me to see buddhahood "outside" me.
2.  it requires for me to witness budhahood "outside" of me (in someone else) for buddhahood to awaken in me.

Easier said than achieved.

[Helena]

HR, I love what you wrote.

I guess, it is in the interdependency that we really bring out the 'best' in each other.

We need to have each other in order to awaken the Buddha within ourselves and at the same time, do the same for others what they are doing for us. This exquisite cycle is far better than a vicious one which we all continue to drown deeper into our maras and never leave the prison that is samsara.

If we do realise the beauty of this interdependency, then may be it will be less difficult to do, because we would all be assisting one another simulatenously.

That would be a wonderful cycle for a change.
 

[pgdharma]

I find the path, very often not easy. And I would notice 2 things that help me along the way:

KNOWLEDGE
(and I don't mean wisdom)
In fact, what saves me from running away from it is the Dharma knowledge I have gathered and the great hopes I have for the outcome of a steady grip at one's spiritual growth.
Buddha nature may be in us, may be our true nature, but my attachments and delusions can appear so much stronger and even attractive at times... Without the lamrim, I would be very weak in front of my attachments, very weak.

MY GURU
What makes me also keep my resolve is the thought of my guru who has given me so much and whom I would disappoint so greatly by falling backwards. If there is someone I wouldn't want to disappoint, it is my guru.

I agree with you, Hope Rainbow. All of us have the true Buddha nature in us but it is covered with many lifetimes of delusions, attachments and habituations that it will take a long time for us to unveil the many "layers" to awaken the Buddha nature in us. Thus, having a Spiritual Guide is so essential to help us on this journey as our Spiritual Guide is a living example of  Buddha nature.

[dondrup]

We are oblivious of our true potential to be a Buddha had we not found Dharma. Without Dharma, I can’t imagine how I could continue living in samsara.  Birth, sickness, aging and death – these are what all of us have and will be going through in life after life repeatedly.  We live in the dream world that we had created since beginning-less time.  And yet we forget and don’t even realize this!

There are so many spiritual guides in the World doing the same things that all Buddhas had done, are doing and continue to do in the future.  They are leading us to our natural state – Buddha Nature. We need much help from the Gurus and the Three Jewels.  We are indeed very fortunate to have met spiritual guides who show us the way to Buddhahood.  Our Gurus shows us that Buddhahood is real and possible. Our Gurus has shown us Dharma.  And Dharma has unlocked the truth of who we really are and the true nature of all phenomena.

A Buddha can never tell a lie.  Hence the Dharma that He taught us is true.   If we practise Dharma sincerely and devote ourselves fully to our spiritual guides (who are all living Buddhas) we will definitely realize our Buddha nature.  And we must rely on our Dharma Protectors to help us overcome our inner and outer obstacles.  The Dharma Protectors are inseparable from our Gurus and Yidams, they are one in nature.

Buddhahood is not far because it is the natural state of our mind.  Our mind is only temporary obscured by our delusions.  When we completely remove these delusions, we become Buddhas. We have taken countless lifetimes of past habituations to become who we are now.  Hence, it is only logical that we will take many lifetimes to reach Buddhahood.  But that should not deter us. It is a matter of how much we want or how passionate we are to realise our Buddha Nature.

[hope rainbow]

We are oblivious of our true potential to be a Buddha had we not found Dharma. Without Dharma, I can’t imagine how I could continue living in samsara.  Birth, sickness, aging and death – these are what all of us have and will be going through in life after life repeatedly.  We live in the dream world that we had created since beginning-less time.  And yet we forget and don’t even realize this!

And yet so many are exposed to the truth and still can't propel themselves out of their misery.
How many times have I heard from "friends" that my journey into buddhism was a way for me to "escape" from reality, if they only meant that for real...hehehe.... Because it is an escape, they are right, but they can't see the jail! They'd rather stay prisoners, because they can only see the wall of the prison, they think there is nothing beyond that wall, and so they stay prisoners.
They think spirituality is a delusion, how misled they are.
It is sad.

Yet when one has had  the privilege to see a Buddha, one has no more doubts about what lies beyond the prison wall, nor its capacity to "escape".
May all sentient beings be blessed to recognize a Buddha when they see one!

[pgdharma]

[/quote]

And yet so many are exposed to the truth and still can't propel themselves out of their misery.
How many times have I heard from "friends" that my journey into buddhism was a way for me to "escape" from reality, if they only meant that for real...hehehe.... Because it is an escape, they are right, but they can't see the jail! They'd rather stay prisoners, because they can only see the wall of the prison, they think there is nothing beyond that wall, and so they stay prisoners.
They think spirituality is a delusion, how misled they are.
It is sad.


[/quote] Those who are not in dharma will perceive that having a spiritual guide or embarking on a spiritual path is like going into prison thus most of them will try to avoid or procrastinate and find excuses not to be spiritually inclined. Little did they know that having dharma knowledge will eventually free them from prison. When one cuts away the ignorant mind, one can free oneself from the delusions and sufferings that one is trapped within. Yes,  how sad it is that they are misled and think spirituality is a delusion. 

[DSFriend]

It is said that beings possesses the buddha nature. It is this believe that we embark on the buddhist path to free ourselves of all that has held us from being in our natural state. Though this state is the closest to us because it is the real state, yet we can't grasp it...or rather be one with that nature. So near....yet so far!  What would it take to see the Buddha nature in us.

My thoughts on this.

To see a Buddha is to become one.
Two aspects:
1.  it requires from me to recognize buddhahood in me to see buddhahood "outside" me.
2.  it requires for me to witness budhahood "outside" of me (in someone else) for buddhahood to awaken in me.

Easier said than achieved.

In response to your thoughts:
I think what we can do to achieve seeing buddhahood/buddha nature is identifying, recognizing and rejoicing in others' virtuos qualities.
Through that, we connect with the same virtuous qualities, the inside of us, our buddha nature.

How extremely fortunate if we have a Guru in our lives,... not only to receive teachings on the path but also for us to recognize the qualitities, for the Outer Guru to lead us to our Inner Guru.

May all the holy teachers live long and continue to be amongst us to turn the wheel of Dharma.

[Helena]

Such great answers and replies in this thread.

I think when people have ignorance and wrong views, they become blind to the truth. In fact, the truth will be viewed as the lie or fake.

It is extremely scary to think that before Dharma and meeting the Guru, I was just like them and perhaps, even worse. Samsara was my dream place, my ultimate fantasy playground. Of course, I do not view it as a prison or even remotely bad. I used to hold the view that spirituality was bad, and a total waste of time. That people stumble into spirituality in order to come into terms with some tragedies in their lives.

Frankly, I used to believe that I'd lose all my true purpose in life if I ever give myself over to spirituality. How incredible strange that sounds now!

After meeting the Dharma and Guru, I cannot imagine wanting to spend any more time in samsara. Now, I see samsara for what it really is - a prison without bail and probation. It's an endless death sentence.