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Tathātā
Tathātā (; Sanskrit: तथाता; Pali: tathatā) is a Buddhist term variously translated as "thusness" or "suchness," referring to the nature of reality free from conceptual elaborations and the subject–object distinction. While also used in Theravada, it is a significant concept in Mahayana Buddhism. The Buddha The Buddha referred to himself as the Tathāgata, which can mean either "One who has thus come" or "One who has thus gone", and can also be interpreted as "One who has arrived at suchness". Theravada Buddhism In Theravada, this term designates the nature of existence (''bhāva''), the truth which applies to things. According to the '' Kathavatthu'', ''tathātā'' is not an unconditioned or un-constructed (''asankhata'') phenomenon. The only phenomena which is un- constructed in Theravada is Nibbana. According to Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, ''tathātā'' is merely the way things are, the truth of all things: "When tathātā is seen, the three characteristics of anicca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahayana
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing branches of Buddhism (the other being ''Theravāda'' and Vajrayana).Harvey (2013), p. 189. Mahāyāna accepts the main scriptures and teachings of early Buddhism but also recognizes various doctrines and texts that are not accepted by Theravada Buddhism as original. These include the Mahāyāna Sūtras and their emphasis on the ''bodhisattva'' path and ''Prajñāpāramitā''. '' Vajrayāna'' or Mantra traditions are a subset of Mahāyāna, which make use of numerous tantric methods considered to be faster and more powerful at achieving Buddhahood by Vajrayānists. "Mahāyāna" also refers to the path of the bodhisattva striving to become a fully awakened Buddha ('' samyaksaṃbuddha'') for the benefit of all sentient beings, and is thu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buddha-nature
Buddha-nature refers to several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, including '' tathata'' ("suchness") but most notably ''tathāgatagarbha'' and ''buddhadhātu''. ''Tathāgatagarbha'' means "the womb" or "embryo" (''garbha'') of the "thus-gone" ('' tathāgata''), or "containing a ''tathāgata''", while ''buddhadhātu'' literally means "Buddha-realm" or "Buddha-substrate". Buddha-nature has a wide range of (sometimes conflicting) meanings in Indian and later East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist literature. Broadly speaking, the terms refer to the potential for all sentient beings to be a Buddha, since the luminous mind, "the natural and true state of the mind," the pure (''visuddhi'') mind undefiled by kleshas, is inherently present in every sentient being. It will shine forth when it is cleansed of the defilements, c.q. when the nature of mind is recognised for what it is. The '' Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra'' (written 2nd century CE), which was very influential in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haecceity
Haecceity (; from the Latin ''haecceitas'', which translates as "thisness") is a term from medieval scholastic philosophy, first coined by followers of Duns Scotus to denote a concept that he seems to have originated: the irreducible determination of a thing that makes it ''this particular'' thing. Haecceity is a person's or object's thisness, the individualising difference between the concept "a man" and the concept "Socrates" (''i.e.'', a specific person). In modern philosophy of physics, it is sometimes referred to as primitive thisness. Etymology Haecceity is a Latin neologism formed as an abstract noun derived from the demonstrative pronoun "haec(ce)", meaning "this (very)" (feminine singular) or "these (very)" (feminine or neuter plural). It is apparently formed on the model of another (much older) neologism, viz. "qui(d)ditas" ("whatness"), which is a calque of Aristotle's Greek ''to ti esti'' (τὸ τί ἐστι) or "the what (it) is." Haecceity vs. quiddity Haeccei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus. The word ''Hindu'' is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as '' Sanātana Dharma'' ( sa, सनातन धर्म, lit='the Eternal Dharma'), a modern usage, which refers to the idea that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts. Another endonym is ''Vaidika dharma'', the dharma related to the Vedas. Hinduism is a diverse system of thought marked by a range of philosophies and shared concepts, rituals, cosmological systems, pilgrimage sites, and shared textual sources that discuss theology, metaphysics, mythology, Vedic yajna, yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building, among other topi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tattva
According to various Indian schools of philosophy, ''tattvas'' () are the elements or aspects of reality that constitute human experience. In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of ''tattvas'' varies depending on the philosophical school, together they are thought to form the basis of all our experience. The Samkhya philosophy uses a system of 25 ''tattvas'', while Shaivism recognises 36 ''tattvas''. In Buddhism, the equivalent is the list of ''dhammas'' which constitute reality, as in Nama-rupa. Etymology ''Tattva'' () is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'. Hinduism Samkhya The Samkhya philosophy regards the Universe as consisting of two eternal realities: '' Purusha'' and '' Prakrti''. It is therefore a strongly dualist philosophy. The ''Purusha'' is the centre of consciousness, whereas the ''Prakriti'' is the source of all material existence. The twenty-five ''tattva'' system of Samkhya ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao'' (, 'Thoroughfare'); the ''Tao'' is generally defined as the source of everything and the ultimate principle underlying reality. The ''Tao Te Ching'', a book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (), together with the later writings of Zhuangzi, are both widely considered the keystone works of Taoism. Taoism teaches about the various disciplines for achieving perfection through self-cultivation. This can be done through the use of Taoist techniques and by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the all, called "the way" or "Tao". Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize ''wu wei'' (action without intention), naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity and the Three Treasures: , compassion, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ziran
Ziran or tzu-jan is a key concept in Daoism that literally means "of its own; by itself" and thus "naturally; natural; spontaneously; freely; in the course of events; of course; doubtlessly". This Chinese word is a two-character compound of ''zi'' () "nose; self; oneself; from; since" and ''ran'' () "right; correct; so; yes", which is used as a ''-ran'' suffix marking adjectives or adverbs (roughly corresponding to English ''-ly''). In Chinese culture, the nose (or zi) is a common metaphor for a person's point of view. Origin The word 'ziran' first occurs in the ''Daodejing'' (17, 23, 25, 51, 64) and refers to the structure of Dao, which cannot be referred back to anything else. It is generally accepted that the philosopher Laozi, author of the Daodejing, coined the term. Ziran is a central concept of Daoism, closely tied to the practice of wuwei, detached or effortless action. Ziran refers to a state of "as-it-isness," the most important quality for anyone following Daoist bel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dharmadhatu
Dharmadhatu (Sanskrit) is the 'dimension', 'realm' or 'sphere' (dhātu) of the Dharma or Absolute Reality. Definition In Mahayana Buddhism, dharmadhātu ( bo, chos kyi dbyings; ) means "realm of phenomena", "realm of truth", and of the noumenon. It is referred to by several analogous terms from Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, such as Tathata (Reality "as-it-is"), emptiness, dependent co-arising and eternal Buddha. It is the "deepest nature, or essence". Dharmadhātu is the purified mind in its natural state, free of obscurations. It is the essence-quality or nature of mind, the fundamental ground of consciousness of the trikaya, which is accessed via the mindstream. When the buddha-nature has been realised, dharmadhātu is also referred to as the Dharmakāya, the ''Body of Dharma Truth''. It is associated with Vairocana. Historical origin Kang-nam Oh traces the origin of dharmadhatu to the Avatamsaka Sutra. It has been further developed by the Hua-yen school: Understanding ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reality In Buddhism
Reality in Buddhism is called ''dharma'' (Sanskrit) or ''dhamma'' (Pali). This word, which is foundational to the conceptual frameworks of the Indian religions, refers in Buddhism to the system of natural laws which constitute the natural order of things. ''Dharma'' is therefore reality as-it-is (''yatha-bhuta''). The teaching of Gautama Buddha constitutes a method by which people can come out of their condition of '' suffering'' through developing an awareness of reality (''see'' mindfulness). Buddhism thus seeks to address any disparity between a person's view of reality and the actual state of things. This is called developing Right or Correct View (Pali: '' samma ditthi''). Seeing reality as-it-is thus an essential prerequisite to mental health and well-being according to Buddha's teaching. Buddhism addresses deeply philosophical questions regarding the nature of reality. One of the fundamental teachings is that all the constituent forms ('' sankharas'') that make up the uni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ten Suchnesses
The Ten suchnesses (; ja, 十如是, jūnyoze) are a Mahayana doctrine which is important, as well as unique, to that of the Tiantai (Tendai) and Nichiren Buddhist schools of thought. The doctrine is derived from a passage found within the second chapter of Kumarajiva's Chinese translation of the Lotus Sutra, that "characterizes the ultimate reality (literally, “real mark”) of all dharmas in terms of ten suchnesses." This concept is also known as the ten reality aspects, ten factors of life, or the Reality of all Existence. Origin The list of ten suchnesses is neither found in Dharmaraksha's Chinese translation nor in the Tibetan edition or any of the extant Sanskrit manuscripts. The Sanskrit editions of the Lotus Sutra list only five elements: Kumarajiva translates the passage in Chapter Two as: The discrepancy between Kumarajivas translation and the Sanskrit editions might be due to Kumarajiva's use of a manuscript variant but Groner and Stone suggest that "th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
śūnyatā
''Śūnyatā'' ( sa, शून्यता, śūnyatā; pi, suññatā; ), translated most often as ''emptiness'', ''vacuity'', and sometimes ''voidness'', is an Indian philosophical concept. Within Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and other philosophical strands, the concept has multiple meanings depending on its doctrinal context. It is either an ontological feature of reality, a meditative state, or a phenomenological analysis of experience. In Theravāda Buddhism, ''Suññatā'' often refers to the non-self (Pāli: ''anattā'', Sanskrit: ''anātman'') nature of the five aggregates of experience and the six sense spheres. ''Suññatā'' is also often used to refer to a meditative state or experience. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, ''śūnyatā'' refers to the tenet that "all things are empty of intrinsic existence and nature ('' svabhava'')", but may also refer to the Buddha-nature teachings and primordial or empty awareness, as in Dzogchen, Shentong, or Chan. Etymology " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra
The ''Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra'' (Sanskrit, "Discourse of the Descent into Laṅka" bo, ལང་ཀར་བཤེགས་པའི་མདོ་, Chinese:入楞伽經) is a prominent Mahayana Buddhist sūtra. This sūtra recounts a teaching primarily between Gautama Buddha and a bodhisattva named Mahāmati, "Great Wisdom". The sūtra is set in Laṅkā, the island fortress capital of Rāvaṇa, the king of the rākṣasas. The ''Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra'' figured prominently in the development of Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism. It is notably an important sūtra in Chan Buddhism and Japanese Zen. Sūtra doctrine The ''Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra'' draws upon the concepts and doctrines of Yogācāra and Buddha-nature. The most important doctrine issuing from the ''Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra'' is that of the primacy of consciousness (Skt. '' ālayavijñāna'') and the teaching of consciousness as the only reality. In the sūtra, the Buddha asserts that all the objects of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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