Buddha nature

Buddha nature — when the Buddha became enlightened he realized that all beings without exception have the same nature and potential for enlightenment, and this is known as buddha nature.

Terms for Buddha Nature

The usual term for ‘buddha nature’ in the Mahayana teachings is tathagatagarbha, but in the Vajrayana the term is sugatagarbha.

• Essence of the Bliss Gone (Skt. sugatagarbha; Tib. deshek nyingpo; Wyl. bde gshegs snying po)
• Essence of the Thus Gone (Skt. tathāgatagarbha; Tib. deshek nyingpo; Wyl. de gshegs snying po or de bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po)
• Class/Family/Lineage/Heritage/Gene (Skt. gotra; Tib. rik; Wyl. rigs)

Treatises

• Uttaratantra Shastra

Further Reading

• S.K. Hookham, Buddha Within: Tathagatagarbha Doctrine According to the Shentong Interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhaga , SUNY Press, 1992
• Douglas S. Duckworth, Mipam on Buddha-Nature: The Ground of the Nyingma Tradition