Searching parallel concepts in Mahayana/Vajrayana Buddhism?

[eshana]

Hi,
I studied Buddhist psychology with Shambhala Buddhist group and completed their first two retraits several years ago. The book we were studying were Zen Mind, beginner's mind and The Myth of Freedom and the way of meditation. I am not quite sure if Shambala buddhism can be considered as a part of Mahayana Buddhism but my question is about the concept i learned there. I want to know what is the equivalent terminology of basic goodness in Mahayana Buddhism and is there any discorse of Buddha's about it? Basic goodness is that an idea that in every human there is this clarity, openness and warmth as an essential quality. Basic goodness is also know as brilliant sanity, natural wakefulness and primordial wisdom.
I am sorry if i posted this question to a wrong forum but i thought since Chogyam Trungpa was a Mahayana Monk, his teachings also must be parallel to Mahayana Buddhism.

[Aloka]

Hello and welcome eshana !



is there any discorse of Buddha's about it

The best place to look for the original discourses of the Buddha is in the Pali Canon.

This might be helpful in terms of your query about goodness being mentioned in the Buddha's teachings and although from a Theravada source is also very relevant to the later Mahayana/Vajrayana Buddhist traditions:




Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-kindness


This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech,
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied,
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,
Not proud or demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born —
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/khp/khp.9.amar.html



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[Element]

Basic goodness is that an idea that in every human there is this clarity, openness and warmth as an essential quality.
welcome Eshana

it sounds like you are referring to the 'The Genuine Heart of Sadness (http://shambhala-training.eu/images/File/Shambhala%20Training/Genuine%20Heart%20of%20Sadness%20-%20Trungpa%20Rinpoche.pdf)' by Trungpa

regards

;D

[Lazy Eye]

I want to know what is the equivalent terminology of basic goodness in Mahayana Buddhism and is there any discourse of Buddha's about it? Basic goodness is that an idea that in every human there is this clarity, openness and warmth as an essential quality. Basic goodness is also know as brilliant sanity, natural wakefulness and primordial wisdom.

What you say here sounds to me like Buddha nature (tathagatagarbha), a core Mahayana teaching.

It can be viewed in a couple of ways. One is that we all have the capability to become Buddhas, that is, become enlightened.

Another is that the mind of the Buddha is already within us, and can be said to be our intrinsic nature -- "the original clear light of mind", as the Dalai Lama has put it. Thus, in this interpretation, the practice consists of removing the afflictions which cloud this original nature.

You're not going to find "Buddha nature" in the Pali Canon (as far as I'm aware)...the place to look would be Mahayana texts such as the Lotus, Lankavatara and Nirvana sutras.

Shambala I believe would be considered a part of Vajrayana Buddhism, though I gather that Trungpa had some pretty strong Zen influences too. Some people see Vajrayana as a subset of Mahayana, while others regard it as a distinct path to enlightenment. In any case, Vajrayana and Mahayana share many basic teachings (including buddha nature), although the interpretations can vary.

Hope this helps you with your question...and welcome to BWB!

[eshana]

Thank you very much for all of the answers. @Lazy Eye: Yes, i think "Buddha nature" concept is the closest to "basic goodness" notion in Shambala discipline and I couldn't find any similar references anywhere in Buddha's original teachings about "Buddha nature".

[hajurba]

:read:
Thank you very much for all of the answers. @Lazy Eye: Yes, i think "Buddha nature" concept is the closest to "basic goodness" notion in Shambala discipline and I couldn't find any similar references anywhere in Buddha's original teachings about "Buddha nature".

Hi eshana...nice to meet you. Your last entry made me curious about this issue...whether there are other publications about Buddha nature. I found this interesting link here and loaded it down for my further reading. My homework for the winter season so to say.:read:

Buddha-nature: Theravada Zen April 30, 2010 by Marcus (http://wakeupandlaugh.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/buddha-nature-theravada-zen/)

...and for the jokers amongst us. I am a dog lover myself and we have many dogs : :lol:

I found this funny quote:


Sam(2)

My Golden Retriever named “Auggie” gets stand-off-ish when sometimes I become unconscious in Ego. Its one of my barometers. When I am in Buddha Consciousness, he just glows with adoration and is my shadow.

I found this when reading from a woman who tried to link her article about child abuse to the concept of
Dogs and Buddha Nature
(that went wrong of course because a commentator pointed out to her that her story had nothing to do with Buddhism)

Dogs and Buddha Nature
By Barbara O'Brien, About.com Guide , August 11, 2011 (http://buddhism.about.com/b/2011/08/11/dogs-and-buddha-nature.htm)

:zonked:

[eshana]

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.
Buddha

It is sometimes hard to accept it is over but get over it please.

[Aloka]

I couldn't find any similar references anywhere in Buddha's original teachings about "Buddha nature".


This might be helpful in terms of the expression 'Buddha Nature' and the Buddha's original teachings:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/freedomfrombuddhanature.html


.

[Lazy Eye]

For anyone interested in exploring Buddha Nature further, here is a translation of Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana (http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Translations/Awakening_of_faith.html), one of the seminal texts on the topic. Buddha Nature here is basically synonymous with Suchness.

http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Translations/Awakening_of_faith.html

Worth noting, perhaps, that because it is beyond "all forms of verbalization, description, and conceptualization", any terms we use for it are provisional -- a finger pointing to the moon, as the saying goes.


The Mind in terms of the Absolute is the one World of Reality (dharmadhatu) and the essence of all phases of existence in their totality. That which is called "the essential nature of the Mind" is unborn and is imperishable. It is only through illusions that all things come to be differentiated. If one is freed from illusions, then to him there will be no appearances (lakshana) of objects regarded as absolutely independent existences; therefore all things from the beginning transcend all forms of verbalization, description, and conceptualization and are, in the final analysis, undifferentiated, free from alteration, and indestructible. They are only of the One Mind; hence the name Suchness.

All explanations by words are provisional and without validity, for they are merely used in accordance with illusions and are incapable of denoting Suchness. The term Suchness likewise has no attributes which can be verbally specified. The term Suchness is, so to speak, the limit of verbalization wherein a word is used to put an end to words. But the essence of Suchness itself cannot be put an end to, for all things in their Absolute aspect are real; nor is there anything which needs to be pointed out as real, for all things are equally in the state of Suchness. It should be understood that all things are incapable of being verbally explained or thought of; hence the name Suchness.

Question: If such is the meaning of the principle of Mahayana, how is it possible for men to conform themselves to and enter into it?

Answer: If they understand that, concerning all things, though they are spoken of, there is neither that which speaks, nor that which can be spoken of, and though they are thought of, there is neither that which thinks, nor that which can be thought of, then they are said to have conformed to it. And when they are freed from their thoughts, they are said to have entered into it. Next, Suchness has two aspects if predicated in words. One is that it is truly empty (sunya), for this aspect can, in the final sense, reveal what is real. The other is that it is truly nonempty (a-sunya), for its essence itself is endowed with undefiled and excellent qualities.

And later:


Suchness in its nature is fully provided with all excellent qualities; namely, it is endowed with the light of great wisdom, the qualities of illuminating the entire universe, of true cognition and mind pure in its self-nature; of eternity, bliss, Self, and purity; of refreshing coolness, immutability, and freedom.

It (probably) goes without saying that Suchness is sunyata, and thus Buddha Nature is that within us which is capable of directly realizing sunyata. Indeed, Buddha Nature is sometimes referred to as the "womb" of enlightenment.