🅱Week 2024-29: On Buddha-Nature

"Buddha-nature is natural and spontaneous; it is not caused, conditioned, or fabricated." (Pao-chih, "Twelve Hours of the Day", cca. 5th century) 

"entering directly into the ocean of buddha-nature and manifesting the body of the Buddha." (Keizan Jokin, "Zazen Yojinki" ["Points to Keep in Mind When Practicing Zazen"], 13th-century)

"Buddha-Nature, the Self of all beings, is the simple Truth.
From Buddhas to insects, it is the seer, hearer, and mover." (Bassui Tokusho, 14th century)

"If you fall into poverty, live that way without grumbling - then your poverty will not burden you. Likewise, if you are rich, live with your riches. All this is the functioning of Buddha-nature. In short, Buddha-nature has the quality of infinite adaptability." (Philip Kapleau, "The Three Pillars of Zen: teaching, practice, and enlightenment", 1970)

"Buddha nature, is like the sun which is always shining, always present, though often obscured. We are blocked from our natural light by the clouds of thought and longing and fear; the overcast of the conditioned mind; the hurricane of I am." (Stephen Levine, "A Gradual Awakening", 2010)

"It says in the sutras that buddha nature pervades all beings. But this does not mean that there is some thing which is buddha nature. Rather, when all the confusion of samsara is cleared away, what remains is buddha nature." (Ken McLeod)