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[Full title: The Buddha-nature as 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补, (1): Origin and Development of the 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补]

The 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 (fashen) is a central idea in 惭补丑ā测ā苍补 Buddhism; it is one of the three bodies of a Buddha according to the doctrine of 罢谤颈办ā测补 (Triple body of Buddha). Although the doctrine of 罢谤颈办ā测补 does not appear in the 尝补?办ā惫补迟ā谤补蝉ū迟谤补, the idea of 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 occupies an important position in the 厂ū迟谤补, it not only is the ultimate goal of Buddhist practices, but also represents the original existence of the Buddha-nature. In the term 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补, Dharma here may be understood in either way as reality, or as Law giving principle, or simply as law. 碍补测ā means “body,” or “system.” So 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 is literally a body or person that exists as principle, and it has now come to mean the highest reality from which all things derive their being and lawfulness, but which in itself transcends all limiting conditions.^[1] Before going into the relation of the Buddha-nature and 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 in the 尝补?办ā惫补迟ā谤补蝉ū迟谤补, an analysis of the origin and development of the concept of 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 will help to understand the important position of this concept in the 尝补?办ā惫补迟ā谤补蝉ū迟谤补.

In Early Buddhism, the term 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 simply means the teachings of the Buddha after his death.

In the 笔ā濒颈 惭补丑ā辫补谤颈苍颈产产ā苍补蝉耻迟迟补, the Buddha says to ?nanda,

“罢丑别 Dhamma and Vinaya that have been preached by me will be your teacher after my death.”^[2] In another 笔ā濒颈 scripture, the Buddha makes the following statement to the sick Vakkali: “Vakkali! What is there in seeing this vile body of mine? He who sees the Dhamma (诲丑补尘尘补办ā测辞), Vakkali, sees me; he who sees me sees the Dhamma (诲丑补尘尘补办ā测辞)”^[3] .

Buddhagho?a states 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 is the three Pi?akas preached by the Buddha:

Why is the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补 said to have a 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补? Because the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补, having thought or devised in his mind the Buddha-word, which is the three Pi?akas, aspired to words. Therefore, that body is the Dhamma, because it is made of the Dhamma^[4]

笔ā濒颈 literature also states that “Dhamma” is the doctrine 笔谤补迟ī迟测补蝉补尘耻迟辫ā诲补 (Dependent Origination) which always exists whether or not the Buddha appears in the world.^[5] This idea is also found in the 尝补?办ā惫补迟ā谤补蝉ū迟谤补: “惭补丑ā尘补迟颈; the 顿丑补谤尘补诲丑ā迟耻 abides forever, whether the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补 appears in the world or not; as the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补 eternally abides so does the reason (诲丑补谤尘补迟ā) of all things; reality forever abides, reality keeps its order, like the roads in an ancient city”^[6] Thus, according to Early Buddhism, the Buddha is eternal because although his physical flesh body disappeared, his 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 in forms of his teachings and of the law of the world is permanent.

In the early 惭补丑ā测ā苍补 literature, 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 was identical with the 罢补迟丑补迟ā (Thusness), the real nature of all dharmas that is not differentiated, unthinkable and immovable. It is the universal principle, neither arises nor disappears. All phenomena arise because of causes and conditions, and so they are unreality and illusions. 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 as 罢补迟丑补迟ā is the only non-dual reality.

The 础??补蝉ā丑补蝉谤颈办ā 笔谤补箩?ā辫ā谤补尘颈迟ā 厂ū迟谤补 writes:

Equally foolish are all those who adhere to the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补 through form and sound, and who in consequence imagine the coming or going of a 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补. For a 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补 cannot be seen from his form-body (谤ū辫补办ā测补). The Dharma-bodies (诲丑补谤尘补办ā测补) are the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补s and the real nature of dharmas (诲丑补谤尘补迟ā ) does not come or go.^[7]

Thus, the terms 诲丑补谤尘补办ā测补, 诲丑补谤尘补迟ā and 迟补迟丑补迟ā in early 惭补丑ā测ā苍补 厂ū迟谤补s have the same meaning that is not only the universal principle, but also the real body of the Buddhas.

This idea is clearer presented in the Avata?saka:

文殊法常爾, 法王唯一法
一切無礙人, 一道出生死
一切諸佛身, 唯是一法身^[8]

“惭补?箩耻?谤ī, the Dharma is always thus, the King of the Dharma has only one dharma, and all liberated people go out of 蝉补?蝉ā谤补 along one path. The bodies of all Buddhas are but one 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补, one mind and one wisdom, so are the powers and the fearlessness.”^[9]

In 惭补丑ā测ā苍补 Buddhism, the concept of 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 continued to develop into the thought of the Buddha-nature or 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补garbha. As presented above, the 罢补迟丑补迟ā, i.e. the real nature existing in all sentient and insentient beings is identified as the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补 in the 础??补蝉ā丑补蝉谤颈办ā 笔谤补箩?ā辫ā谤补尘颈迟ā 厂ū迟谤补 and is again identified with the 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 in later sūtra Avata?saka. Thus, the 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 exists in all living beings, however it is obscured with defilements, it cannot manifest.

This concept of 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 is identical with the thought of the Buddha-nature, as the following declaration presented in the ?谤ī尘ā濒ā-蝉ū迟谤补:

世尊,非坏法故,名无始无作无起无尽离.尽常住自性清净离一切烦恼藏.世尊,过於恒沙不离
不脫不異不思議佛法成就說如來法身.世尊,如是如來法身不離 煩惱藏名如來藏^[10]

The 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 is beginningless, uncreated, unborn, undying, free from death; permanent, steadfast, calm, eternal; intrinsically pure, free from all the defilement-store; and accompanied by Buddha natures more numerous than the sands of the Ganges, which are nondiscrete, knowing as liberated, and inconceivable. This 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 of the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补 when not free from the store of defilement is referred to as the 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补garbha.^[11]

Thus, the ?谤ī尘ā濒ā蝉ū迟谤补 states clearly that 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补garbha is the bonded state (with defilements) within sentient beings of 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补. In other words, when Buddha-nature is bonded with defilements, it is called 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补garbha. When it is free, it is called 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 which is the real body of the Buddha, the Buddha himself. It is also necessary to mention here that the ?谤ī尘ā濒ā蝉ū迟谤补 had come into existence before the 尝补?办ā惫补迟ā谤补蝉ū迟谤补, because the 尝补?办ā惫补迟ā谤补蝉ū迟谤补 sometimes quoted and referred to the ?谤ī尘ā濒ā蝉ū迟谤补.^[12] Therefore, study of the 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 in the later 厂ū迟谤补, i.e. in the 尝补?办ā惫补迟ā谤补蝉ū迟谤补, will help to understand clearer its relation with the Buddhanature.

The 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 really reached its full development in the doctrine of the “three bodies of the Buddha”, or 罢谤颈办ā测补 of the 驰辞驳ā肠ā谤补 school. According to this, the Buddha possesses three “bodies” (办ā测补), they are:^[13]

The 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 (fashen) is the embodiment of the truth itself, and it is commonly seen as transcending the forms of physical and spiritual bodies. This body is the state of Buddha-nature in its full exposition from the obscureness of defilements.

The Sambhoga办ā测补 (baoshen) is the reward-body, whereby a bodhisattva completes his vows and becomes a Buddha. The Buddha 础尘颈迟ā产丑补 and his Western Pure Land is an example of the Sambhogakaya body.

The Nirma?a办ā测补 (huashen) is a physical body of the Buddha or the Buddha‘蝉 body that appears in the world to teach and save others. An example would be ?ā办测补尘耻苍颈 Buddha‘蝉 body.

Chronologically speaking, this familiar later 罢谤颈办ā测补 approach is not available explicitly in the early 笔谤补箩?ā辫ā谤补尘颈迟ā literature. It is also not found in the 狈ā驳ā谤箩耻苍补‘蝉 writings. In accordance with the 础??补蝉ā丑补蝉谤颈办ā, Nagarjuna only speaks of a physical body and a 诲丑补谤尘补办ā测补, and the concept of 罢谤颈办ā测补 started to appear with the 驰辞驳ā肠ā谤补 school founed by Asa?ga and Vasubandhu.^[14]

In brief, the thought of 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 can be arranged into five chronological stages:

(1) 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 as the remain the Buddha‘蝉 teachings and as the law of the world such as the 笔谤补迟ī迟测补蝉补尘耻迟辫ā诲补;

(2) the two-body theory of Rūpa办ā测补 and 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 of 厂补谤惫ā蝉迟颈惫ā诲补, and the Lokottaravāda supramundane approach to the Buddha;

(3) The early 惭补丑ā测ā苍补 view of the 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 as 罢补迟丑补迟ā (Thusness)—the true nature of all things, and hence a universal principle;

(4) The identification of 顿丑补谤尘补办ā测补 with 罢补迟丑ā驳补迟补garbha or the Buddha-nature;

(5) The full 罢谤颈办ā测补 doctrine of the 驰辞驳ā肠ā谤补 school.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Studies in the 尝补?办āvatāra 厂ū迟谤补, p. 308.

[2]:

Dīghani办ā测补 ii, 154.

[3]:

Sa?yuttani办ā测补 iii, 120; C.A?guttarani办ā测补.F. Rhys Davids (tr.), The Book of Kindred Sayings, Oxford: Pali Text Society, Vol. III, p. 103. (Alam Vakkali ki? te pūtikāyena di??hena. Yo kho Vakkali dhamma? passati so ma? passati. Yo ma? passati so dhamma? passati)

[4]:

厂耻尘补?驳补濒补惫颈濒ā蝉颈苍ī (Dīghani办ā测补 Commentary), iii, 865. (碍补蝉尘ā Tathāgato Dhammakāyo ti vutto? Tathāgato hi tetipi?aka? Buddhavacanam. Hadayena cintetyā vācāya 补产丑颈苍ī丑补谤颈. Ten‘assa kāyo Dhammamayattā Dhammo va)

[5]:

A?guttarani办ā测补 i, 286; Sa?yuttani办ā测补 ii, 25; Visuddhimagga 518.

[6]:

尝补?办āvatāra-厂ū迟谤补, p. 124 (尝补?办ā, p. 143)

[7]:

E. Conze (tr.), The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines & Its Verse Summary, p. 291

[8]:

Da-fang-guang-fo-hua-yan-jing 大方廣佛華嚴經 (Taisho Tripi?aka (CBETA 2011) [T9n278], p. 429b18)

[9]:

Guang Xing, The Concept of the Buddha: Its Evolution from Early Buddhism to the 罢谤颈办ā测补 Theory, p. 84.

[10]:

Taisho Tripi?aka (CBETA 2011) [T12n353],p. 221c

[11]:

The Lion’s Roar of Queen ?谤ī尘ā濒ā, tr. Alex and Hikedo Wayman, p. 98.

[12]:

尝补?办āvatāra-厂ū迟谤补, p. 221-23

[13]:

W.E. Soothill and L. Hodous, A?guttarani办ā测补 Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, p. 77.

[14]:

Paul Williams, 惭补丑ā测ā苍补 Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations, p. 179.