| Yongey Peace Prevails Center 7714 W. Catalina Drive Phoenix, AZ 85033 |
| Under the guidance of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche |
Finding Peace: Buddha Nature
by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
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Peace is something one sees as valuable. All form of life seeks peace to some degree. Now, I will do my best
to explain what I see as the process of finding peace.
Surely we are talking about something that can be acquired in a natural way. It’s not something that
can be obtained, or contrived. Since peace is not something you can hold in you hand, where is this thing
we call peace? What are we actually talking about? Is it in you? Yes, in actuality peace is inside you.
When we talk about real peace we are not talking about something to be sought outside of ourselves. You
might think, if peace is within me why do I have so many problems, so much difficulty, why do I feel so
much turmoil and confusion?
Even though peace is inside all of us, most of the time we don’t recognize it for what it is. Therefore, we
can’t take possession of that which is in our own nature. This natural peace that has been with us from
birth, that is so much a part of us, is in a sense too close to home. Think of it this way: we have eyes,
eyelids, and eyelashes. The eyes function perfectly normal in seeing things, but the eyelids and lashes
are so close to our eyes that the eyes can’t see them. It’s not that they are not there. What the Buddha
said about this issue was that, all of us unenlightened beings, have as our very essence a state of total
clarity, a state we could term our buddha nature, our potential for that state of enlightenment called
buddhahood.
Now, in calling it buddha nature, we give it a kind of fancy name. We could call it “any beings' nature,"
because we are talking about what is our nature. We do not suggest that the nature of a buddha is any
better than the nature of any ordinary being, so it’s not a question or a case of hierarchy. On the one
hand, it is very flattering that I am addressed as the Rinpoche, the title of a Precious One. But it does not
make my nature any better than any one else’s.
So, in which context is there some kind of distinction to be made, between a fully enlightened Buddha
and people such as us? In the case of Buddha, such as the Buddha Shakyamuni, we have someone who
has been able to identify that buddha nature, and that potential; and through the methodical process of
spiritual developments made that latent potential fully evident. Therefore, in attaining buddhahood,
the Buddha did not get anything that he didn’t already have. Gradually through the process of
transformation of what was always the case, the inherent nature became more and more clearly evident
until the accumulation of that process was reached, what we call “the attainment of Buddhahood,” with
all the wisdom, love and compassion, and spiritual power that implies.
For example, I am going to use my watch as a metaphor. I am going to pose you a question. What is the
primary function or quality of a watch? Correct, it’s to tell time. So I have this really good watch that I
keep with me 24 hours a day and I own it. But there is a problem. Even though I have it with me all the
time, I don’t know what it is, or what it’s for. And because of that, I am always late for work and I am
always running around asking people for the time. Now, if I happen to meet someone of a good
disposition, he might take the time to tell me. Or I might meet some people who can’t be bothered.
Because of my ignorance about the function of my watch, I am at odds with everyone else. Maybe I
manage to get a job, but because I can’t show up for work at the right time, you can guess how long I keep
the job! I will soon be out of work, have no place to stay, no food; my life will be a mess. So, I stay in this
very difficult situation until one day I am fortunate enough to meet someone who turns out to be a real
friend. I ask him my favorite question, “what time is it?" To which he replies “why are you asking me,
you are wearing a watch!”
My first reaction was, “Don’t make fun of me, please.” There is a doubt, I really would like to believe
that, but I am not sure. But because this person is such a good friend, he takes the time to tell me that
since I am wearing a watch I don’t have to worry. I might find it hard to believe that my watch can solve
my problems, but this good friend takes the time to explain and train me with patience. Eventually, I
am going to believe, yes, I have a watch and it tells time. That’s the answer to my problem.
So, with this newly gained knowledge, I can go about using my watch. At first I am not proficient and
take awhile, but eventually I get to a point where I can go to it and without much hesitation, figure out
the time. Not only can I tell time. Now, I can show up for work on time, and someone is more likely to
hire me. So, my life improves considerably at a practical level simply from having the information that
I have a watch that tells time.
I have another question. Think of the watch in the circumstances when you have the knowledge of its
function, and the circumstances when you do not. What’s the difference? In which situation does the
watch have more quality than the other: when you were suffering so much or when things improved
enormously? The same, exactly. The watch is the same watch; the quality is the same -- to tell time in
both cases. The difference lies in my recognition or lack of recognition of the function of the watch. That’s
the distinction.
Given that we, as human beings, have this nature or to give it a fancy name, the “buddha nature”--
given that we are not different from all the Buddhas on that level, then on what basis do we make the
distinction between Buddha versus a human being? On the basis of recognition or lack thereof. A human
being, by definition, is one who fails to recognize that nature, and therefore wanders in the cyclic of
existence, whereas a Buddha is someone who has recognized that nature. Now, am I saying that the
moment you recognize you have that buddha nature you become Buddha? No, it is not that
straightforward. It is a little more complicated than that.
Now let’s go back to our earlier metaphor of a good friend who parallels someone who is like a spiritual
friend, a mentor who guides you. Or someone who is a Buddha, who embodies the teaching that you
follow. Just as a good friend, who comes up to you and says you have a watch, a spiritual companion
tells you, you have the buddha nature, and will introduce you to that fact. It doesn’t mean you believe it
right away, any more than the friend who said you got a watch, and you have been wearing it all the
time. Realization of this fact comes through a process of training and practice. You have to gain more
and more confidence in your buddha nature. But even when you believe you have the buddha nature,
does it instantly make you a Buddha? No, it doesn’t. Again, like the person with the watch, he knows he
has the watch, but he has to learn how to use it. So, the knowledge that you have the watch does not
instantly confer you the ability to tell time perfectly.
In the same way the knowledge that you have the buddha nature does not instantly bring you to
enlightenment, but it does allow you to proceed on that path of practice through all the different levels.
In the usual Buddha framework some 10 levels are discussed culminating beyond the 10th level in
attaining the buddhahood of full and complete enlightenment.
This “human beings nature” which I’ve been discussing, ties in very much with the idea of natural
peace. It is in our nature to experience that peace. And what I am attempting to make clearer is that we
can draw it out so as to make it more evident through spiritual practices.
Now, in the time limit that we have here, I have to confine myself to just a basic overview. But I will
cover the main points. Obviously, when you go through the whole system of training step by step, its
implications will become increasingly more and more profound - something that I can not do in just a
short space of time.
to explain what I see as the process of finding peace.
Surely we are talking about something that can be acquired in a natural way. It’s not something that
can be obtained, or contrived. Since peace is not something you can hold in you hand, where is this thing
we call peace? What are we actually talking about? Is it in you? Yes, in actuality peace is inside you.
When we talk about real peace we are not talking about something to be sought outside of ourselves. You
might think, if peace is within me why do I have so many problems, so much difficulty, why do I feel so
much turmoil and confusion?
Even though peace is inside all of us, most of the time we don’t recognize it for what it is. Therefore, we
can’t take possession of that which is in our own nature. This natural peace that has been with us from
birth, that is so much a part of us, is in a sense too close to home. Think of it this way: we have eyes,
eyelids, and eyelashes. The eyes function perfectly normal in seeing things, but the eyelids and lashes
are so close to our eyes that the eyes can’t see them. It’s not that they are not there. What the Buddha
said about this issue was that, all of us unenlightened beings, have as our very essence a state of total
clarity, a state we could term our buddha nature, our potential for that state of enlightenment called
buddhahood.
Now, in calling it buddha nature, we give it a kind of fancy name. We could call it “any beings' nature,"
because we are talking about what is our nature. We do not suggest that the nature of a buddha is any
better than the nature of any ordinary being, so it’s not a question or a case of hierarchy. On the one
hand, it is very flattering that I am addressed as the Rinpoche, the title of a Precious One. But it does not
make my nature any better than any one else’s.
So, in which context is there some kind of distinction to be made, between a fully enlightened Buddha
and people such as us? In the case of Buddha, such as the Buddha Shakyamuni, we have someone who
has been able to identify that buddha nature, and that potential; and through the methodical process of
spiritual developments made that latent potential fully evident. Therefore, in attaining buddhahood,
the Buddha did not get anything that he didn’t already have. Gradually through the process of
transformation of what was always the case, the inherent nature became more and more clearly evident
until the accumulation of that process was reached, what we call “the attainment of Buddhahood,” with
all the wisdom, love and compassion, and spiritual power that implies.
For example, I am going to use my watch as a metaphor. I am going to pose you a question. What is the
primary function or quality of a watch? Correct, it’s to tell time. So I have this really good watch that I
keep with me 24 hours a day and I own it. But there is a problem. Even though I have it with me all the
time, I don’t know what it is, or what it’s for. And because of that, I am always late for work and I am
always running around asking people for the time. Now, if I happen to meet someone of a good
disposition, he might take the time to tell me. Or I might meet some people who can’t be bothered.
Because of my ignorance about the function of my watch, I am at odds with everyone else. Maybe I
manage to get a job, but because I can’t show up for work at the right time, you can guess how long I keep
the job! I will soon be out of work, have no place to stay, no food; my life will be a mess. So, I stay in this
very difficult situation until one day I am fortunate enough to meet someone who turns out to be a real
friend. I ask him my favorite question, “what time is it?" To which he replies “why are you asking me,
you are wearing a watch!”
My first reaction was, “Don’t make fun of me, please.” There is a doubt, I really would like to believe
that, but I am not sure. But because this person is such a good friend, he takes the time to tell me that
since I am wearing a watch I don’t have to worry. I might find it hard to believe that my watch can solve
my problems, but this good friend takes the time to explain and train me with patience. Eventually, I
am going to believe, yes, I have a watch and it tells time. That’s the answer to my problem.
So, with this newly gained knowledge, I can go about using my watch. At first I am not proficient and
take awhile, but eventually I get to a point where I can go to it and without much hesitation, figure out
the time. Not only can I tell time. Now, I can show up for work on time, and someone is more likely to
hire me. So, my life improves considerably at a practical level simply from having the information that
I have a watch that tells time.
I have another question. Think of the watch in the circumstances when you have the knowledge of its
function, and the circumstances when you do not. What’s the difference? In which situation does the
watch have more quality than the other: when you were suffering so much or when things improved
enormously? The same, exactly. The watch is the same watch; the quality is the same -- to tell time in
both cases. The difference lies in my recognition or lack of recognition of the function of the watch. That’s
the distinction.
Given that we, as human beings, have this nature or to give it a fancy name, the “buddha nature”--
given that we are not different from all the Buddhas on that level, then on what basis do we make the
distinction between Buddha versus a human being? On the basis of recognition or lack thereof. A human
being, by definition, is one who fails to recognize that nature, and therefore wanders in the cyclic of
existence, whereas a Buddha is someone who has recognized that nature. Now, am I saying that the
moment you recognize you have that buddha nature you become Buddha? No, it is not that
straightforward. It is a little more complicated than that.
Now let’s go back to our earlier metaphor of a good friend who parallels someone who is like a spiritual
friend, a mentor who guides you. Or someone who is a Buddha, who embodies the teaching that you
follow. Just as a good friend, who comes up to you and says you have a watch, a spiritual companion
tells you, you have the buddha nature, and will introduce you to that fact. It doesn’t mean you believe it
right away, any more than the friend who said you got a watch, and you have been wearing it all the
time. Realization of this fact comes through a process of training and practice. You have to gain more
and more confidence in your buddha nature. But even when you believe you have the buddha nature,
does it instantly make you a Buddha? No, it doesn’t. Again, like the person with the watch, he knows he
has the watch, but he has to learn how to use it. So, the knowledge that you have the watch does not
instantly confer you the ability to tell time perfectly.
In the same way the knowledge that you have the buddha nature does not instantly bring you to
enlightenment, but it does allow you to proceed on that path of practice through all the different levels.
In the usual Buddha framework some 10 levels are discussed culminating beyond the 10th level in
attaining the buddhahood of full and complete enlightenment.
This “human beings nature” which I’ve been discussing, ties in very much with the idea of natural
peace. It is in our nature to experience that peace. And what I am attempting to make clearer is that we
can draw it out so as to make it more evident through spiritual practices.
Now, in the time limit that we have here, I have to confine myself to just a basic overview. But I will
cover the main points. Obviously, when you go through the whole system of training step by step, its
implications will become increasingly more and more profound - something that I can not do in just a
short space of time.
| -- from a teaching in 2006 or earlier |