I was recently asked what the most important aspect of Buddhist practice is and what the most practical advice I could give someone is. I replied that the key point is knowledge of the Tathaghatagharba, our Buddha Nature.
This nature isn’t something the Buddha created, nor is it something we gain once we “become Buddhist.” The very essence of our lives is an underlying basic quality that is calm, free, open, and continuously appearing. The entire point of all Buddhist practices is to experience this nature profoundly.
Realizing that we possess a nature beyond the confusion and chatter of our minds is a revelation that ignites a fire within us. It inspires and motivates us to embark on a personal journey of rediscovery, to connect with our true nature, and to awaken the potential that lies dormant within us.
These ideas can be complicated to unravel if we rely only on intellectual investigation. That’s why we also practice meditation. Through meditation, even at the most fundamental level, we begin to experience the aspects of our true nature, we begin to access its deeper qualities, and we can cultivate deeper connections to others.
As we learn to meditate, we are learning to release confusion. Calm-abiding meditations are immediate in their instruction and methods, allowing us to access, possibly for the first time, our minds beyond the everyday clutter of hope and fear. The later stages of insight provide an experience of seeing clearly how the mind creates, distorts, and craves. Our intrinsically awakened nature has been with us since birth, hidden by the transient chaos of bewilderment.
This unceasing clarity, our unrevealed nature of mind, is the basis, path, and, indeed, the goal of all efforts for those of us who follow the Buddha. Awakening depends on us penetrating the depths of our minds, cutting through confusion, and directly perceiving who we are.
We can do this; there is a tradition to guide us. So, find a teacher, cultivate companions, and train your mind. Your nature is just waiting for you to discover it!
