Buddhanature

Buddha-nature, or tathāgatagarbha, is a Mahayana Buddhist doctrine asserting that all sentient beings possess an intrinsic, pure awakening nature that is capable of becoming a Buddha. This buddha-nature is described as luminous, undefiled, and enduring, but it is typically obscured by ignorance and affective defilements. It is not regarded as a separate enduring self, but rather as a buddha-dhātu, the potential for awakening inherent in all beings.

The concept appears in a body of Mahayana sutras known as the tathāgatagarbha texts and was elaborated in East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. It is interpreted in various ways: as a storehouse of Buddhahood, as the ultimate reality (dharmakāya), or as the mind’s true, luminous nature. Among scholars, the doctrine is debated: some regard it as a positive assertion about awakening potential; others caution that claiming an inherent essence could reintroduce a self, which some Buddhist schools have rejected.

Practically, buddha-nature is offered as a motivational framework for the Bodhisattva path, reinforcing the possibility of awakening for every being and the non-dual character of samsara and nirvana. In different lineages, it informs meditation, ethics, and ritual, and has influenced art and liturgy across Mahayana and Vajrayana communities. In Theravada Buddhism, the term is not a standard doctrinal element, and the emphasis remains on the cultivation of wisdom and virtue leading to enlightenment without positing an inherent buddha-nature.