Books/Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism/The Nine Examples of Buddha Potential

The Nine Examples of Buddha Potential

Loden, Geshe Acharya Thubten. "The Nine Examples of Buddha Potential: Meaning of the Examples of the Obscured Objects and Their Obscurations." In Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism, 118–31. Melbourne: Tushita Publications, 1996.

1. Meaning of the Examples of the Obscured Objects and Their Obscurations

1 Brief explanation
2 Extensive explanation

1.1 Brief Explanation

That existing within the enclosure of the delusions
Is known by these examples

Though the nature of the mind of sentient beings is pure, it nonetheless exists within the enclosure of the delusions. However, these delusions, which are merely adventitious stains, do not permeate the nature of the mind. This can be seen by examining the following nine examples.

Like a Buddha in a decaying lotus, honey amidst bees,
Grain within its husk, gold inside filth,
Treasure in the ground, and sprouts and so on arising from
the seeds (within fruits),
A Buddha's form in tattered cloth, and

Like a king in an ugly woman's womb,
A precious form existing within a clay (mould): similarly,
Obscured by the stains of the adventitious delusions,
This Buddha potential exists in all sentient beings.

What then are the nine examples? The first is the presence of a Buddha's form, complete with the major and minor marks, enclosed within a decaying lotus flower. The second is the presence of honey amid a swarm of bees. The third is a grain existing within its husk. The fourth is the presence of gold covered by filth. The fifth is the existence of a precious treasure under the ground. The sixth is the potential within the seed of a fruit to sprout into a tree. The seventh is a Buddha statue made from precious jewels covered by tattered rags. The eighth is the presence of a baby, who will become a great king, within the womb of an ugly woman. The ninth is the presence of a golden Buddha statue encased in a clay mould.
      As illustrated by these examples, Buddha potential exists within the continuum of sentient beings, obscured by the stains of nine types of adventitious defilements.

1.2 Extensive Explanation
The example of the lotus

Suppose abiding within an ugly-coloured lotus
Were a Tathagata shining with thousands of marks.
When perceived by a human with the pure divine eye,
It would be extracted from those 'water-born' petals.

Similarly, the Tathagata sees with his Buddha eye
The true nature of even those abiding in the lowest hells.
Unobstructed, and remaining through compassion till the
limit of the future,
He makes us free of obscurations.

Just as the Tathagata within the closed decaying lotus
Is seen inside by the divine eye and then the petals cut
away,
Likewise the completely enlightened essence is perceived
enclosed by the obscuring impurities of desire, hatred and
so forth,
And through compassion the Victor destroys such
obscurations.

The natural Buddha potential within the continuum of all sentient beings, when separated from all obscurations, transforms into a Buddha's nature body. The Buddha has seen that this Buddha potential exists even in the case of beings in the lowest realms, there in the manner of being enclosed by various impurities. Through his great compassion the Buddha has shown the methods to remove these impurities. When his disciples practise these methods in accordance with his instructions, they will remove all the obscurations to the natural potential and will thus attain the nature body.
      The example speaks of a beautiful statue, a form body of a Buddha, complete with all major and minor marks, hidden within the closed petals of a withered, discoloured lotus flower. When this Buddha statue is perceived by a person who has the attainment of the clairvoyant divine eye he is able to remove the petals which obscure the form body of the Buddha so that it becomes completely and clearly manifest.
      Were we to become aware of a beautiful Buddha statue hidden amongst the petals of a lotus, we would remove the obscuring petals and reveal the statue fully. Similarly, the Buddha is aware of the Buddha nature within all living beings, specifically here their natural potential. By removing the obscuring delusions of desire, hatred and so on, the natural potential is fully revealed in the attainment of the Buddha's nature body.

The example of the bees

Just as when a swarm of bees surrounds the honey,
The skilful person endeavouring to get it,
Having seen this, makes sure with skilful means,
That it is completely separated from the swarm of bees.

Similarly, with the great sages and their omniscient eye;
By seeing this honey-like element of potential,
They bring about the complete and perfect
Abandonment of the bee-like obscurations.

When the natural potential for buddhahood within the continuum of living beings is separated from all obscurations, it transforms into a Buddha's nature body. The great sages, all the Buddhas, perceive with their omniscient vision the Tathagata essence abiding within the minds of living beings but enclosed by the delusions. They show the methods for separating the Buddha potential from all the delusions so that, when it is completely freed of all obscurations, the natural potential transforms into the nature body of the state of buddhahood.
      This is illustrated by the person who is seeking honey. The honey is completely surrounded by a swarm of bees and so the person must be clever in going about obtaining the honey. He must use a skilful method to first completely remove the swarm of bees, and then once the honey is separated from the bees, his desire for the honey can be realised.
      Like that, the person seeking the sweet taste of enlightenment must be skilful in separating his honey-like natural potential from the bee-like obscurations of the delusions.

The example of the husk

As the essential grain is covered by a husk,
And cannot be consumed by any person,
Those seeking food and so on
Must themselves extract it from the husk.

Similarly, sentient beings have delusions,
And their Buddha (potential) is mixed with these stains,
As long as it is not freed from the stains of the delusions
That long the Buddha's activities will not extend
throughout the three realms.

The Buddha sees that the natural potential for buddhahood within the continuum of living beings is polluted by the stains of the adventitious delusions. He therefore presents the methods of Dharma through which the Buddha potential is separated from the stains of all the adventitious obscurations and transforms into a Buddha's nature body.
      The example speaks of those who would eat the food from grains. They must first extract the grain from its husk and once the grain itself is manifest they can use it for nourishment.
      One cannot gain the delightful taste of grain foods without removing the husk. Similarly, without removing the husk-like obscurations, the essential grain of the natural potential cannot be fully revealed as the nature body and thus cannot extend the bliss of Buddha-activity throughout the three realms.

The example of the filth

Suppose, while walking hurriedly, a person's gold
Fell into a place of rotting filth.
Being of indestructible nature, this gold
Would remain there as it was for many centuries.

A god possessing the pure divine eye, seeing it there,
Would say to a person, 'As there is gold here,
Cleanse this supreme precious metal,
And fashion it into valuable creations!'

Like that, the Capable One, seeing the
Qualities of sentient beings sunk in filth-like delusions,
Brings the rain of precious Dharma to all beings
In order to purify that mire of delusions.

The way the natural potential transforms into a Buddha's nature body is illustrated by this example as follows. The Buddha potential of ordinary beings, sunk in filth-like delusions, is seen by the Buddhas. To clean away the obscuring filth of the adventitious defilements, the Conqueror Buddhas bring forth a rain of Dharma to overcome the defilements. When the adventitious defilements are completely purified, the natural potential transforms into a nature body.
      A person walking hurriedly along a path may accidentally drop some gold that he is carrying and this gold could fall into a filthy swampy pit beside the path. The gold could remain undiscovered and unchanged for hundreds of years hidden by filth though its purity would be unaffected by that filth. In that way gold's nature is said to be indestructible. Now imagine that a god who possessed the pure divine eye noticed the gold there and told some body, 'There is gold here! Clean it and then you can fashion it into whatever Buddha statues or ornaments that you wish.'
      A god sees the gold, which itself is pure and unchanged, fallen into filth. With great insistence he points this out to someone so that she can recover it, clean it and then make use of this precious substance. Like that, the Buddha sees the natural potential of ordinary beings, itself pure and unchanged over time, fallen into the filth of the adventitious delusions. With insistence he points out the existence of the gold-like natural potential. He gives a rain of Dharma teachings to all living beings in order to purify that natural potential so that they can make full use of it.

The example of the ground

Suppose beneath the ground within a poor person's house
There were an inexhaustible treasure.
The person does not know of it Also the treasure
Cannot say to that person, 'Here I am!'

Similarly with the precious treasure enclosed within the
mind,
The stainless suchness, neither established nor negated:
By not recognising it, poverty-like suffering
Of many aspects will constantly be experienced by these
living beings.

The way the natural potential transforms into a Buddha's nature body is illustrated by this example as follows. The precious treasure-like Buddha potential within the mental continuum of living beings is a suchness that is not permeated by the stains of mental defilements. At the level of this stainless pure nature, perfect suchness, the two selflessnesses are not newly established and nor are there two selves to be newly negated. The two selflessnesses, the emptiness of inherent existence of the self and phenomena, are not newly established as suchness. They have always been suchness. Also there are no inherently existent self or phenomena to be negated or refuted. At this ultimate level of suchness, inherently existent self and phenomena have never been the case.
      The pure natural potential is a suchness, or emptiness, and thus an ultimate truth. At that level its emptiness is not newly established and nor is the basis negated by emptiness—inherently existent self and phenomena—newly negated. At the ultimate level emptiness has always been emptiness, suchness always suchness, and this is the abiding nature of reality that is the true nature, or Buddha nature, of living beings.
      By not directly realising the emptiness of inherent existence which is the natural potential, and which has always been the case, one continues to experience the manifold poverty-like sufferings of cyclic existence and to lack the qualities of a Superior. However, by recognising the true nature, the emptiness of inherent existence of self and phenomena, and familiarising oneself again and again with this, one will attain the state of buddhahood.
      The example is given of a very poor person who is unaware that beneath the ground in his house there is an inexhaustible treasure. He cannot see the treasure and nor can the treasure call out to him and say, 'Here I am!'. So the person's abject poverty cannot be removed and he continues to suffer. However, were a god with clairvoyant vision to tell the pauper of the treasure, he would immediately remove the covering of earth. The treasure, that had always been there, would be revealed and his poverty ended forever.
      The immaculate suchness of the mind, one's natural potential, has abided as the true nature of the mind beginninglessly. Though it is like a treasure that can end your poverty-like suffering forever, it cannot call out so that you notice it. It remains hidden by the earth-like covering of the obscurations until a Buddha manifests and makes you aware of its existence. It is then merely a case of removing the obscuring coverings to be able to access this inner treasure which is able to solve all your problems and eliminate all suffering of samsara.

The example of the fruit

The imperishable energy of a sprout is contained
Within the seeds of the fruit of a mango tree and the like.
When in the presence of ploughed soil, water and so on,
The form of a kingly tree will gradually be produced.

Similarly, enclosed within the fruit-skin of the
Ignorance of beings, is the virtuous element of truth.
And so, by depending on this and that virtue,
It gradually transforms into the very character of a King of
Capable Ones.

The way the natural potential transforms into a Buddha's nature body is illustrated by this example as follows. As the seed is enclosed within the fruit, so the element of the Tathagata essence in sentient beings abides enclosed by ignorance. In order to remove the impurities which obscure the potential, one must apply joyous effort to the accumulation of virtues through the practice of the three principal paths, the six perfections and so on. By applying these conditions to remove the obscurations, one will see the awakening and emergence of the natural potential and its transformation into a King of Capable Ones.
      This is shown by the example of the mango tree. Within the mango fruit there is the seed with the potential, or energy, to germinate into a sprout. This energy is called imperishable because it remains for as long as the seed exists. When the mango fruit meets the necessary conditions of cultivated soil, water and heat the covering skin of the fruit will rot away. The potential of the sprout will thus be awakened and activated so that it emerges through the covering skin of the fruit and gradually transforms into a huge tree.
      The fruit-like ignorance obscures the sprout-like natural potential. The practices of the three principal paths, the six perfections and so on are like the secondary conditions of earth, water, heat and so on. They cause the obscuring fruit-like ignorance to be removed and stimulate the emergence of the sprout-like natural potential. By the continued presence of the secondary conditions this sprout-like natural potential will transform into a nature body.

The example of the tattered cloth

Suppose a Buddha image made of precious jewels,
Wrapped in tattered, foul-smelling rags, and fallen on a
road,
Were seen by a god. In order that it be uncovered,
He would reveal to someone that it was sitting on the road.

Similarly, the Tathagata essence, seen even in animals,
Has been wrapped without beginning in the various
Forms of delusions. Thus, for the purpose of
Liberating it, the methods have been shown.

The way the natural potential transforms into a Buddha's nature body is illustrated by this example as follows. The Buddha sees the presence of the element of the Tathagata essence in all beings, including even animals, though still wrapped in, or concealed by, delusions and so forth. It is for the purpose of liberating the Tathagata essence, or natural potential, from the delusions concealing it that the Buddha taught a great variety of methods of practice. He set forth the eighty-four thousand Dharmas which include the methods of the sutra and vajrayana sets and methods suited to beings of the three scopes. Through following his teachings and engaging in the three wisdoms of listening, thinking and meditating, the natural potential will be transformed into a Buddha's nature body.
      The example speaks of a beautiful Buddha statue adorned with jewels but wrapped up in dirty, tattered, foul-smelling rags. It has fallen by the road and remains sitting there undiscovered because it is concealed by the rags. Passers-by have no way of knowing that there is something of great value hidden within. When eventually a god with clairvoyant vision perceives the statue amongst the rags, he tells a passer-by of it so that he can uncover the Buddha statue. When this person removes the concealing rags the beautiful and precious form of the Buddha becomes manifest.
      The beautiful Buddha-form of the natural potential is hidden by the rags of delusion and remains undiscovered. When the Buddha tells us what is hidden within, the obscuring rags of the delusions can be removed to reveal the full wonder of the nature body.

The example of the woman's womb

Suppose a certain helpless, ugly woman,
Unprotected, and staying in a shelter for the homeless,
Held a glorious king inside her womb,
Yet did not realise that a ruler existed within her abdomen.

Birth in samsara is like a shelter for the homeless.
Impure living beings are like the pregnant woman.
The stainless element is like that within the womb,
Because, by having it, one is protected.

The way the natural potential transforms into a Buddha's nature body is illustrated by this example as follows. Within the mental continuum of the impure beings of samsara is the stainless nature, the element of the Tathagata essence. It is held within the adventitious defilements which obscure it, and which bear a similarity to a womb. The methods for the purification of these defilements which obscure the Buddha potential have been explained. The methods are the various techniques contained in the teachings of sutra and tantra and condensed into the three principal paths of renunciation, bodhichitta and wisdom. When, through the practice of suitable methods, the natural Buddha potential is completely freed from all defilements, it transforms into a Buddha's nature body. The onewho has attained a nature body becomes the protector of all living beings.
      This point is illustrated as follows. Within the abdomen of a defenceless woman, forced to live in a shelter for the homeless, is a baby who will one day become a universal king, a great ruler. Because the baby is obscured by the covering of the womb, that woman remains unaware of the type of being that she holds within. After birth, when separated from the womb, that baby will grow and eventually become a universal king who will then be the greatest possible protector for the woman.
      Beings within samsara are like the pregnant woman and their natural Buddha potential is like the foetus—not yet formed into a king, but with the potential to become a great ruler. The nature of the baby-like potential is not apparent because it is obscured by the abdomen-like adventitious defilements. However, when the baby of Buddha potential is removed from the womb-like adventitious defilements, its potential becomes apparent and will steadily grow and develop into the king-like nature body which is the ultimate protector.

The example of the clay mould

Suppose that inside (a mould) there were a complete statue
of melted gold.
(Inside) is pure but outside is in the nature of clay.
By seeing and knowing of that gold inside, a person
Would cleanse it in order to remove that covering.

By nature clear light, its defilements
Are adventitious. By thoroughly seeing this,
Living beings, resembling jewel-mines,
Are purified of the obstructions to supreme enlightenment.

The way the natural potential transforms into a Buddha's nature body is illustrated by this example as follows. The Tathagata essence, or natural Buddha potential, is clear light by nature but is obscured by defilements. The Buddha is able to see these defilements as merely adventitious. He therefore shows living beings, who all have the Buddha potential, the methods by which they can remove the adventitious defilements. Through the practice of such methods as great love, compassion, bodhichitta and so on, when eventually completely separated from all defilements, a person becomes a Superior Buddha.
      The verse speaks of living beings as resembling jewel mines because they are the source of generating all the limitless qualities of Buddhas. The compassion, love, bodhichitta, generosity and so on that lead to the attainment of buddhahood are all practised in relation to other living beings. It is therefore said that living beings and Buddhas are equally responsible for one's attainment of buddhahood. Recognising this, we should have as much respect for living beings as we have for Buddhas. As Shantideva says in his Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds:

The qualities of a Buddha are attained equally
From sentient beings and Conquerors.
Why then not respect sentient beings
In the same way as respecting Conquerors?

The example of the clay mould illustrates that a Buddha statue made from molten gold can exist within its clay mould without being seen. In order to reveal its existence one must clean away the clay mould. When this is done the Buddha's form becomes manifest.