Observations placeholder
Asvaghosha - The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana - The Buddha nature or Higher spirit
Identifier
016360
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Buddha nature an Higher spirit are synonymous. I am unsure why D T Suzuki thought it necessary to call this 'suchness' which is not even an English word, however, 'suchness' means the Higher spirit in this passage
A description of the experience
Asvaghosha - The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana translated by D T Suzuki
…the quintessence and the attributes of ‘suchness’ know no diminution or addition, but remain the same in common people, Cravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas.
It was not created in the past, nor is it to be destroyed in the future; it is eternal, permanent, absolute; and from all eternity it sufficingly embraces in its essence all possible merits.
That is to say, suchness has such characteristics as follows :
- the effulgence of great wisdom ;
- the universal illumination of the dharmadhatu [universe];
- the true and adequate knowledge ;
- the mind pure and clean in its self nature;
- the eternal, the blessed, the self regulating and the pure;
- the tranquil, the immutable and the free….
The essence of the mind is perfectly pure, and there is no awakening or ignorance in it. Thence we assign to suchness this quality, the effulgence of great wisdom.
Note: These qualities are usually considered by the Mahayanists to be those of Nirvana as well DTS