Key Terms/Original enlightenment
From Bodhicitta
本覺 benjue
original enlightenment
Chinese - Noun
1·Discover
Basic Meaning
According to East Asian Buddhism, the intrinsic enlightenment of all sentient beings. This is obscured by the many stains present in the ālayavijñāna. When these are purified, the natural state of enlightenment is recovered, a status known as "actualized enlightenment."
2·Explore
Has the sense of
The natural state of enlightenment that is obscured by the adventitious stains.
Read It in the Scriptures
The essence of Mind is free from thoughts. The characteristic of that which is free from thoughts is analogous to that of the sphere of empty space that pervades everywhere. The one [without any second, i.e., the absolute] aspect of the world of reality (dharmadhātu) is none other than the undifferentiated dharmakāya, the “essence body” of the Tathāgata. [Since the essence of Mind is] grounded on the dharmakāya, it is to be called the original enlightenment. Why? Because “original enlightenment” indicates [the essence of Mind (a priori)] in contradistinction to [the essence of Mind in] the process of actualization of enlightenment; the process of actualization of enlightenment is none other than [the process of integrating] the identity with the original enlightenment.
— The Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna
In other languages
Chinese
本覺
benjue
Japanese
honggaku
How translators render it
original enlightenmentBuddha-nature Standard
Term type
Noun
Source language
Chinese
Topic
original enlightenment
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