Buddha Nature: The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra with Commentary

by Maitreya, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso

The Buddha's definitive teachings on how we should understand the ground of enlightenment and the nature and qualities of buddhahood.

All sentient beings, without exception, have buddha nature—the inherent purity and perfection of the mind, untouched by changing mental states. Thus there is neither any reason for conceit nor self-contempt. This is obscured by veils that are removable and do not touch the inherent purity and perfection of the nature of the mind. The Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra , one of the “Five Treatises” said to have been dictated to Asanga by the Bodhisattva Maitreya, presents the Buddha’s definitive teachings on how we should understand this ground of enlightenment and clarifies the nature and qualities of buddhahood. This seminal text details with great clarity the view that forms the basis for Vajrayana, and especially Mahamudra, practice.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Religion, Philosophy, Theology

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're new to Buddhism, you probably should not start with this text (unless you feel strongly drawn to it!), for it is dense and filled with subtle Vajrayana terms. But if you have some acquaintance with Vajrayana and have done some practice and study in that tradition, then I would say: dive in.

If the stated authorship of the book is authentic, then it is arguably the most important single work of literature ever published, for the text is a poem channeled by the Indian Buddhist sage Asanga, in the 4th century AD, from Maitreya, the next buddha. It is concerned with one of the key teachings of Vajrayana, namely, tathagatagarbha or buddha nature: the doctrine that every single sentient being is equally endowed with the capacity to achieve the complete enlightenment of a buddha. That enlightenment entails not only the permanent end of one's own suffering, but a radical transformation of one's being such that one becomes a nonstop cause of lasting benefit to others. The text stresses that this transformation is so profound that it is not conceivable even to those who are already very advanced on the path toward it.

This English edition, translated by Rosemarie Fuchs, presents the original poem, followed by three layers of commentary:

- an initial commentary by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great, a 19th-century Tibetan master

- explanations of this commentary by a current Tibetan master, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche

- translator's notes

This means lots of flipping back and forth through the text, but that's not too much of a liability, since this material cannot be read quickly anyway. It is a deep and authoritative explanation of what exactly enlightenment is, how it is achieved, and how it manifests once it is attained. It has taken me 7 months to read it, and maybe that was too fast.

I first studied this text, briefly, in 2002 as a student in the monastic college at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. I valued it so highly that I bought 2 copies of the expensive hardback, one for my dharma library and one to rest on my home shrine to represent the "mind" portion of the symbols there. To be honest, I myself am not sure about the provenance of the book. Is Maitreya a real "person," and did he indeed dictate the root text of this work? These are now questions of faith rather than fact, but Jamgon Kongtrul the Great and Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche both represent the gold standard of dharma teaching, and their words here are precious, regardless of how the root text originally arose. This teaching is profound and inspiring; it is telling us that each one of us--including you as you read these words--has the potential to realize complete enlightenment as a buddha. Having come to the teaching, it's now only a question of how much we want it.

[C. Varn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The somewhat Talmudic nature of Vajrayana commentaries on Mahayana shastras and sutras are illustrated by this text. Commentary by Jamgon Kongtrul, and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche are all included, translated by Rosemarie Fuchs with Foreward by Tenzin Dorjee and introduction by Acharya Lodro Namgyal. While the commentaries and maintenance of the text is largely from the Vajrayana tradition, the Shastra itself from Mahayana and part of the Tathagatagarbha literature, and thus conceptually influential beyond Vajrayana Buddhism. Jamgon Kongtrul's commentary roots the Shastra into the root teachings around Mahamudra. This is not an introductory text, but is fascinating from both a historical development standpoint--particularly as a bridge between Tathagatagarbha literature and the development of Vajrayana Buddhism.

[Stephen Blache · Rating 5 out of 5]

A profound text to study and examine our basic orientation to our concepts of self, outer phenomena, and transcendent reality. A Maitreya's root text layered with commentaries by Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a most challenging text, but also one of the "must reads" of Tibetan Buddhism. Perhaps my mind is still too limited to get the scope of this all the time with its find distinctions. I was very grateful to be reading it with a group.

[Egor Azanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good commentary on a very important but hard to understand in depth sutra. Finally, I've found some clear answers to the question "what is a buddha?"

[xhozush · Rating 3 out of 5]

i got halfway through and then it started getting too repetitive. but it was interesting to read

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrangu is clear, concise, and expert as ever in this short commentary on the Uttara Tantra Shastra. If you're reading that shastra for the first time, this might make a very good companion volume.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE!

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The notes in the back are mostly instructions by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, they're great!