A Wisdom Archive on Tathagata

The situation takes on a different complexion in Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism. Here one encounters the notion of the Buddhas as kinds of cosmic wizards or magicians, as the creators of, and rulers over, “Buddha fields” (Buddha Paradises – whole world systems of spiritual exaltation and instruction). Although there are countless Buddhas, their essence is one - that of "Tathata" ("suchness" or "that-ness") - , and it is in this sense that the Buddha proclaims himself as "Tathagata" and ...

Read more here: » God in Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - God in Buddhism - Mahayana and Tantric Mystical Doctrines

The idea of an everlasting Buddha is a notion popularly associated with the Mahayana scripture, the Lotus Sutra. That sutra has the Buddha indicate that he became Awakened countless, immeasurable, inconceivable myriads of trillions of aeons ("kalpas") ago and that his lifetime is "forever existing and immortal". From the human perspective, it seems as though the Buddha has always existed. The sutra itself, however, does not directly employ the phrase "eternal Buddha"; yet similar notions are found in other Mahayana scriptures, notably the Ma ...

Read more here: » Buddha: Encyclopedia II - Buddha - Eternal Buddha

In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Buddha teaches that the Brahma-viharas are characteristic qualities of the Buddha-dhatu (the all-pervading essence of the Buddha). He states: “Great Benevolence [or “Loving-kindness”] and Great Compassion are the Buddha-dhatu (Buddha-nature). Great Sympathetic Joy and Great Equanimity are the Buddha-dhatu. The Buddha-dhatu is at once the Tathagata [ = Buddha]" (Nirvana Sutra, Vol. 9, p. 59). The Buddha is himself (as the embodiment of the Buddha-dhatu< ...

Read more here: » Brahmavihara: Encyclopedia II - Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra

Gautama Buddha was a spiritual teacher who was born in Lumbini, a place situated in modern Nepal. He spent most of his time in Northern India, approximately 563 BCE to 483 BCE, preaching his knowledge. Born as Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit: "descendant of Gautama whose aims are achieved / who achieves aims effectively") he became "the Buddha" after embarking on a quest for spiritual meaning. He is universally recognised by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (literally Enlightened One or Awakened One) of our age. He is also commonly known as Shakyamuni or Śakyamuni ("sage of the Shakya ... Including: Gautama Buddha - Buddha's life Gautama Buddha - Marriage Gautama Buddha - The Great Departure Gautama Buddha - Enlightenment Gautama Buddha - The Great Passing Gautama Buddha - Personality and character Gautama Buddha - Physical characteristics Gautama Buddha - Teachings Gautama Buddha - The Buddha in other religions Gautama Buddha - Hinduism Gautama Buddha - Islam Gautama Buddha - Christianity

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Buddha (Sanskrit, Pali, others: literally Awakened One, from the root: √budh, "to awaken") is a title used in Buddhism for anyone who has discovered their enlightenment (bodhi), although it is commonly used to refer to Siddhartha Gautama, the historical founder of Buddhism, who was born in Lumbini--a place situated in modern Nepal. Generally, Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama—who lived in ancient India from about 623 BC to 543 BC, and attained bodhi around 588 BC—to have been ... Including: Buddha - Eternal Buddha Buddha - Names of the Buddhas Buddha - Sources

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Tathagata (Sanskrit). "One who is like the coming"; he who is, like his predecessors (the Buddhas) and successors, the coming future Buddha or World-Saviour. One of the titles of Gautama Buddha, and the highest epithet, since the first and the last Buddhas were the direct immediate avatars of the One Deity.

 
(See also: Tathagata, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,  )

For more dictionary entries, see » tathagata dictionary

Tathagata (Sanskrit) [from tatha thus + gata gone; or + agata arrived, come]
 
Thus come or thus gone; a title given to the long serial line of the Buddhas of Compassion as they appear each after his predecessor among mankind; likewise a title of Gautama Buddha, the last of this line of buddhas to have appeared thus far. It is a beautifully exact expression illustrating the common spiritual character of the great ones who have gone before ourselves as well as of those destined to come in the future. As a title of the buddhas, it signifies also "one who has followed the inward way, the inner pathway, the still small path coming down, so to say, from the universal self, passing through the human constitution onward until it disappears again in the heart of being from which we came" (Fund 625).

 
(See also: Tathagata, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul )

For more dictionary entries, see » tathagata dictionary

Tathagata-gupta (Sanskrit) [from tathagata thus gone, thus come, a name applied to Buddha + gupta secret, concealed]
 
The secret or concealed tathagata; "the 'guardian' protecting Buddhas" (TG 322), used of the nirmanakayas.

 
(See also: Tathagata-gupta, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul )

For more dictionary entries, see » tathagata dictionary

In the Indian religions Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, nirvāna (from the Sanskrit निर्वाण, Pali: Nibbāna -- Chinese: 涅槃; Pinyin: niè pán), literally "extinction" and/or "extinguishing", is the culmination of the yogi's pursuit of liberation. Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, described the Dharma as "... a raft used to cross the river. Only a fool would carry the raft around after he had already reached the other shore of liberation." Hinduism and Jainism also use the word nirvana to describe the state of moksha, and it is spoken of in several Hin ... Including:

• Nirvana - Nirvana in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra
• Nirvana - Quotations

Read more here: » Nirvana: Encyclopedia - Nirvana

Buddhism is generally regarded as a non-theistic religion. Although it does teach the existence of “gods” (devas), these are merely heavenly beings who temporarily dwell in celestial worlds of great happiness. Such beings, however, are not eternal in that incarnational form and are subject to death and eventual rebirth into lower realms of existence. However, a distinction needs to be drawn between the seemingly non-deistic and non-theistic teachings of the Buddha in the Pāli Canon and the “agamas”, and the mystically-hued id ... Including:

• God in Buddhism - The God Idea in Early Buddhism
• God in Buddhism - Mahayana and Tantric Mystical Doctrines
• God in Buddhism - Literature

Read more here: » God in Buddhism: Encyclopedia - God in Buddhism

The Tathagatagarbha doctrine (tathāgatagarbha) teaches that each sentient being contains the effulgent Buddhic element or potential to become a Buddha. "Tathagata-garbha" means "Buddha Womb/ Buddha Matrix" or "Buddha Embryo", and this notion is explicated by the Buddha in the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra" as the "True Self" within all sentient beings - the unconditioned, boundless, nurturing, sustaining, deathless and diamond-like Self of Buddha, which is indiscernible to worldly, unawakened vision as a result of the masses of neg ... Including:

• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Tathagatagarbha in Zen
• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Buddha-bots
• Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Texts

Read more here: » Tathagatagarbha doctrine: Encyclopedia - Tathagatagarbha doctrine