Buddhism Jean Smith

Buddha-Nature and Enlightenment Buddhism is a unique religion: it doesn't worship any deity nor does it require any individual to live their lives through divine will. Approximately 2,500 years ago, when Buddha achieved enlightenment he spent the next forty-five years teaching others that personal growth and awakening is possible through finding the truth within themselves. This concept is very alien in comparison to Western religions.

There are many aspects of Buddhism, but what is essential is that personal awakening is possible personal experience and that suffering can be ceased through changing behavior, meditation, and transcendent wisdom. We are grateful to Siddartha Gautama for institutionalizing the practices we call Buddhism today so that we may better understand what Buddha experienced, and what he taught to the people along the Ganges River. Two essential understandings in the teachings of Buddhism are Buddha-nature and Enlightenment.

To understand Buddha-nature we must first to come to understand that all sentient beings are of One Mind, or Original Mind. This mind is indestructible, eternal, boundless, and has the capability to achieve enlightenment; is it also devoid of objectivity, pure, silent and upon awakening one will come to be aware that it has been a part of them all their life.

It can be considered that Buddha-nature is really human nature, and that everything in life is connected: how we express ourselves, what we see, how our very actions relate toward the Buddha-nature and toward achieving that time of personal awakening. But to gain an understanding of the Buddha-nature and toward enlightenment, one must first aspire toward that goal. We are told that without aspiration, nothing happens life: it passes by and we do not interact; yet interaction and action are necessary to proceed toward awakening.

But Buddha-nature is not enlightenment, but the first step toward enlightenment. It is not the soul but it shares its existence within all sentient beings. Once it reveals itself, then one's own mind is revealed: it is like a seed that germinates and grows through spiritual practices, teachings and pursuing experiences in life. Enlightenment is the fully awakening of the mind: it is the ultimate goal. It was what Buddha achieved and taught for others to strive toward in their lives. In fact, it is sometimes called Buddhahood.

You do not have to be a Buddhist monk to ensure finding enlightenment; you don't have to be a college graduate to discover that awakening. There is no timeline, but there are certain vows and practices one needs to pursue in order to achieve that state of mind. An individual must remove the daily obstructions that cloud their view of the world. They must be able to develop toward maximizing their fullest positive mental potential, and there must be a desire toward securing the ultimate spiritual satisfaction.

To begin, a person must first develop bodhichitta, or the mind of enlightenment, which is a continuous and spontaneous state of mind that strives for perfect enlightenment in order to benefit others. Bodhichitta is cultivated by removing its main obstacle: evil. But the removal of evil alone will not bring enlightenment. Enlightenment requires the individual.