Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature

Dalai Lama, Thubten Chodron

• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781614295365
• eBook ISBN:
  9781614295556
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Eastern Philosophy

Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature takes up centrally important premises of Buddhism: the unsatisfactoriness ( duhkha ) of cyclic existence ( samsara ), the determination to be free of cyclic existence, and the mind as the basis for both the extreme duhkha of samsara and the bliss of nirvana. This volume shows us how to purify our minds and cultivate awakened qualities. Knowledge of buddha nature reveals and reconciles the paradox of how the mind can be the basis for both the extreme duhkha of samsara (the unpurified mind) and the bliss and fulfillment of nirvana (the purified mind). To illustrate this, Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature first takes readers through Buddhist thought on the self, the Four Noble Truths, and their sixteen attributes. Then, the Dalai Lama explains afflictions, their arising and antidotes, followed by an examination of karma and cyclic existence and, finally, a deep and thorough elucidation of buddha nature. This is the third volume in the Dalai Lama's definitive and comprehensive series on the stages of the Buddhist path, The Library of Wisdom and Compassion. Volume 1, Approaching the Buddhist Path, contained introductory material that sets the context for Buddhist practice. Volume 2, The Foundation of Buddhist Practice, describes the important teachings that help us establish a flourishing Dharma practice. Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature can be read as the logical next step in this series or enjoyed on its own.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Publisher’s Acknowledgment
• Contents
• Preface by Bhikṣuṇī Thubten Chodron
• Abbreviations
• Introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
• 1. The Self, the Four Truths, and Their Sixteen Attributes
• 2. Revolving in Cyclic Existence: The Truth of Duḥkha
• 3. True Origins of Duḥkha
• 4. Afflictions, Their Arising, and Their Antidotes
• 5. Afflictions and Karma, Their Seeds and Latencies
• 6. Karma, the Universe, and Evolution
• 7. Revolving in Cyclic Existence: The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
• 8. Dependent Origination: Cycling in Saṃsāra
• 9. The Determination to Be Free
• 10. Seeking Genuine Peace
• 11. Freedom from Cyclic Existence
• 12. The Mind and Its Potential
• 13. Buddha Nature
• 14. Going Deeper into Buddha Nature
• Notes
• Glossary
• Further Reading
• Index
• About the Authors
• Copyright