Chapter 9: Human Nature and Buddha-nature

A disciple once asked me, "What is human nature?"

I answered, "Confucius summed up human nature as the greed for food and sexual gratification. In reality, these are not the only desires. Wealth, sex, fame, food and sleep all encompass the basic desires of mankind."

The disciple asked, "What happens when the six sensory roots come into contact with the six external objects?"

I answered, "When desire is appeased, greed will be generated. If desire is thwarted, the resulting emotion will be anger. When one cannot clearly discern and understand the happenings of these phenomena, and continually plunges into the deep abyss of greed, one is said to be ignorant."

The disciple further asked, "How then does one transform human nature into Buddha- nature?"

I replied, "Originally human nature was the same as Buddha-nature, there was no difference between one and the other. Human nature is such because it is clouded by desires. By purifying the defiled, human nature will become Buddha-nature. This process of transformation is the process of cultivation."

I say,

Shakyamuni Buddha pointed out to us all that the root of all suffering and decadence stems from the yearning to pursue enjoyment and fulfillment of human desires. Ignorant of Buddha's proclamation, mankind continues to pursue the enjoyment of desires relentlessly, and views the fulfillment of such pursuit as the ultimate happiness. Clouded by their desires, the majority of people will never give up on their blind pursuits, even if death beckons them at their doorsteps.

The wisdom or Prajna of Buddha categorizes human nature and Buddha-nature as follows:

Human nature - greed, ignorance, attachment

Buddha-nature - purity, wisdom, free and unrestrained

In order to be free from the shackles of suffering, upon understanding human nature and Buddha-nature, one has to learn to be content with one's lot. One must seek the pursuit of wisdom and relinquish all attachments.

During the earliest days, Buddha wanted his disciples to meditatively contemplate on these phenomena of life, in order to discern the natural laws governing life and the universe, and to distinguish between the material and the spiritual. By observation one is able to generate wisdom, with wisdom comes enlightenment.

From the wisdom of meditative contemplation, one is able to understand the natural laws of progression: formation, existence, destruction and void. These natural laws in turn prove and uphold the truth as preached by Buddha - suffering, void, impermanence and egolessness

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