The Buddha Nature: A Study of the Tathagatagarbha and Alayavijnana

One of the fundamental tenets of Mahayana Buddhism animating and grounding the doctrine and discipline of its spiritual path is the inherent potentiality of all animate beings to attain the supreme and perfect enlightenment of Buddhahood. This book examines the ontological presuppositions and the corresponding soteriological-epistemological principles that sustain and define such a theory. Within the field of Buddhist studies, such work provides a comprehensive context in which to interpret the influence and major insights of the various Buddhist schools.

Thus, the dynamics of the Buddha Nature, though non-thematic and implicit, is at the heart of Zen praxis, while it is a significant articulation in Kegon, Tendai, and Shingon thought. More specifically, the book seeks to establish a coherent metaphysics of absolute suchness (Tathata), synthesizing the variant traditions of the Tathagata-embryo (Tathagatagarbha) and the Storehouse Consciousness (Alayavijnana).

The book's contribution to the broader field of the History of Religions rests in its presentation and analysis of the Buddhist Enlightenment as the salvific-transformational moment in which Tathata 'awakens' to itself, and comes to perfect self-realization as the Absolute suchness of reality, in and through phenomenal human consciousness. The book is an interpretation of the Buddhist Path as the spontaneous self-emergence of 'embryonic' absolute knowledge as it comes to free itself from the concealments of adventitious defilements, and possess itself in fully self-explicated self-consciousness as the 'Highest Truth' and unconditional nature of all existence; it does so only in the form of omniscient wisdom.

BRIAN EDWARD BROWN has earned doctoral degrees in both theology and law. In 1981 he received his PhD in the History of Religions from Fordham University. In 1986 he was awarded his Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law. Both degrees reflect his continuing interest in the various religious traditions and their influence on the development of legal philosophies and practice. Dr. Brown has taught and lectured on the history of religions and comparative philosophy at several colleges and has practised law as an associate attorney in an international law firm in New York. Currently, he is a Professor of Religion at lona College, New York, USA.

BRIAN BROWN’s treatise is a thematic-interpretative study of the textual sources of the alayavijnana and tathagatagarbha doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism. He applies acute reasoning in ontological and experiential terms to certain prominent works in these special Buddhist topics. Among such works as have appeared in Western translation and research are mainly the Sri-Maladevisimhanada-sutra, Ratnagotravibhaga and Lankavatara-sutra. It is credit to these particular Buddhist works that such a philosophical and semantic analysis is feasible. The author is correct in claiming that his work is the first to attempt this ambitious intellectual task. Brown appears to avoid the arbitrary use of Western terminology. He proceeds with utmost carefulness and sensitivity with a remarkable consistency of approach.

ONE OF THE fundamental tenets of Mahayana Buddhism, animating and grounding the doctrine and discipline of its spiritual path, is the inherent potentiality of all animate beings to attain the supreme and perfect enlightenment of Buddhahood. This book examines the ontological presuppositions and the corresponding soteriological—epistemological principles that sustain and define such a theory. Within the field of Buddhist studies, such a work provides a comprehensive context in which to interpret the influence and major insights of the various Buddhist schools. Thus, the dynamics of the Buddha Nature, though non-thematic and implicit, is at the heart of Zen praxis, while it is a significant articulation in Kegon, Tendai, and Shingon thought. More specifically, the study seeks to establish a coherent metaphysic of Absolute Suchness (Tathata), synthesizing the variant traditions of the Tathagata-embryo (Tathagatagarbha) and the Storehouse Consciousness (Alayavijnana).

The study’s contribution to the broader field of the History of Religions rests in its presentation and analysis of the Buddhist enlightenment as the salvific-transformational moment in which Tathata "awakens" to itself, comes to perfect self—realization as the Absolute Suchness of reality, in and through phenomenal human consciousness. It is an interpretation of the Buddhist Path as the spontaneous self-emergence of "embryonic" absolute knowledge as it comes to free itself from the concealments of adventitious defilements, and possess itself in fully self-explicated self-consciousness as the "Highest Truth" and unconditional nature of all existence; it does so only in the form of omniscient wisdom. Aside from Ruegg’s La Theorie du Tathagatagarbha et du Gotra, and Verdue’s study of the Alayavijnana in Dialectical Aspects in Buddhist Thought, Western scholarship treating of the subject is negligible. And while both sources are excellent technical treatises, they fail to integrate in any detailed analysis of the dual concepts as complementary modes of each other. Thus, the present work, while adopting the methodology of textual analysis, has as its emphasis a thematic—interpretative study of its sources.

Structurally, the work is divided into three major parts. The first part focuses on the Tathagatagarbha, the second on the Alayavijnana, and the third on their relation and deeper significance in the human thought tradition. The first two parts are subdivided into seven and four chapters respectively. The former seven chapters establish the ontological identity of the Tathagata-embryo (Tathagatagarbha) through a critical examination of the major sutral authority for the concept, i.e., the Sri-Mala-Sutra, and the primary sastral elaboration inspired by it, viz., the Ratnagotra- vibhaga.

Following the same pattern, the four chapters of part two note the role of the Lankavatara Sutra as a principal scriptural advocate for the theory of the Storehouse Consciousness (Alayavijnana), while detailing the scholastic amplification of it in Hsuan Tsang’s Ch ’eng Wei-Shih Lun. Part three concludes the study by recapitulating the principal developments in the emergent complementarity of the two concepts, arguing that any adequate discussion of the Buddha Nature must be informed on the one hand by the theory of the Tathagatagarbha which grounds and authenticates its ontological status, and on the other by the Alayavijnana, its noetic- cognitive determination. While the former tends to elucidate the process towards, and experience of enlightenment as a function of Absolute Suchness (Tathata), the latter adopts the reciprocal perspective and examines the subject in the light and function of phenomenal consciousness. By way of comparison with Western thought, the chapter demonstrates the analogous dynamics in the bilateral theory of the Tathagatagarbha-Alayavijnana and the Hegelian Absolute Spirit in and for itself. Focusing upon The Phenomenology of Spirit, the chapter notes that the self-becoming process in and through which consciousness realizes its own plenitude, is strikingly homologous to the theory of Buddhist enlightenment presented through the concept of the Tathagatagarbha-Alayavijnana. It suggests that these two representative thought systems mutually illumine each other, and together illustrate a correspondent framework within which the relationship of the Absolute and relative may gain a more universal conception and, therefore, a more comprehensive resolution. A more specific précis of each chapter is now made.

 CONTENTS