Trusting the Buddha-Nature Within Me

At times, we regard ourselves as small. We think, "I am lacking," "I am nothing special," or "I am not a great person," and sometimes we regard lowering ourselves in this way as humility.

But in Buddhist teaching, all beings are said to have Buddha-nature, the seed of becoming a Buddha. Within us there is an originally clear and complete nature, and seeing and trusting it directly becomes an important starting point of practice.

This trust is different from arrogance. It is not the mind that says, "I am better than others." It is a deep confidence that says, "Within me, too, there is the seed of a Buddha." It is the strength that keeps us from regarding ourselves as worthless, helps us value our life more deeply, and guides us to cultivate our words and actions more carefully.

If we think that the Buddha is present within us, then one word, one thought, and one action begin to change. We reduce shameful actions, refrain from things that would draw criticism from others, and even when greed and anger arise, we try to turn the mind back again.

Of course, having Buddha-nature does not mean that habits and afflictions all disappear overnight. We can still make mistakes, become angry, and be shaken by greed. But the trust that there is a seed of becoming a Buddha within us becomes the strength to stand up again each time.

Today, may we not regard ourselves as worthless, but trust the clear nature within us, and spend the day gradually cultivating ourselves in an upright way through thoughts, words, and actions that are not shameful.