Buddha-Nature Is Not Newly Obtained, But the Revealing of Original Light
To directly see Buddha-nature does not mean obtaining something special from somewhere far away. Even when the sun is hidden by clouds, the sun has not disappeared. In the same way, Buddha-nature is originally present in that very place.
Practice is not making a light that did not exist. It is clearing away the clouds that covered it and confirming the light that was originally there. When delusion and attachment are thick, we cannot see that light, but the light itself has not vanished.
When we directly see Buddha-nature, the path opens to freedom even from the distinction between birth-and-death and nirvana. If we stop at understanding this only in words, it becomes knowledge; when we confirm it directly in the mind, it becomes a power that transforms life.
Like the conduct of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, awakening does not remain only in quiet understanding. A person who has confirmed the original light must reveal that light through practice and compassion. The freedom of mind becomes clearer in actions within life.
Today, look at what clouds are covering your mind. When you notice anger, attachment, fear, or the wish to be recognized, and let go of one layer, the light that was originally there is revealed a little more.
Buddha-nature is not something newly made; it is the revealing of the light that was originally present. When we observe and release attachment like clearing clouds, that light continues as compassionate practice.
