The Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment

These classes are based on Venerable Geshe Loden’s book, The Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment , one of the very few books in the English language that explains the profound and inspiring teachings of Buddha potential.

It is a central teaching of the mahayana tradition that every living being, human or non-human, rich or poor, intelligent or otherwise and whatever their current situation, carries within them the seed of their own supreme enlightenment. The function of Dharma practice is to ripen that seed into the full flowering of a Buddha’s perfect qualities of body, speech and mind.

In these classes Geshe-la explains the two types of Buddha potential - natural potential and developed potential – and the differences between them. Natural potential is defined, from the point of view of the Middle Way Consequence school, as the emptiness of a mind with taints that is suitable to transform into a Buddha’s nature body. Examples are the emptiness of a Bodhisattva’s great love, great compassion and bodhichitta. Developed potential is defined, from the point of view of the Middle Way Consequence school, as a Buddha potential that is suitable to transform into a produced Buddha’s nature body. Examples are a Bodhisattva’s great love, great compassion and bodhichitta.

Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings on the subject of Buddha potential are presented in many texts including the Tathagata Essence Sutra. However, the most extensive explanation appears in the great texts of Maitreya – the Ornament for the Mahayana Sutras, the Ornament for Clear Realisation and Sublime Continuum of the Mahayana. The first of these texts presents Buddha potential mainly from the perspective of the Mind-Only school of tenets, while the others explain it from the point of view of the highest tenet system - that of the Middle Way Consequence school.

The Ornament for the Mahayana Sutras explains extensively through nine subjects that Buddha potential exists, how it is possible and what types of potential living beings have.

The Sublime Continuum of the Mahayana presents the clear light nature of mind through 10 aspects and gives nine examples showing how the obscurations to our Buddha potential are merely adventitious.

Geshe-la is especially well qualified to teach on this subject, having engaged in intensive study on Maitreya’s texts and the Indian commentaries as part of more than 7 years’ study of the Perfection of Wisdom literature at Sera Monastic University in Tibet.

This course provides a unique philosophical perspective on the capacity that we all have to overcome our limitations and perfect our qualities, set in the context of the mahayana presentation of emptiness.

The Buddha potential teachings have a special connection with Maitreya Buddha and each of these classes commences with prayers and meditations from Maitreya Buddha’s sadhana.

All are welcome to attend.