Sallie King quote

From Buddha-Nature (1991) p.33:

“The world is not chaotic, we need not be lost in it. There is a principle, discoverable by humans, manifesting the order of the universe. By realizing this principle (more closely, by bringing ourselves into accordance with this principle) we may discover this truth of the universe, which also is the truth of our own nature. This is a reason for rejoicing, and the author of the BNT felt it imperative that this be made clear.”

BTN is Buddha Nature Treatise by Paramartha (Fo Xing Lun)

This is more consolation than confirmation. The text after that is a complicated elaboration of the ideas of Buddha Nature. 

Here is a later quote (p.49):

Thusness, then, is the fundamental basis of the tathagatagarbha. The author expands on the meaning of this Thusness by identifying it as the sum of two elements: the knowledge of Thusness and the realm of Thusness. The term translated here as "knowledge" (shi) is, as mentioned earlier, a standard term for the subjective, whereas "realm" (jing) is a standard term for the objective. Ordinarily the shi is the cognizer and the jing the cognized. In the case of the knowledge of Thusness (ru-ru-shi) and the realm of Thusness (ru-ru-jing), the former is the knowing that accords with the principle of Thusness, and the latter is the known that accords with that principle. Because, the author says, the two "stand together," the term Thusness as ru-ru is coined to embrace them simultaneously. As such it represents the unity of their mutuality. All of this-the ru-ru Thusness with both its subjective and objective constituents-is given in explanation of the single "Thus" of tathāgatagarbha (the ru of ru-lai-zang). (Footnotes removed)

Found a Green Tara Mantra on SoundCloud.

How does one take the depth of a retreat out into ordinary life? First off, one remembers what it feels like to go so deep. Second, you commit to ethics as part of the gladening. Third, you don’t cling to experience, you observe it, with the best quality of attention you can muster, body, feelings, mental processes, and mind. Fourth, you remember to remember the Dharma of your experience and the Dharma you understand. Fifthly mindfulness is a self fulfilling prophecy. If you wish to be aware on retreat and off retreat, on the cushion and off the cushion, your mind will attract the bits that support that and challenge that.

Paramartha

 

From Sallie King's Buddha Nature.

This got me reading about Paramartha. He was quite a force of spreading the Dharma, with some real struggles to overcome, and interestingly is paired with Xuanzang, who was similarly impressive in his travels and translatoins, and I guess criticized Paramartha some, and got me thinking of another pair in Buddhist history like Kukai and Saicho in Japan, later.

I've been wanting to read Awakening of Faith, even if Paramartha might not have written it. 

She mentions Zhiyi and Fazang too, interesting historical Buddhists down the road in China. It's interesting to see how spellings have changed since 1991 when Buddha Nature came out. 

Paramartha added in Buddha nature onto translations, something that wouldn't be done today: