Buddha Quote by Kaiten Nukariya
““12. The Great Person and Small Person. For these reasons Zen proposes to call man Buddha-natured or Good-natured in a sense transcendental to the duality of good and bad.””
About This Quote
Describes Zen view that humans possess an innate, transcendent goodness beyond moral dualities.
In simple terms: Human nature is fundamentally good beyond good/bad.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and nurture inherent goodness.
Themes
philosophy
spirituality
ethics
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
spiritual
philosophical
When to use this quote
- meditation
- education
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
Buddhist thought
human nature
transcendence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we cultivate innate goodness?
- What practices reveal transcendent qualities?
A Different Perspective
Goodness can be obscured by societal conditioning.
![“8. Man is not Good-natured nor Bad-natured, but Buddha-natured. We have had already occasion to observe that Zen teaches Buddha-nature, which all sentient beings are endowed with. The term 'Buddha-nature,'[FN#165] as accepted generally by Buddhists, means a latent and undeveloped nature, which…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0e8/kaiten-nukariya-793_buddhism_8-man-is-not-good-natured-nor-bad-nature_405320.jpg)
![“Rin-zai also says: "Spirit is formless, but it penetrates through the world in the ten directions."[FN#149] The Sixth Patriarch expresses the same idea more explicitly: "What creates the phenomena is Mind; what transcends all the phenomena is Buddha."[FN#150]” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d4e/kaiten-nukariya-793_spirit-formless_rin-zai-also-says-spirit-is-formless-but_13012.jpg)
![“it is the overcoming of egoism, the destroying of mean desires, the uplifting of the moral ideal, and the disclosing of inborn wisdom. [FN#12]” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ae/kaiten-nukariya-793_egoism_it-is-the-overcoming-of-egoism-the-destr_46308.jpg)
![“The fourth stage is called the Rank of Co-operative Merit,[FN#273] in which the student 'co-operates' with other persons in order to complete his merit. Now, he is not compared with a general who conquers his foe, but with the prime-minister who co-operates with other officials to the benefit of…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4a6/kaiten-nukariya-793_quote_the-fourth-stage-is-called-the-rank-of-c_48041.jpg){kind=icon}
