---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: express their Buddha-nature to a small…"
description: "\"“express their Buddha-nature to a small extent mostly within their own doors, while so-called good persons, or 'great persons' as the Oriental scholars..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/327/kaiten-nukariya-793_good-person_express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-e_1655051.jpg"
---

#  express their Buddha-nature to a small extent mostly…

![“express their Buddha-nature to a small extent mostly within their own doors, while so-called good persons, or 'great persons' as the Oriental scholars call them, actualize their Buddha-nature to a large extent in the whole sphere of a country, or of the whole earth. Enlightened” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/327/kaiten-nukariya-793_good-person_express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-e_1655051.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/327/kaiten-nukariya-793_good-person_express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-e_1655051.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/327/kaiten-nukariya-793_good-person_express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-e_1655051.jpg)

> ““express their Buddha-nature to a small extent mostly within their own doors, while so-called good persons, or 'great persons' as the Oriental scholars call them, actualize their Buddha-nature to a large extent in the whole sphere of a country, or of the whole earth. Enlightened””

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Some individuals express their innate enlightenment modestly, while others manifest it broadly, influencing entire societies.

**In simple terms:** Enlightenment can be private or public.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate personal insight and share it responsibly.

Themes

spirituality leadership societal impact

Mood

contemplative inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- community service
- teaching
- policy influence
- cultural reform
- global activism

Key Concepts

Buddhist doctrine collective consciousness

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance personal growth with societal contribution?
- What responsibilities come with broad influence?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on influence can lead to ego.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actualize Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actualize-buddha-697206/) [Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha/) [Buddha nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha-nature/) [Earth Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-enlightened-697208/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Express Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/express-buddha-697207/) [Good person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-person/) [Great person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-person/)

## Related quotes

> [“Man is not Good-natured nor Bad-natured, but Buddha natured”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/man-is-not-good-natured-nor-bad-natured-but-buddha-natured/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“Buddha-nature or real self, being the seat of love and the nucleus of sincerity, forms the warp and woof of all moral actions. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/buddha-nature-or-real-self-being-the-seat-of-love-and-the-nucleus-of/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/12-the-great-person-and-small-person-for-these-reasons-zen-proposes/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“The Buddha-nature which is ours from the very beginning is like the sun which emerges from the clouds, or like a mirror which, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-conze/the-buddha-nature-which-is-ours-from-the-very-beginning-is-like-the/)

[Edward Conze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-conze/)

> [To find a Buddha all you have to do is see your nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/to-find-a-buddha-all-you-have-to-do-is-see-your-nature/)

[Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/)

> [To the fuki plant, dandelions, and their kind that lie for long patiently under the fallen snow, comes the season of breezy spring. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobayashi-issa/to-the-fuki-plant-dandelions-and-their-kind-that-lie-for-long/)

[Kobayashi Issa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobayashi-issa/)

> [Our buddha nature is as good as any buddha’s buddha nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/our-buddha-nature-is-as-good-as-any-buddha-s-buddha-nature/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [It is not what you can do for your country, but what you can do for all of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-norton/it-is-not-what-you-can-do-for-your-country-but-what-you-can-do-for/)

[Mike Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-norton/)

> [Buddha nature, is like the sun which is always shining, always present, though often obscured. We are blocked from our natural light by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/buddha-nature-is-like-the-sun-which-is-always-shining-always-present/)

[Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/)

> [“buddha nature, or basic goodness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lodro-rinzler/buddha-nature-or-basic-goodness/)

[Lodro Rinzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lodro-rinzler/)

> [“Lord Buddha never put much emphasis on belief. Instead, he exhorted us to investigate and try to understand the reality of our own being.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thubten-yeshe/lord-buddha-never-put-much-emphasis-on-belief-instead-he-exhorted-us/)

[Thubten Yeshe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thubten-yeshe/)

> [To find Buddha, you have to see your nature. Whoever sees his nature is a Buddha. If you don't see your nature, invoking buddhas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/to-find-buddha-you-have-to-see-your-nature-whoever-sees-his-nature-is/)

[Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/)

> [Our true buddha-nature has no shape. And the dust of affliction has no form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/our-true-buddha-nature-has-no-shape-and-the-dust-of-affliction-has-no/)

[Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/)

> [The root-word "buddha" means to wake up, to know, to understand; and he or she who wakes up and understands is call a Buddha.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/the-root-word-buddha-means-to-wake-up-to-know-to-understand-and-he-or/)

[Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/)

> [“Every man possesses the Buddha-nature. Do not demean yourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/every-man-possesses-the-buddha-nature-do-not-demean-yourselves/)

[Dōgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/)

## More by Kaiten Nukariya

> [“the new theory of matter has entirely over thrown the old conception of the unchanging atoms, and they are now regarded to be composed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-new-theory-of-matter-has-entirely-over-thrown-the-old-conception/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“5. Nature is the Mother of All Things. Furthermore, man has come into existence out of Nature. He is her child. She provided him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/5-nature-is-the-mother-of-all-things-furthermore-man-has-come-into/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [ “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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/rin-zai-also-says-spirit-is-formless-but-it-penetrates-through-the/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“(O-yo-mei) won a splendid victory over the rebel army which threatened the throne of the Ming dynasty. During that warfare Wang was giving a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/o-yo-mei-won-a-splendid-victory-over-the-rebel-army-which-threatened/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“in the use of the terms 'good' and 'bad.' Now let us examine how does good differ from bad. A good action ever promotes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/in-the-use-of-the-terms-good-and-bad-now-let-us-examine-how-does-good/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“Although all sentient beings are endowed with this Enlightened Consciousness, they are not aware of its existence, excepting men who can discover it by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/although-all-sentient-beings-are-endowed-with-this-enlightened/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“There are a good many people always buoyant in spirit and mirthful in appearance as if born optimists. There are also no fewer persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/there-are-a-good-many-people-always-buoyant-in-spirit-and-mirthful-in/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [ “it is the overcoming of egoism, the destroying of mean desires, the uplifting of the moral ideal, and the disclosing of inborn wisdom. \[FN#12\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/it-is-the-overcoming-of-egoism-the-destroying-of-mean-desires-the/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [ “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.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-fourth-stage-is-called-the-rank-of-co-operative-merit-fn-273-in/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“It is bare nonsense to say that I go to school, not to be educated as a member of society, but simply to gratify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/it-is-bare-nonsense-to-say-that-i-go-to-school-not-to-be-educated-as/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“8. The Application of the Law of Causation to Morals. Although it may be needless to state here the law of causation at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/8-the-application-of-the-law-of-causation-to-morals-although-it-may/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“Men of longevity never carried troubles to their beds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/men-of-longevity-never-carried-troubles-to-their-beds/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [ “2. The Errors of Philosophical Pessimists and Religious Optimists. Philosophical pessimists\[FN#214\] maintain that there are on earth many more causes of pain than of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/2-the-errors-of-philosophical-pessimists-and-religious-optimists/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [ “4. Man is neither Good-natured nor Bad-natured according to Su Shih (So-shoku).\[FN#164\] The difficulty may be avoided by a theory given by Su Shih… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/4-man-is-neither-good-natured-nor-bad-natured-according-to-su-shih-so/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“Over against these generalizations we raise no objection, but there are many cases, in practical life, of doubtful nature. An act of charity, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/over-against-these-generalizations-we-raise-no-objection-but-there/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

[Explore all 367 Kaiten Nukariya quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

## More Buddha quotes

> [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [The birds fly in the sky but they don't leave any footmarks. That's what Buddha says, that the man who is awakened lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-birds-fly-in-the-sky-but-they-don-t-leave-any-footmarks-that-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [I went on a Buddha jag. I read 'Confession of a Buddhist Atheist' by Stephen Batchelor and Karen Armstrong's biography of Buddha, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-o-hare/i-went-on-a-buddha-jag-i-read-confession-of-a-buddhist-atheist-by/)

[Denis O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-o-hare/)

> [The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/the-buddha-the-godhead-resides-quite-as-comfortably-in-the-circuits/)

[Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/)

> [Why don't the names of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius offend people? The reason is that these others didn't claim to be God, but Jesus did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/why-don-t-the-names-of-buddha-mohammed-confucius-offend-people-the/)

[Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/)

> [When people suffer, their relationships usually suffer as well. Period. And we all suffer because, as the Buddha says, that's the nature of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/when-people-suffer-their-relationships-usually-suffer-as-well-period/)

[Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/)

> [The real power of the Buddha was that he had so much love. He saw people trapped in their notions of small separate self,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/the-real-power-of-the-buddha-was-that-he-had-so-much-love-he-saw/)

[Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/)

> [“Then Maitreya Bodhisattva thought: “Now the World-Honored One has displayed a marvelous sign. But what is the cause or reason for this auspicious sign?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-reeves/then-maitreya-bodhisattva-thought-now-the-world-honored-one-has/)

[Gene Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-reeves/)

> [It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/it-is-possible-that-the-next-buddha-will-not-take-the-form-of-an/)

[Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/)

> [“The foundational Vajrakilaya is the sun shining in the sky behind the clouds. The path Vajrakilaya is the removal of the clouds from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyatrul-rinpoche/the-foundational-vajrakilaya-is-the-sun-shining-in-the-sky-behind-the/)

[Gyatrul Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyatrul-rinpoche/)

> [Inside we are all Golden Buddha's, but we grew to believe we were made of clay. Our ego's false perceptions led us to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/inside-we-are-all-golden-buddha-s-but-we-grew-to-believe-we-were-made/)

[Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/)

> [The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/the-mind-is-the-buddha-and-the-buddha-is-the-mind/)

[Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/)

> [“In the eyes of Buddha, there are no evil people, only people who don't yet have light in their hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lijia-zhang/in-the-eyes-of-buddha-there-are-no-evil-people-only-people-who-don-t/)

[Lijia Zhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lijia-zhang/)

> [I hold that all the Teachers of the world have attained that Life which is the fulfilment of life. Hence, whenever anyone enters that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/i-hold-that-all-the-teachers-of-the-world-have-attained-that-life/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

[Browse all 411 Buddha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“express their Buddha-nature to a small extent mostly within their own doors, while so-called good persons, or 'great persons' as the Oriental scholars call them, actualize their Buddha-nature to a large extent in the whole sphere of a country, or of the whole earth. Enlightened”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kaiten Nukariya"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-extent-mostly-within-their-own/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Buddha"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-extent-mostly-within-their-own/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/327/kaiten-nukariya-793_good-person_express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-e_1655051.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/327/kaiten-nukariya-793_good-person_express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-e_1655051.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/327/kaiten-nukariya-793_good-person_express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-e_1655051.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“express their Buddha-nature to a small extent mostly within their own doors, while so-called good persons…” — Kaiten Nukariya",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kaiten Nukariya",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“express their Buddha-nature to a small...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-extent-mostly-within-their-own/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/express-their-buddha-nature-to-a-small-extent-mostly-within-their-own/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
