Be a Buddha

When our nature is false, it gives rise to eighteen kinds of falsehood. When our nature is true, it gives rise to eighteen kinds of truth. Who uses them for evil is an ordinary being. Who uses them for good is a buddha. And where does such usage come from? From our nature.

~Hui-neng

Buddhahood

To practice as a buddha is to be a buddha.

~Hui-neng

The Heart of Great Compassion

If you make sentient beings happy, you make all Buddhas happy. Why? Because the heart of great compassion is the substance of the Buddhas. Therefore they develop great compassion on account of sentient beings, develop the will for enlightenment based on great compassion, and attain true awakening on the basis of the will for enlightenment. It is like a giant tree in a desert; if the roots find water, then the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits all flourish. The giant tree of enlightenment in the desert of birth and death is also like this. All living beings are the root of the tree; the Buddha and bodhisattvas are the flowers. Benefit living beings with the water of great compassion and you can obtain the flowers and fruits of knowledge and wisdom of Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

~The Avatamsaka Sutra

Can I Become a Buddha?

The potential for attaining Buddhahood exists in every sentient Being. All possess the perfect goodness of Buddha Nature. The Path towards Buddhahood is the falling away of Greed/Desire, Anger/Hatred, and Delusion/Ignorance.

These Three Poisons overshadow our Buddhahood.

To allow these Three Poisons to fall away is to allow our Buddhahood to shine.

There are already countless Buddhas in existence and there will be countless more as long as there are those who are earnest in their seeking of Reality.

Toe-Nail Polish

 A Buddhist teacher in England received a telephone call from a seven-year-old girl.

"Do Buddhas wear toe-nail polish?" the young girl asked.

"Are you wearing toe-nail polish?" the teacher asked.

"Yes!" the little girl shouted, and hung up.

Buddhahood Avoids Extremism

Awakening or Enlightenment, the attainment of Buddhahood, is the most worthwhile thing one can do. Because the practice of Buddhism means guiding oneself by the Noble Eightfold Path (the Middle Way), true practitioners never fall into any form of extremism.

Perfecting Ourselves

When Siddhartha was meditating under the tree, no god or angel came to him to reveal any hidden secrets of spiritual power. No one one gave him any religious laws or doctrines to teach.

After his Awakening, the Buddha said, "I never had any teacher, human or divine, teach me or tell me how to gain Enlightenment. I achieved Supreme Wisdom by my own effort, energy, knowledge, and purity."

As the Buddha, we too can attain the highest goal through perseverance in perfecting ourselves.

Buddha

Never forget your own true nature is Buddha.

It is as effortless for you as breathing.

Pause, and remember who you are.

The Buddha Way

Without practice, the buddha way cannot be attained.

Without study, it remains remote.

                                                                         ~Dogen

Seek Nothing Else

There is a simple way to become a buddha: When you refrain from unwholesome actions, are not attached to birth and death, and are compassionate toward all sentient beings, respectful to seniors and kind to juniors, not excluding or desiring anything, with no thoughts or worries, you will be called a buddha. Seek nothing else.

~Dogen

Buddhahood

Buddhahood is an ending of desire, 

an ending of hatred, 

an ending of delusion.

You Too Will Become Buddhas

It should be understood, Shariputra,
That the Dharma of the buddhas is like this.
With trillions of skillful means, in accord with what is good
They teach the Dharma.

Those who have not practiced and studied it
Cannot fully understand this.
But all of you.
Knowing that the buddhas

The teachers of the worlds,
Use skillful means
According to what is appropriate,
Should have no more doubt.

Your hearts should be filled with great joy,
For you know that you too will become buddhas.

                                   ---The Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma (The Lotus Sutra)---

True Nature

If you wish to awaken to the true nature, you should not search for it outside of yourselves.

---Kusan Sunim, in The Way of Korean Zen---

The True Practice Is To Awaken To The Mind

There are people nowadays who think that sentient beings in these degenerate times are unable to make progress through meditation. They believe that it is impossible to perceive one's original nature and realize Buddhahood.

Therefore, they maintain that one should simply recite the Buddha's name or study sutras with the hope to be reborn in a Pure Land. However, this is a foolish practice, because instead of seeking the Buddha within themselves, they continuously look for him elsewhere. But if they were to search for their own mind and awaken to it, they would realize that they themselves are intrinsically Buddhas. Upon awakening to the mind, they will immediately come to be endowed with the observance of the precepts, an understanding of the sutras, and the presence of a Pure Land. When one awakens, this world becomes a Pure Land. There is no Pure Land anywhere else. Therefore, the most effective and true practice is to awaken to the mind.

---Kusan Sunim, in The Way of Korean Zen---

Buddhahood

As long as they don't understand,

buddhas are ordinary beings.

But the moment they understand,

ordinary beings are buddhas.

---The Sutra of Hui-Neng (The Platform Sutra)---

Buddha - Buddha Nature - Buddhahood

Buddha is our True Nature.

Following our Nature is called the Way.

Cultivating the Way is called the Practice.

A Buddhist is Free

A Buddhist is not a slave to a book or to any person. Nor does he sacrifice his freedom of thought by becoming a follower of the Buddha. He can exercise his own freewill and develop his knowledge even to the extent of attaining Buddhahood himself, for all are potentials Buddhas.

---Venerable Narada Maha Thera---

A Buddhist Has Freedom of Thought

A Buddhist is not a slave to a book or to any person. Nor does he sacrifice his freedom of thought by becoming a follower of the Buddha. He can exercise his own freewill and develop his knowledge even to the extent of attaining Buddhahood himself, for all are potential Buddhas.

---Venerable Narda Mahathera---

Awakening

Awakening (or Enlightenment) does not mean to produce truth but rather the discovery and experience of Reality.