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This is a Koan, a Zen question that is posed with no intellectual answer to train the student in intuitive awareness. Like many koans, the answer is intentionally illogical and non-rational. It is a common Ch'an/Zen method of attempting to stop short the questioner's thought process and "jar" their mind loose to have sudden enlightenment. He was in no way answering the question. The second you try to use words, language concepts or intellectualize to reach enlightenment, you are already way off. He used the question as an opportunity to implement this jarring method. Other such methods included shouts or being hit with a stick. As the koans became more popular, the masters began to despise them because monks would spend years studying them as a scholarly intellectual pursuit, priding them selves on having gleaned illusory knowledge from what was intentionally nonsensical. It is so far from the spirit and purpose of Ch'an/Zen. Ch'an/Zen strove to help people on the path to enlightenment by getting them to abandon concepts, language etc in favor of intuition. So any one who thinks they have an answer to one, is deluded.
As the story goes - while the master was meditating with his students, one of the students asked a question: "Does a dog have Buddha nature?" The most famous reported answer to the koan is "Mu!" Essentially this Japanese word could mean "Mindless.", "No mind.", maybe even "It doesn't matter". The "Mu!" could be directed at the questioner, the question or the answer. The answer is as much a koan as the question.
It should be noted that sentience (being self aware) is a prime requirement for a Buddha nature. People are sentient, amoebas are probably not. The location of a dog between these two points on this continuum is unknowable. Christians run into this exact question and problem when children ask if a pet dog went to heaven. Any logic based answer leads to unanswerable questions.
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Why you have different appearances if you have same Buddha nature?
This is an interesting question. The Buddha did not teach that there is a Buddha nature, possibly because of this very question. Later on, in Mahayana Buddhism, the concept of Buddha nature was invented.
How many people are Buddha's?
Everyone already has Buddha-nature. Many, however, are not aware of their own Buddha-nature yet.Answer No-one can become a Buddha if they know how to become one.
What is the meaning of the sanskrit word dhatu?
What is the fundamental nature of existence? What is Buddha-nature? What is the teaching that cannot be taught?
Philosophical belief tells people they should live in harmony with nature?
According to The Buddha, we all are "buddha-nature." We are not separate selves apart from the rest of the world. Buddha-nature is Emptiness. In effect, this means that all individuals, whether human or not, are empty of separate substrata. Although the forms of different individuals are different, their essence is the same. If so, it follows that Buddha-nature is One in every individual. Ultimately, therefore, there is a deep identity between oneself and all other beings. Since nature is all beings, to live in harmony with nature is, ultimately, to live in harmony with oneself. .
Which philosophical belief tells people they should live in harmony with nature?
According to The Buddha, we all are "buddha-nature." We are not separate selves apart from the rest of the world. Buddha-nature is Emptiness. In effect, this means that all individuals, whether human or not, are empty of separate substrata. Although the forms of different individuals are different, their essence is the same. If so, it follows that Buddha-nature is One in every individual. Ultimately, therefore, there is a deep identity between oneself and all other beings. Since nature is all beings, to live in harmony with nature is, ultimately, to live in harmony with oneself. .
Where in the Sutras does Buddha say that he was already a Buddha before he started meditating?
While I cannot give you a sutra, I can comment on the question. When Buddha says he was a buddha before he started meditating, what he means is his buddha-nature exists here and now. However, before he became enlightened, he had forgotten it. He was not aware of it. The mind created a fog, so that he could not see his buddha-nature. Meditation is the process of clearing the fog, so that you may remember (become conscious of) that which already is.
What actors and actresses appeared in Buddha by Nature - 2012?
The cast of Buddha by Nature - 2012 includes: Caty Hartung as herself Tomek Lehnert as himself Lama Ole Nydahl as himself Axel Waltl as himself
Why is the Buddha called Buddha?
Buddha means the Fully Enlightened One. He became the Buddha through the realisation of the intrinsic / true nature of all things in the universe, including existence / mind & body / life.
Do Buddhists believe in more than 1 Buddha?
Buddhists feel that each person has the potential to become a Buddha (enlightened). Being a Buddha is not the equivalent of being a god, simply the realization of your true nature.
What did the Buddha say to the hot dog vendor?
'Make me One with everything.'
What does Buddha-natured mean?
A person's "Buddha nature" is the inclination each of us has to follow the Eightfold Path towards enlightenment. In many folks the Buddha nature is buried under many layers of unskillful life choices - lust, greed, anger etc. - and it takes a conscious effort to let it show.
What are the release dates for Dog the Bounty Hunter - 2003 Buddha's Delight 6-17?
Dog the Bounty Hunter - 2003 Buddha's Delight 6-17 was released on: USA: 12 August 2009
