Arya disposition and Buddha nature

• Proper ways to develop confidence in the Three Jewels
• Dispositions of beings according to different systems
• For Vaibashikas, non-attachment
• Four qualities of aryas with contentment and lack of greed
• For Sautrantikas, potential or seed for the arising of unpolluted mind
• Importance of learning, reflecting and meditating
• Nirvana with remainder and nirvana without remainder
• Latency, seed or potency that existed from beginningless time according to Cittamatrins
• Explanation of buddha potential or disposition
• Naturally abiding buddha disposition and transforming buddha disposition
• Three schools and five dispositions according to Cittamatra Scriptural Proponents
• Qualities or attitudes of beings and practices they adopt according to their disposition
• Set of things that suppress the buddha disposition and set of things that activate it
• One final vehicle according to Cittamatra Reasoning Proponents

Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature 116: Arya Disposition and Buddha Nature (download)

Contemplation points

1. With what attitude do you approach the Three Jewels? Do you see them as authority figures, with skepticism, with blind faith? We take refuge many times a day. What are we doing? Why do we recite the verses we do? How does it help our mind?
2. What do Vaibhasikhas emphasize as the cause of cyclic existence and thus, the corresponding path to liberation? What four qualities do they assert that aryas possess which contribute to actualizing the path and generating realizations? Because we too want to attain liberation and awakening, consider what you can do to begin cultivating these qualities now. Spend some time with this, making examples of changes you can make in your own life.
3. According to Sautantrikas. what is the explanation for why all beings have the potential to attain the path? How can that potential be nourished? What kinds of actions interrupt or cut that potential?
4. What are the five dispositions of the Cittamatra sciptural proponents? What does each disposition of the final three vehicles study to attain their goal? What activities impede buddha disposition? What activities nourish it?