Basic goodness
One of the foundational principles of Buddhism is that we all have an inherent, basic goodness. Our truest self is loving, joyful, and open-hearted. Our practice can help us learn to trust this basic goodness, and to keep our hearts open, even in the face of challenge. The Buddha compared this goodness to the sun. No matter what kind of weather there is in the sky, the sun is always shining behind the clouds, just as our foundational goodness is always present.
Each one of us has Buddhanature, which is comprised of three basic qualities. The first is boundless wisdom, which allows us to see through storylines to the heart of the matter. The second is the unlimited capacity to transcend suffering and to recognize our deep connection to all other beings. The third is lovingkindness and compassion. Our true nature is bliss and love, and we have an infinite open-heartedness that motivates us to work towards freedom from suffering for all beings.
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche wrote, “These three characteristics of buddhanature can be summed up in a single word: courage—specifically the courage to be, just as we are, right here, right now, with all our doubts and uncertainties. Facing experience directly opens us to the possibility of recognizing that whatever we experience—love, loneliness, hate, jealousy, joy, greed, grief, and so on—is, in essence, an expression of the fundamentally unlimited potential of our buddhanature.”
"Once I learned how to look deep within, I found the bright vein of goodness that exists in everyone, including me - the goodness that may be hidden and hard to trust, but is never thoroughly destroyed. I came to believe wholeheartedly that I deserve to be happy, and so does everyone else. Now when I meet a stranger, I feel more connected, knowing how much we share. And when I meet myself in meditation, I no longer feel I'm encountering a stranger."
~ Sharon Salzberg
