Inherent enlightenment
inherent enlightenment
本覚 (Jpn hongaku )
Also, original enlightenment; or, depending on context, originally enlightened or eternally enlightened. Enlightenment, or Buddhahood, that is originally inherent in human life. Often used as an equivalent of the Buddha nature. The concept of inherent or original enlightenment is contrasted with acquired enlightenment (shikaku), the view
that enlightenment occurs as a result of carrying out Buddhist practice, dispelling illusions, and developing wisdom. In the Tendai school of Japan, the doctrine of inherent or original enlightenment was taken to the extreme with the
argument that ordinary people were already Buddhas even before engaging in Buddhist practice, and that the world as it is equals the world of enlightenment. Critics asserted that this view led to complacency in Buddhist practice.
