Oneness of living beings and Buddhas
oneness of living beings and Buddhas
生仏不二・生仏一如 (Jpn shobutsu-funi or shobutsu-ichinyo )
Also, oneness of ordinary people and Buddhas, or non-duality of living beings and Buddhas.
The principle that living beings and Buddhas are not two different things but are essentially one. "Living beings" here indicates life in its unenlightened form, or beings who are afflicted with delusion.
This principle is set forth in several Mahayana Buddhist scriptures.
The Flower Garland Sutra states, "The mind, the Buddha, and all living beings—these three things are without distinction." The Nirvana Sutra states, "All living beings alike possess the Buddha nature."
The Lotus Sutra reveals the true aspect of all phenomena, indicating that, though different, all living beings, the Buddha included, are manifestations of the ultimate reality.
The sutra also reads, "The Buddhas... wish to open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings... to induce living beings to enter the path of Buddha wisdom," because Buddha wisdom is inherent in all living beings, i.e., all living beings are potential Buddhas.
In China, based on the Lotus Sutra, T'ient'ai (538-597) set forth the principle of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, from Buddhahood through hell, and the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life.
