Pure Consciousness and Self-Nature: All Things Inherit the Same Nature

"Thousands of rivers reflect thousands of moons; miles of cloudless sky, miles of pristine clarity." — Jia Tai Pu Deng Lu, Volume 18

「千江有水千江月，萬里無雲萬里天。」—《嘉泰普燈錄‧卷十八》

It is difficult to truly comprehend the original state of the universe, since we as humans experience the universe through our limited sensory organs—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or touching. However, through deep meditation or entering the altered state of consciousness, one can experience a state of absolute stillness (如如不動)—a latent force, neither existent nor non-existent, neither active nor inactive, formless and without features. We also refer to self-nature as "pure consciousness." It is the invisible force that drives the creation of the universe. It is a metaphysical creator that creates the universe. 

As the Chan patriarch, Huineng, said in the Platform Sutra:

"The world is empty, but contains all forms—sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, the earth, springs, streams, trees, forests, evil and good people, good and evil phenomena, heaven and hell, seas, and Mount Sumeru are all contained within space. The nature of humanity is as empty." — The Platform Sutra

「世界虛空，能含萬物色像，日月星宿，山河大地、泉源溪澗、草木叢林、惡人善人、惡法善法、天堂地獄、一切大海、須瀰諸山、總在空中。世人性空，亦復如是。」《六祖壇經》

"The self-nature encompasses all phenomena. All phenomena reside within the nature of humanity." — The Platform Sutra

「自性能含萬法是大。萬法在諸人性中。」《六祖壇經》

Self-nature or pure consciousness is like a projector casting all the shapes and forms and bringing forth everything. 

Self-nature or pure consciousness exists, but like light waves, it has no mass and cannot be captured or contained. It can be perceived, but like a thought, it is illusory. What is consciousness before a thought arises? It could be anything or it could be nothing. The objects projected seemingly concrete, but they are merely fleeting and temporary. 

The essence of pure consciousness is neither existent nor non-existent. 

"The mind is vast, like emptiness and boundless, has no shape or size, not blue, yellow, red, or white, not wrath nor joy, not right or wrong, not good or evil, no beginning nor end." – The Platform Sutra

「心量廣大，猶如虛空無有邊畔，亦無方圓大小，亦非青黃赤白，亦無瞋無喜，無是無非，無善無惡，無有頭尾。」《六祖壇經》

Its "non-existent" nature is not absolute emptiness, for it can project the universe. If it were truly nothing, nothing could arise from it. Its "existent" nature is an illusion—a temporary aggregation of matter and energy, not a true existence. 

"The nature of all phenomena is not inherently existent, but do not see them as non-existent. The nature of all phenomena is not inherently non-existent, so do not see them as existent." – The Record of Chan Master Huangbo Duanji from Wanling

「法本不有，莫作無見；法本不無，莫作有見。」《黃檗斷際禪師宛陵錄》

This is a paradox, similar to dreaming. There’s no denying that dreams do exist and are real in the dreamstate. However, once you wake up from the dream, you will realize the dream is not real and delusive. 

Another paradox is that since you are this human body, you cannot get out of the dream like you wake up in the morning and get out of bed, but you wake up in lucid dreaming. You stay in the dreamstate but recognize you’re dreaming. 

Pure consciousness permeates every corner of the universe, present in the smallest speck of dust and the vast cosmos. Like the moon illuminating the world, its light is reflected in every surface of rivers and lakes. “Thousands of rivers all reflect the same moon.” All things stem from the same pure consciousness, sharing the same essence and nature. 

"Thousands of rivers reflect the same moon” – The Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Vol 20.

「千江同一月。」《景德傳燈錄‧卷二十》

This nature of pure consciousness, the innate or original state breaking free from illusion, is referred to as the “self-nature” in Chan, the “Buddha-nature" in Buddhism, “Brahman” in Hinduism, and the “Dao” or Wuji (ultimate reality) in Taoism—all indicate the same pure essence. Self-nature is your nature, your original face, and your Buddha-nature. All sentient beings possess the same Buddha-nature: 

"The mind is the nature, the nature is the Buddha, the Buddha is the Dao. The Dao is Chan." – The Bloodstream Treatise

「心即是性，性即是佛，佛即是道，道即是禪。」《達摩血脈論》

"Inherent nature is Buddha. Apart from this nature, there is no Buddha." – The Platform Sutra

「本性是佛，離性別無佛。」《六祖壇經》

The self-nature is Buddha-nature, and Buddha-nature cannot be found elsewhere: 

"From the endless Kalpa without beginning, the vastness of time, your mind is in every action and movement at all times and places. That’s your real mind, your real Buddha, and your essence. The self-nature is Buddha-nature. The mind itself is Buddha; there is no Buddha outside of this mind." – The Bloodstream Treatise

「從無始曠大劫以來，乃至施為一切時中，一切處所，皆是汝本心，皆是汝本佛，即心是佛，除此心外，終無別佛可得。」《達摩血脈論》