We Are Not Fundamentally Screwed Up

When I first started studying Buddhism I came across the concept of Buddha nature, the idea that we are not fundamentally screwed up. Now, that's definitely not a traditional way to represent it or talk about it, but that's the way I like to introduce it in my Dharma talks.

The possibility of Buddha nature is something really close to my heart because for much of my early life I can remember feeling a strong sense of hollowness. This hollowness often felt like a lack of feeling at home, or a nagging feeling that there's something fundamentally wrong. This manifested physically for me as chronic anxiety and a lack of feeling safe or settled in my body.

The more I talk about this openly, either with students and mentees I work with, or sometimes when I'm giving a public Dharma talk, I see that this is a pretty common problem. A lot of us struggle with hollowness. We share experiences of isolation, low self-worth, strong judgment towards ourself, others, and sometimes bouts of depression and anxiety. For some people, it can actually be more intense, where they struggle with addiction and really serious, life-threatening issues because of this sense of hollowness.

The term Buddha means "awake" and refers to someone who can clearly see the causes of suffering and has removed the illusion of a separate self. They are able to be more open and compassionate towards themselves and others and have an open mind without judgment. In Buddhist teachings, it is believed that all sentient beings, from the smallest ant to the most important person have the potential to become a Buddha, because at our essence we are fundamentally awake.

Meditation and mindfulness practices can help us to become aware of where hollowness arises from and how to remedy it. By becoming more present and aware, we can start to see the impermanent nature of our thoughts and emotions. We can also start to develop compassion and understanding for ourselves and others. When we develop these we start to see the potential for this awakened nature within ourselves. Remembering our innate Buddha nature can help us to have more self-compassion and let go of the idea that we need to be perfect or that there is something wrong with us.

It is important to remember that the path to awakening is not a linear one. We will encounter ups and downs and will most likely struggle with negative emotions and misunderstanding at times. That is part of the human experience. But by cultivating mindful awareness and compassion and remembering the potential for awakened nature within ourselves (and that we are not fundamentally screwed up), we can find a greater sense of openness and maturity in our practice, as our perspective shifts from doing to being.