The Essence of a Buddha

I have been asked what is the true nature of a "Buddha"? One tries not to be to esoterically vague, but the essence of a "Buddha" is nothing(ness), which is the same as saying it is everything. "Buddha" is not a ideal to become or a state of existence that is the result of a practice. You have heard it said that you are already a Buddha, one just needs to have the realization. If one is truly in the moment then there is the possibility that one will have an "original" realization that is born out of total freedom. The totality of existence is "open" to one who is experiencing the total freedom of the absolute moment. A person will begin to realize that there is no such thing as Buddha as a defined presence, there is only a consciousness of "unconditioned understanding". In reality there is no such thing as a "Buddha". Naming or defining is the result of a mind that is a prisoner of conceptual duality. It is because the mind that is in illusion must seek the defined in order to be defined. In order for there to be an organized and defined "Buddhism" there must be the illusion and the duality of "Buddhist" vs "Non-Buddhist". One cannot realize the true nature of the "unconditioned" if one is a practicing Buddhist and believes in Buddhism as a kind of religious pursuit. The truth lies in freedom from both belief and non-belief. Buddhism its self is totally irrelevant, it is meaningless to one who has realized the truth of the absolute moment.

You can start out with the ideal of Buddhism and the concept of Buddha nature, but in the end you have to throw it all out the window, because it will do more to prevent you from realizing than provide a path to it. Most people are looking for the superficiality of image and identification than actually realizing the true self. For to realize is to give everything up totally and to confront the realization of ones own conflict, confusion and fear. There will be no replacements for the loss of your illusions, one will stand alone, empty, without a name or a cause.