You are Not the Filthy Rags

In the Uttaratantra teaching by Maitreya, a treatise on the Buddha nature, a number of metaphors for the presence of Buddha nature are given. It is like a golden statue wrapped in filthy rags; a jewel buried beneath the house of a pauper, honey surrounded by a swarm of bees; a seed contained within rotting fruit; gold buried in mud.

These metaphors are a way of conveying the notion of an intrinsic primordial purity that is temporarily obscured from view. When I first encountered these metaphors I found they had a surprisingly profound effect on my mind. Until that time I don’t think I had ever been given the message that my innermost being was healthy. Rather, I had somehow learned to fear that if I revealed my deepest nature, it would be found unacceptable and even dangerous or evil. To then begin to trust that something positive could be revealed dramatically changed my self-perception. I could begin to let go of my tight self-control and trust that within my chaos and confusion was an innate potential for something positive and healthy. So long as I failed to recognize this , it was like living in poverty and not realizing that there is a valuable treasure hidden beneath the floor. My sense of self-value was indeed like a golden statue hidden within filthy rags, and I was completely identified with the rags.

The freedom this life can offer us is the capacity to understand this intrinsic value. Once it is recognized, we can make a choice to awaken.

Rob Preece
from The Wisdom of Imperfection; The Challenge of Individuation in Buddhist Life