Understanding Buddha Nature and Anatta: A Unified Perspective

A monk brother recently told me that some Zen students understand Buddha Nature as something similar to a soul or an eternal self. Thus, they get upset and confused when he tells them that Buddha Nature, too, is subject to causes and conditions.

To understand the concept of Buddha Nature, it’s essential to examine its relationship with Anatta (non-self), one of the foundational teachings in all schools of Buddhism. By weaving these two concepts together, we can better understand the nature of our potential for enlightenment and how external circumstances shape that journey. In what follows, I will clarify the relationship between Anatta and Buddha Nature.

1. Anatta: The Core Teaching of Non-Self. Anatta teaches that there is no permanent or independent self or soul within us. What we often think of as the “self” is a dynamic collection of physical, emotional, and mental processes that are constantly changing and interdependent with external conditions. This understanding can be illustrated by how our gut microbiome impacts our emotions, cognitive functions, and decision-making through the gut-brain axis. These external factors — like the bacteria in our gut — demonstrate how the “self” is influenced by forces outside our control, reinforcing that there is no enduring, independent self that drives our thoughts or…