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48 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYINGor death. At present it is hidden within our own mind, oursem, enveloped and obscured by the mental scurry of ourthoughts and emotions. Just as clouds can be shifted by astrong gust of wind to reveal the shining sun and wide-opensky so, under certain special circumstances, some inspirationmay uncover for us glimpses of this nature of mind. Theseglimpses have many depths and degrees, but each of themwill bring some light of understanding, meaning, and freedom.This is because the nature of mind is the very root itself ofunderstanding. In Tibetan we call it Rigpa, a primordial, pure,pristine awareness that is at once intelligent, cognizant, radiant,and always awake. It could be said to be the knowledgeof knowledge itself. 3Do not make the mistake of imagining that the nature ofmind is exclusive to our mind only. It is in fact the nature ofeverything. It can never be said too often that to realize thenature of mind is to realize the nature of all things.Saints and mystics throughout history have adorned theirrealizations with different names and given them differentfaces and interpretations, but what they are all fundamentallyexperiencing is the essential nature of the mind. Christians andJews call it "God"; Hindus call it "the Self," "Shiva," "Brahman,"and "Vishnu"; Sufi mystics name it "the HiddenEssence"; and Buddhists call it "buddha nature." At the heartof all religions is the certainty that there is a fundamentaltruth, and that this life is a sacred opportunity to evolve andrealize it.When we say Buddha, we naturally think of the Indianprince Gautama Siddhartha, who reached enlightenment in thesixth century B.C., and who taught the spiritual path followedby millions all over Asia, known today as Buddhism. Buddha,however, has a much deeper meaning. It means a person, anyperson, who has completely awakened from ignorance andopened to his or her vast potential of wisdom. A buddha isone who has brought a final end to suffering and frustration,and discovered a lasting and deathless happiness and peace.But for many of us in this skeptical age, this state mayseem like a fantasy or a dream, or an achievement far beyondour reach. It is important to remember always that Buddhawas a human being, like you or me. He never claimed divinity,he merely knew he had the buddha nature, the seed ofenlightenment, and that everyone else did too. The buddhanature is simply the birthright of every sentient being, and Ialways say, "Our buddha nature is as good as any buddha's