When we speak of the Buddha, we are not merely referring to the historical person who attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, but also to the awakened potential that resides within all beings. This potential, often referred to as Buddha-nature, is not contingent upon the existence of a separate self. In fact, it is precisely through the realisation of not-self that our innate Buddha-nature is uncovered.
‘In the absence of self, the Buddha within is not diminished; rather, it shines forth unobstructed, like the sun emerging from behind clouds.’
This insight challenges us to reconsider our understanding of enlightenment. Enlightenment is not the annihilation of the self, but the awakening to the truth that the self was never real to begin with. What remains is not emptiness as a void, but emptiness as a boundless, luminous awareness — the very nature of the Buddha.

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