This Bodhisattva-Mahasattva whose name means ‘Earth Treasury’ and ‘Earth Womb’ implies the seed or essence in the same way that Tathāgata-garbha refers to the inherent ‘seed’ or ‘womb’ of Buddhahood in living beings. It was this Indian Mahayana teaching that gave rise in China to the notion of ‘Buddha nature’ inherent...