Tenjō tenge yuiga dokuson

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Tenjō tenge yuiga dokuson (Jap.). ‘Above heaven, under heaven, I alone am worthy of honour’, a statement which Zen Buddhists believe was made by the Buddha Śākyamuni after his enlightenment. Far from being self-aggrandizing, it is a subtle statement of the realization that all appearances in the universe share the same buddha-nature (busshō) and are equally empty of self (śunyatā).

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