The Jonang tradition paints buddha-nature not as a mere seed waiting to sprout, but as an ever-present, luminous ground underpinning everything. Rather than treating enlightenment as something external to be chased, this view holds that true reality—often called “empty of other” (zhentong)—is brimming with the radiant clarity of awakened mind itself. It’s like discovering a diamond in the rough: the brilliance was always there, even if obscured by layers of confusion.

Central to Jonang thought is the idea that buddha-nature isn’t a conditioned phenomenon. It transcends all dualities—self and other, samsara and nirvana—yet isn’t some distant void. Picture the clear sky after a storm: clouds may roll in, lightning may flash, but the sky’s vast openness remains untouched. That openness, in Jonang terms, is the timeless Buddha-wisdom, self-arising and indivisible.

Rather than emptying reality into a sterile “no-thing,” this tradition celebrates the positive dimension of emptiness. It’s akin to the way modern neuroscience finds a baseline level of awareness even beneath the chatter of thoughts. Today’s AI breakthroughs—tools like ChatGPT generating ideas in a split second—might feel like magic, but underneath lies a vast computational ground that’s always been there. Likewise, buddha-nature is the ultimate ground, full of potential, always active, even if hidden.

The Tibetan master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen famously called it the “expanse of clear light,” reminding practitioners that every moment of genuine clarity reveals the Buddha already awake within. In current times—where mindfulness apps and climate-justice marches highlight interconnectedness—Jonang’s insistence on an inherently luminous ground resonates anew. It invites a shift from seeking something outside to trusting the boundless wisdom at heart.