TathÃÂtà(; ; ) is a Buddhist term variously translated as Thusness, Suchness, True Thusness, or True Suchness, referring to the Ultimate Reality, the intrinsic and essential nature of all existences, free from dualistic thinking, conceptualization, and subjectâÂÂobject distinction. It is formless, uncreated, eternal, perfect, unchanging, indestructible, and is the true nature of all phenomena. It represents the genuine reality of existence, which transcends physical forms, physical senses, and intellectual comprehension, indicating a profound insight into the nature of things as they truly are.
TathÃÂtàhas a large number of synonyms found in different Buddhist schools, traditions, and scriptures, such as: Emptiness (à Âà «nyatà空), Reality Realm (bhà «ta-koá¹Âi 實éÂÂãÂÂ實ç¸), True Suchness (bhà «ta-tathatàçÂÂå¦Â), Dharma Nature (Dharmatàæ³Âç¾ãÂÂæ³Âç¶ãÂÂæ³Âæ§), Dharma Realm (Dharma-dhÃÂtu æ³ÂçÂÂ), Dharma Body (Dharma-kÃÂya æ³Â身), Nirvana (NirvÃÂá¹Âa 涠æ§Â), Vajra (éÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ), Actionlessness (ç¡ç²), Dharma Intrinsic Nature (Dharma-svabhÃÂva æ³Âèªæ§ãÂÂæ³Âèªç¶), Buddha-nature (BuddhatÃÂ, Buddha-svabhÃÂva ä½Âæ§), Tathagata-Treasure (TathÃÂgata-garbha å¦Âä¾ÂèÂÂ), The True Reality of all phenomena (sarva-dharma-tathatà諸æ³Â實ç¸), etc.
Although it is a significant concept in Mahayana Buddhism, it is also used in the Theravada tradition.
The Buddha referred to himself as the TathÃÂgata, which can mean either "One who has thus come" or "One who has thus gone", and can also be interpreted as "One who has arrived at suchness".
In Theravada, this term designates the nature of existence (bhÃÂva), the truth which applies to things. According to the Kathavatthu, tathÃÂtÃÂ is not an unconditioned or un-constructed (asankhata) phenomenon. The only phenomenon which is un-constructed in Theravada is Nibbana.
According to Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, tathÃÂtàis merely the way things are, the truth of all things: "When tathÃÂtàis seen, the three characteristics of anicca [impermanence], dukkha [suffering], and anatta [not-self] are seen, sunnata [emptiness] is seen, and idappaccayata [specific conditionality] is seen. TathÃÂtàis the summary of them all â merely thus, only thus, not-otherness."
TathatÃÂ in the East Asian Mahayana tradition is seen as representing the base reality and can be used to terminate the use of words. A 5th-century Chinese Mahayana scripture entitled Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana describes the concept more fully:
R. H. Robinson, echoing D. T. Suzuki, conveys how the Laá¹ kÃÂvatÃÂra Sà «tra perceives dharmata through the portal of à Âà «nyatÃÂ: "The Laá¹ kÃÂvatÃÂra is always careful to balance à Âà «nyatàwith TathatÃÂ, or to insist that when the world is viewed as à Âà «nya, empty, it is grasped in its suchness."
In the Madhyamaka Mahayana tradition, TathÃÂtàis an uncompounded permanent phenomenon, (as is Nirvana â in Madhyamaka, not being products, all absences are uncompounded and permanent â not everlasting, but not subject to decay and dissolution). TathÃÂtàis the natural absence of intrinsic/inherent existence or nature. It is a natural absence, because intrinsic existence (or the equivalent synonyms) is a fiction, or a non-existent: Intrinsic existence is the faulty object of an ignorant consciousness. All fictions, being fictions, are naturally absent. So, because of this, the fiction of inherent existence is absent from all phenomena, and that absence is TathÃÂtÃÂ. Ultimately, however, Madhyamaka's NÃÂgÃÂrjuna even negates negation.