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Śrāvakabhūmi
pratiṣṭhā. All beings are primarily of the nature of the Buddha. This is due to their being endowed with the Buddha-gotra. In this sense gotra is identical with tathata (suchness) and dharmakaya also. The existence of gotra is advocated on account of the varieties of the natures of various pudgalas, their determination (adhimukti), devotedness towards the path (pratipatti) and difference between the various sorts of results and attainments of their endeavours.4 For various reasons, this gotra is regarded as the foremost (agra). It is fourfold-the natural, acquired, of the nature of aśraya and that of aśrita. The purity, universal compassion, possession of the great powers of endurance, not committing any heinous guilt, being endowed with the attributes and characteristics of Perfect Enlightenment are some of the aspects or factors that lead to its acquisition as a preceding factor in the origination of bodhicitta by a bodhisattva."
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Asanga, following his precepter, defines gotra as a synonym of prakṛti or nature of a pudgalas and as the
pre
1. Dharmadhator asambhedad gotrabhedo na yujyatel Adheyadharmabhedāttu tadbhedaḥ parigiyate||
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
AA, I, 40 AAA, p. 107: Dharmadhaturgotram Tasmäddhi te guna rohanti prabhavantityarthaḥ
Uttaratantra, I. 27, 28, 86, 143 (gotra=svabhava).
Ibid., loc. cit.
MSA, III. 2: Dhātūnāmadhimukteśca pratipatteśca bhedataḥ Phalabhedopalabdheśca gotrastittvam nirūpyate||
Ibid., III. 3.
Prakṛtyä paripuṣṭam ca asrayaścāśritaṁ ca tat Sadasaccaiva vijñeyam gunottarṇatarthataḥ||
III. 4, Vide also, MSAB, III. 4.
MSA with bhāṣya, III. 6-7 sq; cp. also, MVS, I. 19-20 with bhāṣya and tikā, pp. 43-44 sq.
8. The beginning portion of the gotrabhumi as reconstructed by us from the Tibetan Version, 'Tatragotram katamat Gotrasthasya pudgalasya yo bijadharmaḥ Yasmin sati bhavati asati na
