“Tathāgatagarbha” is a Sanskrit compound that literally means “womb of the Tathāgata” or “embryo of the Tathāgata.” The term is formed from *Tathāgata*, an epithet for the Buddha often rendered as “Thus-gone One,” and *garbha*, which signifies “womb,” “embryo,” or “essence.” This literal meaning already suggests a sense of something hidden yet present, a latent reality awaiting full manifestation. Within this expression, the Buddha is not merely a distant ideal but the very referent of what is gestating within sentient life.

In the context of Buddha-nature philosophy, Tathāgatagarbha refers to the inherent Buddha-nature or Buddha-essence that exists within all sentient beings. It is spoken of as the innate potential for Buddhahood, the capacity for awakening and enlightenment that is naturally present but not yet fully revealed. This potential is often described as obscured by mental defilements and ignorance, like a precious jewel covered in dust. When these obscurations are removed, what was always present as possibility becomes manifest as complete Buddhahood.

Thus, Tathāgatagarbha can be understood as the “embryo” or “womb” of Buddhahood within each being, the inner ground from which awakening can arise. It points to a view of sentient beings not as fundamentally flawed, but as carriers of a profound, though concealed, spiritual essence. To contemplate this teaching is to reorient perception: instead of seeing only confusion and limitation, one learns to recognize the hidden Buddha-nature that these very limitations veil.