Alan Wallace on consciousness

Video prompted to start at 33:03

Dharmadhatu (Buddhist Concept)

Dharmadhatu (Sanskrit: धर्मधातु, “realm of phenomena” or “realm of ultimate reality”) is a central concept in Mahayana Buddhism denoting the ultimate, all-encompassing nature of reality. It represents the infinite, empty, and interdependent expanse in which all phenomena—both samsaric and nirvanic—arise, abide, and dissolve. Often equated with emptiness (śūnyatā), suchness (tathatā), and the Dharmakāya (the body of ultimate truth), the Dharmadhatu is the fundamental ground of existence and consciousness. 

In Tibetan Buddhism, it is associated with the primordial purity of mind and is accessible through the mindstream. When fully realized, it is inseparable from buddha-nature (tathagatagarbha). The Dharmadhatu is also linked to Vairocana, the cosmic Buddha, and is one of the Five Wisdoms—specifically Dharmadhatu wisdom, which perceives the equality and interconnectedness of all things. 

The Huayan school of Chinese Buddhism developed the concept into the “Fourfold Dharmadhatu,” describing increasingly profound levels of reality, culminating in the mutual interpenetration of all phenomena. 

Alan Wallace

B. Alan Wallace (born 1950) is an American Buddhist scholar, author, and meditation teacher renowned for his work in Tibetan Buddhism and the dialogue between contemplative practices and Western science. Ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama in 1975, he trained for 14 years in India and Switzerland before earning a B.A. in physics and philosophy of science from Amherst College and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Stanford University. 

Wallace is a prominent advocate for integrating first-person contemplative inquiry into scientific study, critiquing materialist reductionism in science. He founded the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies and the Centers for Contemplative Research in Colorado, Italy, and New Zealand. He led the landmark Shamatha Project, a scientific study on the effects of long-term meditation. 

A prolific writer and translator, his works include The Attention Revolution, Dreaming Yourself Awake, and Meditations of a Buddhist Skeptic. He has served as a translator for the Dalai Lama in Mind and Life dialogues with scientists since 1987.