expression, noun
one's true nature; original face
Buddhist term referring to one's fundamental, unadorned nature before conditioning. Used in Zen contexts to point to the original self.
禅では「本来の面目」を見つめることが大切だとされる。
In Zen, it is considered important to look at one's 'original face'.
A set phrase from Buddhist terminology, literally 'original face/features'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a well-known expression in Zen Buddhism.