本ほん来らいの面めん目もく

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.

• 禅ぜんでは「本ほん来らいの面めん目もく」を見みつめることが大たい切せつだとされる。

  In Zen, it is considered important to look at one's 'original face'.