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118-564: This concept posits that a Buddha has three distinct "bodies", aspects, or ways of being, each representing a different facet or embodiment of Buddhahood and ultimate reality . The three are the Dharmakāya ( Sanskrit ; Dharma body, the ultimate reality , the Buddha nature of all things), the Sambhogakāya (the body of self-enjoyment, a blissful divine body with infinite forms and powers) and

236-546: A Sangha which maintains the teaching even after the Nirmāṇakāya has manifested nirvana . However, this is not always the case, and a Nirmāṇakāya may perform unusual acts, like teaching non-Buddhist teachings or appearing as an animal (as in the Jatakas ) for example, if this is the skilful means that is required to teach certain beings. Historically, the form body of the Buddha was also associated with specific stupas , where

354-432: A perfection of wisdom , and all their kleśas have completely ceased and ended so that the buddhas have attained purity. Therefore, all buddha qualities are contained within the true nature and the wisdom of the true nature. The Dharma body embodies the true nature of Buddhahood itself and all its inconceivable powers and qualities. It is generally understood as impersonal, without concept, words or thought. Even thought it

472-504: A Buddha, in order to benefit and liberate all sentient beings. Thus, Buddhahood is the goal for all the various spiritual paths found in the various Mahayana traditions (including Vajrayana , Zen , and Pure land ). This contrasts with the common Theravada goal of individual liberation, or arhatship . Buddhahood is the state of an awakened being, who, having found the path of cessation of dukkha ("suffering", as created by attachment to desires and distorted perception and thinking)

590-414: A Buddha, or that it must take aeons. In Theravada Buddhism , Buddha refers to one who has reached awakening (bodhi) through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out the dharma. A samyaksambuddha re-discovers the truths and the path to awakening on their own, and then teaches these to others after his awakening. A pratyekabuddha also reaches nirvana through his own efforts, but

708-531: A Buddha. The Mahayana tradition generally follows the list of "Twelve Great Buddha Acts" (Skt. dvadaśabuddhakārya ). These are: The Pali suttas do not have such a list, but the Theravada commentarial tradition lists 30 obligatory acts of a Buddha. Various Mahayana sutras and treatises contain explanations of the nature of a Buddha and the various attributes which Buddhas are said to have. These attributes are significantly different and more exalted than

826-507: A Buddha: one who had grown up in the world but had now gone beyond it, as a lotus grows from the water but blossoms above it, unsoiled. The Pāli Canon also states that Gautama Buddha is known as being a "teacher of the gods and humans," superior to both the gods (devas) and humans since he has attained the highest liberation, whereas the gods are still subject to anger, fear, and sorrow. In the Madhupindika Sutta (MN 18), Buddha

944-403: A Buddha; [the qualities] principally because of which a person is called "Buddha"; [the qualities] by obtaining which he understands all, thereby becoming a Buddha. What are those qualities? Ksayajñana [knowledge of the destruction of the passions], etc., together with their attendants. According to Yasomitra's commentary some of the key qualities include ksayajñana (knowledge of the destruction of

1062-516: A Western monk of the Mountains and Rivers Order in New York, writes that Buddha is inspirational based on his humanness: A fundamental part of Buddhism's appeal to billions of people over the past two and a half millennia is the fact that the central figure, commonly referred to by the title "Buddha", was not a god, or a special kind of spiritual being, or even a prophet or an emissary of one. On

1180-406: A classic list of " supernormal knowledges " (Skt. abhijñā , Pali : abhiññā ) that a Buddha has attained through spiritual practice. There is an ancient list of "six classes of superknowledge" (Pali: chalabhiññā, Skt. ṣaḍabhijña) that Buddhas have which are found in various Buddhist sources. These are: Buddhist texts include numerous stories of the Buddha's miracles , which include displays of

1298-480: A dialogue with the Buddha, explaining in vivid detail all the benefits a kingdom will have if its ruler enshrines the essence of the sutra and offers daily praise. The sutra contains some elements of early tantra, in that in chapter two, the sutra describes four Buddhas who dwell in the four cardinal directions. These same four comprise later Buddhist mandalas in the same positions, such as the Womb Realm . During

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1416-534: A fixed schedule to protect the country. As Buddhism evolved in Japan, the practice gradually fell out of use, and is no longer continued today. The Golden Light Sutra has been translated into Chinese, Saka ("Khotanese"), Old Turkic , Old Uyghur by Shingqo Sheli Tutung , Tangut , Classical Tibetan , Mongolian , Manchu , Korean and Japanese . Three canonical Chinese translations have survived: An extracanonical version, ascribed to Paramārtha , (499–569)

1534-479: A great man . In the Pāli Canon , the Buddha is depicted as someone between a human and a divine being. He has a human body that decays and dies, and he was born from human parents (though some sources depict this as a miraculous birth). The most important element of a Buddha is that they have attained the supreme spiritual goal: nirvana . This is what makes him supreme and what grants him special powers. This view of

1652-416: A land", in other words all these buddhas becomes the condition "which causes the person to be converted (or instructed) to see such a body of emanation." Nirmāṇakāyas often appear in a world to turn the wheel of Dharma (i.e. teach Buddhism) and to display the twelve great acts of a Buddha (such as miraculous birth, renunciation, defeating Mara , enlightenment under a bodhi tree, etc) and they also may found

1770-484: A later stratum (between 1st and 2nd century BCE) called the Buddhavamsa , twenty-one more Buddhas were added to the list of seven names in the early texts. Theravada tradition maintains that there can be up to five Buddhas in a kalpa or world age and that the current kalpa has had four Buddhas, with the current Buddha, Gotama, being the fourth and the future Buddha Metteyya being the fifth and final Buddha of

1888-461: A single utterance, all of his sayings being true, his physical body being limitless, his power ( prabhāva ) being limitless, the length of his life being limitless, never tiring of enlightening sentient beings and awakening pure faith in them, having no sleep or dreams, no pause in answering a question, and always in meditation ( samādhi ). A doctrine ascribed to the Mahāsāṃghikas is, "The power of

2006-456: A spectrum of qualities and forms, while also seeming to appear in the world with a human body that gets old and dies (though this is merely an appearance). It is also used to explain the Mahayana doctrine of non-abiding nirvana ( apratiṣṭhita-nirvana ), which sees Buddhahood as both unconstructed ( asaṃskṛta ) and transcendent, as well as constructed, immanent and active in the world. This idea

2124-456: Is "endowed with real, permanent qualities", and is permanent, blissful, sovereign, pure, infinite and all pervasive ("extends everywhere"). Xuanzang also states that the svabhāvikakāya "is common to all tathagatas" and that it is "realized in the same way by all the tathagatas" since there is "no difference possible between the self-nature body of one buddha and that of the other buddhas". The Saṃbhogakāya (Ch: 報身, 受用身; Tib. longs sku) refers to

2242-632: Is a Buddhist text of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the full title is The Sovereign King of Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light . The sutra was originally written in India in Sanskrit and was translated several times into Chinese by Dharmakṣema and others, and later translated into Tibetan and other languages. Johannes Nobel published Sanskrit and Tibetan editions of

2360-534: Is a title for those who are spiritually awake or enlightened , and have thus attained the supreme goal of Buddhism, variously described as nirvana ("blowing out"), bodhi (awakening, enlightenment), and liberation ( vimutti, vimoksa ). A Buddha is also someone who fully understands the Dharma , the true nature of all things or phenomena ( dharmas ), the ultimate truth . Buddhahood (Sanskrit: buddhatva; Pali : buddhatta or buddhabhāva ; Chinese : 成佛 )

2478-502: Is a common view in Buddhist modernism , which sought to teach a form of Buddhism that was modern , rational and scientific . One figure who sees Buddha as mainly human is Thích Nhất Hạnh , a Vietnamese Buddhist monk in the Zen tradition, who states that "Buddha was not a god. He was a human being like you and me, and he suffered just as we do." In a similar fashion, Jack Maguire,

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2596-493: Is a reflection of the Saṃbhogakāya, one of the myriad magical manifestations created by the Saṃbhogakāya. It is also called rūpa -kaya, the "form body" or "physical body". The Nirmāṇakāya generally refers to a Buddha's human-like appearance in imperfect worlds like ours, which appear for limited periods of time and seemingly die in paranirvana . It is usually associated with "historical" Buddha figures, like Shakyamuni Buddha . It

2714-424: Is agreed, its activity ( karman ) is uninterrupted for as long as cyclic existence last... (AA 8.33) Manifestation bodies allow Buddhas to interact with and teach sentient beings in a more direct and human manner. They typically appear as male monastics in most Mahayana sutras, though later they encompassed all sorts of bodies. This earthly embodiment serves as a bridge between the divine and the human realm. It makes

2832-536: Is also associated with the "body of the teachings", that is to say, the Buddhadharma , the teachings of the Buddha, and by association, with the nature of reality itself (i.e. the Dharma and the nature of the dharmas - all phenomena), which the teachings point to and are in accord with. In several Mahayana sources, the Dharma body is the primary and ultimate Buddha body, as well as "the foundation and basis for

2950-484: Is also compared to water, which may get muddy, but its nature remains clear and pure. However, "when the [innate luminosity] is freed from those [obstructions], it appears." As such, the dharmakaya is never generated or created, and is thus permanent (nitya). The Yogācāra also sees the Dharmabody as equivalent to the dharmadhātu (the totality of the cosmos) in its ultimate sense, in other words "the intrinsic body of

3068-449: Is also seen as having many miraculous and magical powers . However, a living Buddha has the limitations of a physical body, will feel pain, get old and die. In Mahayana Buddhism however, a Buddha is considered to be a transcendent being, who is all-knowing , immeasurably powerful , with an eternal lifespan. His wisdom light is said to pervade the cosmos, and his great compassion and skillful means are limitless. This transcendent being

3186-593: Is an Ashoka pillar at the site today. Ashoka's inscription in the Brahmi script is on the fragment of the pillar still partly buried in the ground. The inscription made when Emperor Asoka at Nigali Sagar in 249 BCE records his visit, the enlargement of a stupa dedicated to the Kanakamuni Buddha, and the erection of a pillar. Golden Light Sutra The Golden Light Sutra or Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra ( Sanskrit : सुवर्णप्रभासोत्तमसूत्रेन्द्रराजः )

3304-534: Is an element of Buddhahood which is transcendent, free from all worldly conditions and quiescent (dharmakaya), there is also an element which compassionately manifests for the good of all beings and thus is engaged in worldly conditions (the other two bodies). This transcendent and immanent character is described in the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra as follows: In space, there appear the arising and ceasing of diverse forms. Yet space neither arises nor ceases. Likewise, within

3422-475: Is common throughout East Asian Buddhism . The myriad Buddhas are also seen as active in the world, guiding all sentient beings to Buddhahood. Paul Williams writes that the Buddha in Mahāyāna is "a spiritual king, relating to and caring for the world". This view entails a kind of docetism regarding the "historical" Buddha, Shakyamuni . His life and death were a "mere appearance," like a magic show; in reality,

3540-628: Is customarily performed in Chinese Buddhist temples on the 9th day of the 1st month of the Chinese calendar. The sutra also gained esteem as a sutra for protecting the country in China, Korea and Japan, and often was read publicly to ward off threats. For example, its first reading in Japan was as a court ceremony during around 660 AD, when the Tang dynasty of China and Silla of Korea defeated

3658-695: Is described in powerful terms as the Lord of the Dhamma and the bestower of immortality. Similarly, in the Anuradha Sutta (SN 44.2), Gautama Buddha is described as the "supreme man" and the "attainer of the superlative attainment". Because he has attained the highest spiritual knowledge, the Buddha is also identified with the Dhamma (the most fundamental reality) In the Vakkali Sutta (SN 22.87). In

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3776-493: Is equivalent to the arhat. In Mahāyāna Buddhism meanwhile, a Buddha is seen as a transcendent being who has extensive powers, such as omniscience , omnipotence , and whose awakened wisdom (buddha-jñana) is all pervasive. This view can be found in numerous Mahāyāna sources, like the Avatamsaka sutra . Mahāyāna buddhology mainly understands the Buddha through the "three bodies" ( trikaya ) framework. In this framework,

3894-596: Is extant in a Japanese manuscript. One of the earliest Japanese annotations was an 8th-century kunten translation of the Yijing Chinese translation housed in Saidaiji Temple . In 1933, Izumi published the first complete Japanese translation directly from Sanskrit, followed by another translation by Ama a year later. In 1958, Nobel published a German translation, based on Yijing's Chinese text. In 1970, R. E. Emmerick produced an English translation of

4012-484: Is in the state of "no-more-Learning". There is a broad spectrum of opinion on the nature of Buddhahood, its universality, and the method of attaining Buddhahood among the various schools of Buddhism. The level to which this manifestation requires ascetic practices varies from none at all to an absolute requirement, dependent on doctrine. While most schools accept the bodhisattva ideal, in which it takes aeons to reach Buddhahood, not all agree that everyone can become

4130-554: Is my actual body. Monks, you should perceive me through the full realization of the body which is dharma (Dharmakāya)." And one should see that this, the [actual] body of the Tathāgatas, is brought about by the limit of reality (Bhūtakoṭiḥ), i.e., the perfection of wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā). In another passage, the Aṣṭasāhasrikā identifies the Buddha with the real nature, dharmataya , which is unmoving, non-arising ( anutpada ), emptiness,

4248-400: Is not understood as having a normal physical human body, instead, Mahayana defends a kind of docetism , in which the Buddha's life on earth (as Shakyamuni) was a magical display which only appeared to have a human body. A being who is on the path to become a Buddha is called a bodhisattva . In Mahayana Buddhism , Buddhahood is the universal goal and all Mahayanists ultimately aim at becoming

4366-516: Is revealed nonduality. What is nonduality? In the Dharma body, there are neither characteristics nor the basis for characteristics, and so there is neither existence nor nonexistence; the Dharma body is neither single nor diverse; it is neither a number nor numberless; and it is neither light nor darkness. According to Paul Williams, the Hymn to the Ultimate ( Paramārthastava ) by Nagarjuna describes

4484-521: Is singular (appearing as one form, as one being), the enjoyment body is multiple since "it has many forms in accord with the aspirations of beings". Furthermore, the Dharma body is to be understood as neither singular or multiple, "neither the same nor different". The Trikāyasūtra preserved in the Tibetan canon contains the following simile for the three bodies: the dharmakāya of the Tathāgata consists in

4602-471: Is the central sun which holds all, illumines all. The Dharma-body is often described in apophatic terms (especially in Madhyamaka sources), as formless, thought-less and beyond all concepts, language and ideas - including any idea of existence ( bhava ) or non-existence (abhava), or eternalism (śāśvata-dṛṣṭi) and annihilation (ucchedavāda). The Golden Light Sutra says: Noble one, the Dharma body

4720-492: Is the condition and state of a buddha. This highest spiritual state of being is also termed sammā-sambodhi (Sanskrit: samyaksaṃbodhi; "full, complete awakening") and is interpreted in many different ways across schools of Buddhism . The title of "Buddha" is most commonly used for Gautama Buddha , the historical founder of Buddhism, who is often simply known as "the Buddha". The title is also used for other beings who have achieved awakening and liberation (or vimoksha ), such as

4838-404: Is the dharmakāya. That which is seen from the perspective of the bodhisattvas is the saṃbhogakāya. That which is seen from the perspective of ordinary beings who conduct themselves devotedly is the nirmāṇakāya. The Buddhabhūmi - vyākhyāna also explains the bodies through the various types of beings who have access to them in the same way. Only Buddhas see the dharma body, only bodhisattvas see

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4956-586: Is the object of popular Buddhist devotion in Mahayana Buddhism, it is the Buddha as an omniscient transcendent being with immense powers, animated only by universal compassion for all living things. The Buddha's enjoyment body also has a very unique appearance, made up of the 32 major marks of great man. These characteristics include such unusual features as dharma wheels on the soles of his feet, glowing golden skin, unnaturally long tongue and arms which extend to his knees, and unique facial features like

5074-522: Is thus the most historic, temporally and spatially contingent, and humanistic aspect of the three bodies. According to the Golden Light sutra , the Buddhas know the aspirations, conduct, nature and needs of all beings, and thus they "they teach the appropriate Dharma in accordance with the time and with those types of conduct". To do this, they manifest various types of bodies, and these are called

5192-533: Is unable or unwilling to teach the dharma to others. An arhat needs to follow the teaching of a Buddha to attain Nirvana, and may also preach the dharma after attaining nirvana. In one instance the term buddha is also used in Theravada to refer to all who attain Nirvana , using the term sāvakabuddha to designate an arhat, someone who depends on the teachings of a Buddha to attain Nirvana. In this broader sense it

5310-417: Is without any intention or thought, it accomplishes all Dharma activities spontaneously. Indeed, various Mahayana sources describe the Buddha bodies are being without thought or cognition. The Golden Light Sutra uses the analogy of the sun, moon, water, mirrors and light, which are without thought and yet they cause reflections to appear: "in the same way that through a combination of factors the reflections of

5428-730: The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra : Dharmata-Buddha is Buddhahood in its self-nature of perfect oneness in whom absolute tranquillity prevails. As Noble Wisdom, Dharmata-Buddha transcends all differentiated knowledge, is the goal of intuitive self-realisation, and is the self-nature of the Tathagatas. As Noble Wisdom, Dharmata-Buddha is inscrutable, ineffable, unconditioned. Dharmata-Buddha is the Ultimate Principle of Reality from which all things derive their being and truthfulness, but which in itself transcends all predicates. Dharmata-Buddha

5546-542: The Madhyāntavibhāga , the non-duality of a Buddha's nirvana also means that Buddhahood is both conditioned and unconditioned at the same time. Thus, the Madhyāntavibhāga says of Buddhahood "Its operation is nondual (advaya vṛtti) because of its abiding neither in saṃsāra nor in nirvāṇa (saṃsāra-nirvāṇa-apratiṣṭhitatvāt), through its being both conditioned and unconditioned (saṃskṛta-asaṃskṛtatvena)." Thus, while there

5664-461: The Nirmāṇakāya (manifestation body, the body which appears in the everyday world and presents the semblance of a human body ). It is widely accepted in Mahayana that these three bodies are not separate realities, but functions, modes or "fluctuations" (Sanskrit: vṛṭṭis) of a single state of Buddhahood. The Trikāya doctrine explains how a Buddha can simultaneously exist in multiple realms and embody

5782-436: The Buddhist cosmos. The Buddhist triple body theory was also adopted into Daoist philosophy and modified using Daoist concepts. The Trikāya doctrine sees Buddhahood as composed of three bodies, components or collection of elements ( kāya ): the Dharma body (the ultimate aspect of Buddhahood), the body of self-enjoyment (a divine and magical aspect) and the manifestation body (a more human and earthly aspect). The term kāya

5900-470: The Four Heavenly Kings ( Chinese : 四大天王 ; pinyin : Sì Dàtiānwáng ) protect the ruler who governs his country in the proper manner. The sutra also expounds the vows of the goddesses Sarasvatī ( Chinese : 大辨才天 ; pinyin : Dà Biàncáitiān ), Lakṣmī ( Chinese : 大功德天 ; pinyin : Dà Gōngdétiān ) and Dṛḍhā to protect any bhikṣu who will uphold and teach

6018-646: The Nirmāṇakāyas. Similarly the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra states that the Nirmana Buddhas appear as skillful means for the liberation of all beings. According to the Abhisamayālaṅkāra: [The embodiment of the Sage] in his manifestation(s) ( nairmāṇikakāya ) is that through which he impartially carries out diverse benefits for the world. It is uninterrupted for as long as the existence [of the world]. Likewise, it

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6136-493: The abhiññās, healings, elemental magic (such as manipulating fire and water), and various other supernatural phenomena, traveling to higher realms of Buddhist cosmology , and others. One of the most famous of these miracles was the Twin Miracle at Sāvatthī , in which the Buddha emitted fire from the top of his body and water from his lower body simultaneously, before alternating them and then expanding them to illuminate

6254-617: The early Buddhist schools , the Mahāsāṃghika branch regarded the buddhas as being characterized primarily by their supramundane ( lokottara ) nature. The Mahāsāṃghikas advocated the transcendental and supramundane nature of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and the fallibility of arhats. Of the 48 special theses attributed by the Indian scholar Vasumitra to the Mahāsāṃghika sects of Ekavyāvahārika , Lokottaravāda , and Kukkuṭika , 20 points concern

6372-480: The kalpa . This would make the current aeon a bhadrakalpa (fortunate aeon). In some Sanskrit and northern Buddhist traditions however, a bhadrakalpa has up to 1,000 Buddhas, with the Buddhas Gotama and Metteyya also being the fourth and fifth Buddhas of the kalpa respectively. The Koṇāgamana Buddha , is mentioned in a 3rd-century BCE inscription by Ashoka at Nigali Sagar , in today's Nepal . There

6490-594: The relics of the historical Buddha's body were believed to have been located. The concept of two Buddha bodies - physical and Dharma body, appears in non-Mahayana Buddhist sources, like the Early Buddhist texts , and the works of the Sarvastivada school. In this non-Mahayana context, Dharmakāya referred to the "body of the teachings", the teachings of the Buddha in the Tripitaka and their final intent,

6608-626: The suffering which unawakened people experience in life. Most schools of Buddhism have also held that the Buddha was omniscient . However, the early texts contain explicit repudiations of making this claim of the Buddha. Mahāyāna buddhology expands the powers of a Buddha exponentially, seeing them as having unlimited lifespan and all-pervasive omniscient wisdom, as omnipotent, and as able to produce an infinite number of magical manifestations (nirmanakayas) as well as being able to produce pure lands (heaven-like realms for bodhisattvas). The Early Buddhist texts (and other later sources as well) contain

6726-483: The uṣṇīṣa (a fleshly dome on top of his head) and ūrṇākośa (circle of hair between his eyebrows). Some Yogācāra sources, like Xuanzang’s Chengweishilun and Bandhuprabha's commentary to the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra , describe the enjoyment body as having two aspects: a private aspect which is experienced by Buddhas themselves "for their own enjoyment" (自受用身) and an aspect manifested for the sake of others' benefit (他受用身). Xuanzang explains these as follows: In other words,

6844-585: The "fivefold dharmakaya" is also found in other sources, like in the Ekottaragama , which also mentions a dharmakaya composed of discipline, samadhi, wisdom, liberation and "the vision of knowledge and liberation" (vimukti-jñana-darshana). Early Mahayana sutras like the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā (c. 1st century BCE) and the Lotus sutra , also mostly follow this basic model of two bodies:

6962-642: The Buddha as having ten characteristics (Ch./Jp. 十號). These characteristics are frequently mentioned in the Pāli Canon as well as in other early Buddhist sources as well as in Mahayana texts , and are chanted daily in many Buddhist monasteries. The ten epithets are: The tenth epithet is sometimes listed as "The World Honored Enlightened One" (Skt. Buddha-Lokanatha ) or "The Blessed Enlightened One" (Skt. Buddha-Bhagavan ). According to various Buddhist texts, upon reaching Buddhahood each Buddha performs various acts ( buddhacarita ) during his life to complete his duty as

7080-468: The Buddha in negative terms. Buddha is thus beyond all dualities, "neither nonbeing nor being, neither annihilation nor permanence, not noneternal, not eternal." He is without color, size, location, and so on. Because of this negative buddhology that is often used to describe the Dharmakaya, it is often depicted with impersonal symbols, like the letter A , some other mantric seed syllable , the disk of

7198-404: The Buddha is seen as a very special and unique class of persons called a "great person" (mahāpurisa). Andrew Skilton writes that the Buddha was never historically regarded by Buddhist traditions as being merely human. Instead, he is seen as having many supranormal powers ( siddhi ), such as the superknowledges ( abhijna ), the capacity for a very long lifespan, as well as the thirty-two marks of

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7316-409: The Buddha is the intrinsic or fundamental dimension of the cosmos". According to Yogācāra, on this ultimate level, there is no distinction between different Buddhas, there is only the same non-dual reality beyond all concepts including singularity and multiplicity. This also means that a Buddha's knowledge is all pervasive. Since Buddha's knowledge knows the true nature of all things and is conjoined with

7434-554: The Buddha knew the dharmas of innumerable other Buddhas of the ten directions. Mahāyāna Buddhism generally follows the Mahāsāṃghika ideal of the Buddha being a transcendent and all-knowing (sarvajña) being with unlimited spiritual powers. Guang Xing describes the Buddha in Mahāyāna as an omnipotent and almighty divinity "endowed with numerous supernatural attributes and qualities". Mahāyāna cosmology also includes innumerable Buddhas who reside in innumerable buddha fields ( buddha kshetra ). The Mahāyāna Lotus Sutra , for example, says

7552-525: The Buddha still exists and is constantly helping living beings. Because of this transcendental view, Mahāyāna Buddhologies have sometimes been compared to various types of theism (including pantheism ) by different scholars. There is disagreement among scholars regarding this issue, as well on the general relationship between Buddhism and theism . Since Buddhas remain accessible, a Mahāyānist can direct prayers to them, as well as experience visions and revelations from them. This has been very influential in

7670-478: The Buddha's lifespan is as long as an eon ( kalpa ) but that he voluntarily allowed his life to end. Another early source for the Mahāsāṃghika view that a Buddha was a transcendent being is the idea of the thirty-two major marks of a Buddha's body. Furthermore, the Simpsapa sutta states that the Buddha had way more knowledge than what he taught to his disciples. The Mahāsāṃghikas took this further and argued that

7788-539: The Buddha's teachings. For the Sarvastivada school and its associated northern Abhidharma traditions, this "body of dharmas" (Buddha's teachings and buddha-qualities) was the highest and true refuge , which does not pass away like the Buddha's physical body. Thus, the Abhidharmakośa says: One who goes to the Buddha for refuge goes for refuge to the fully accomplished qualities (asaiksa dharmah) that make him

7906-501: The Buddhas a supreme person with many superpowers, but which has a physical body that has many limitations of a human form was also shared by other early Buddhist schools like the Sarvastivada school, and the Dharmaguptaka . In the Pāli Canon, the Buddha is asked whether he was a deva or a human, and he replies that he had eliminated the deep-rooted unconscious traits that would make him either one, and should instead be called

8024-517: The Dharma body in positive terms as well, using various terms for it including: "the pure field of experience and pure wisdom", "the nature of the tathāgatas, "the essence of the tathāgatas". The Sutra also describes it using the perfections used to describe Buddha nature in other sources: eternal ( nitya ), self ( ātman ), bliss ( sukha ), and purity ( śuddha) . In the Xuanzang's Chengweishilun ( Treatise Demonstrating Consciousness-only ) ,

8142-609: The Dharma." The concept of many bodhisattvas simultaneously working toward Buddhahood is also found among the Mahāsāṃghika tradition, and further evidence of this is given in the Samayabhedoparacanacakra , which describes the doctrines of the Mahāsāṃghikas. Guang Xing writes that the Acchariyābbhūtasutta of the Majjhimanikāya along with its Chinese Madhyamāgama parallel is the most ancient source for

8260-476: The Dharmakaya (also called here the vimuktikaya, body of liberation) is described as what is adorned with the great Buddha qualities (mahāguṇa), which are conditioned and unconditioned, immeasurable, and infinite. It also describes the dharmakaya-svabhāvikakāya as the real nature of the Buddhas and all dharmas, "the real pure dharmadhatu", the "immutable support" of the two other bodies, which is peaceful, beyond all prapañca , neither matter (rupa) nor mind (citta). It

8378-505: The Dharmakāya as the support or basis of all dharmas, and as being a self-contained nature ( svabhāva ) which lacks anything contingent or adventitious. It is thus "the intrinsic nature of the Buddhas, the ultimate, the purified Thusness or Suchness " and "the true nature of things taken as a body", a non-dual, pure and immaculate wisdom. A related term used to describe Buddhahood in Yogācāra is

8496-474: The Mahāsāṃghika view. The sutra mentions various miracles performed by the Buddha before his birth and after. The Chinese version even calls him Bhagavan , which suggests the idea that the Buddha was already awakened before descending down to earth to be born. Similarly, the idea that the lifespan of a Buddha is limitless is also based on ancient ideas, such as the Mahāparinirvānasūtra's statement that

8614-746: The Sui dynasty in China, the monk Zhiyi of the Tiantai tradition initiated a ritual ceremony known as "Gōngfó Zhāitiān" (供佛齋天) or just "Zhāitiān" (齋天), meaning "Puja of Offering to the Buddhas and the Devas", according to the rites prescribed in the Golden Light Sutra. During the ceremony, offerings are made to the Buddhas as well as the twenty-four devas as a sign of respect. This ceremony has been carried down through tradition into modern times and

8732-480: The Tathagatas (=dharmakaya), which is the purified dharma realm (dharmadhātuviśuddha), is undivided. However, because it functions as distinguished into three embodiments, it is said to have functional divisions." In Yogācāra literature, the whole unified reality which includes all three embodiments is termed "the purified Dharma-real" (Dharmadhātuviśuddhi), which is the totality of all phenomena as seen by Buddha knowledge. Furthermore, according to Yogācāra sources like

8850-434: The benefit of others." This ultimate awakened reality is understood and interpreted in numerous different ways by the different Mahayana schools. The Buddha-nature doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism also consider Buddhahood to be a universal and innate property which is immanent in all beings. Most Buddhists do not consider Gautama Buddha to have been the only Buddha. The Pāli Canon refers to many previous ones (see list of

8968-476: The body of Dharma and the form body ( rūpa -kaya). According to the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā , only fools think of the Buddha as being his physical body, since their real body is the dharmakaya. Thus, while the Buddha's physical body died, the body of Dharma never dies, it is imperishable. This referred to both his teachings as well as the ultimate natural law of reality, dependent arising , which

9086-411: The circles of assembly." The term is usually associated with more supramundane, cosmic or otherworldly Buddhas. For example, Sthiramati names Vairocana , Amitabha and Samantabhadra as Saṃbhogakāya Buddhas. While this aspect of Buddhahood does appear to have a kind of form, it is a form that transcends the three worlds and all material existence. As such, only advanced bodhisattvas and beings in

9204-407: The contrary, he was a human being like the rest of us who quite simply woke up to full aliveness. The various Buddhist schools hold some varying interpretations on the nature of Buddha. All Buddhist traditions hold that a Buddha is fully awakened and has completely purified his mind of the three poisons of craving , aversion and ignorance . A Buddha is no longer bound by saṃsāra , and has ended

9322-594: The cosmos. Mahayana sutras contain even more extensive miracles. In the Vimalakirti Sutra , the Buddha display the true pure nature of his " buddha field " to everyone on earth, who suddenly beholds the world as a perfect world filled with jewels and other majestic features. Likewise, in the Lotus Sutra , the Buddha shakes the earth and shines a beam of light which illuminates thousands of "buddha-fields". Some Buddhists meditate on (or contemplate)

9440-615: The current kalpa (Pali: kappa, meaning eon or "age") called the good eon ( bhaddakappa ) and three are from past eons. One sutta called Chakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta from an early Buddhist text called the Digha Nikaya also mentions that following the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, a Buddha named Maitreya is predicted to arise in the world. However, according to a text in the Theravada Buddhist tradition from

9558-587: The defilements), anutpadajñana ("knowledge of the non-arising" of defilements), samyagdrsti (right view), and the five undefiled aggregates: sila (virtue), samadhi (concentration), prajña (discernment), vimukti (liberation), and vimuktijñanadarsana (the vision of the knowledge of liberation). Furthermore, in Abhidharma texts like the Abhidharmakośa and the Mahāvibhāṣa Śāstra , dharmakaya also includes

9676-509: The divine magical bodies of the Buddhas which manifest for the benefit of noble bodhisattvas. It can be rendered as "co-enjoyment body", and "communal bliss body" (when reading the prefix saṃ- to refer to ‘together with’ or ‘mutual’) or as "complete reward body", "total enjoyment body" (reading saṃ- as "complete", "thoroughness"). The Saṃbhogakāya is described by the Mahāyāna-sūtrālamkāra as that which "brings enjoyment of dharma to

9794-419: The eighteen special qualities of a Buddha (āveṇikadharmaḥ), which are: the ten powers, four forms of fearlessness, great compassion, and the three mindful equanimities. The Abhidharmakośa lists even more qualities, such as: the four pratisamvid (analytical knowledges), the six abhijñas (supernatural knowledges), the four dhyanas (meditative absorptions), the four arupyasamapattis (formless meditative states),

9912-411: The emanation body as the method used by Buddhas through their knowledge of accomplishing actions (kṛṭya-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna) to create "innmumerable and varied" transformations "which inhabit pure or impure lands". This is for the benefit of bodhisattvas who have not yet attained the bodhisattva stages , for followers of the two vehicles , and for ordinary people. These bodies are varied and take into account

10030-440: The enjoyment bodies themselves, as well as with all the numerous emanations which are manifested by the saṃbhogakāya as a skillful means to guide different types of beings. It is considered a skillful manifestation that arises as a result of fulfilling vows and commitments on the long bodhisattva spiritual journey. The Nirmāṇakāya (Ch: 化身, 應身; Tib. sprul sku; the body of transformation, emanation, manifestation or appearance)

10148-428: The enjoyment body, and sentient beings are able see the manifestations. The Golden Light sutra also associates different kinds of wisdom to each body and with the different elements of the eight consciousnesses . The Dharma body is the mirror-like wisdom (ādarśajñāna), the pure state of the "basis-of-all" (alaya); the enjoyment body is discriminating wisdom (pratyavekṣaṇā­jñāna), the pure state of mental cognition; while

10266-535: The essential real Buddha is equated with the Dharmakāya . As in Mahāyāna traditions, the Mahāsāṃghikas held the doctrine of the existence of many contemporaneous buddhas throughout the ten directions. In the Mahāsāṃghika Lokānuvartana Sūtra , it is stated, "The Buddha knows all the dharmas of the countless buddhas of the ten directions." It is also stated, "All buddhas have one body, the body of

10384-460: The fact that he has no nature, just like the sky. His saṃbhogakāya consists in the fact that he comes forth, just like a cloud. His nirmāṇakāya consists in the activity of all the buddhas, the fact that it soaks everything, just like rain. Furthermore, this sutra explains that the three bodies can be understood as relative to those who see them: That which is seen from the perspective of the Tathāgata

10502-499: The four apramanas (measureless thoughts), the eight vimoksas (liberations), the eight abhibhvayatanas (bases of overcoming), the thirty-seven bodhipaksas (factors that foster enlightenment) and more. All these various qualities would later be adopted into the Mahayana understanding of a Buddha's qualities and they regularly appear in various listings found in Mahayana sutras like the Prajñāpāramitā sutras . The concept of two bodies

10620-677: The historical Buddha or other Buddhas who appear human are understood docetically as magical "transformation bodies" ( nirmanakaya ). Meanwhile, the real or ultimate Buddha is the Dharmakaya , the body of ultimate reality. Thus, the Ratnagotravibhāga ( Analysis of the Jeweled Lineage ), a key Mahāyāna treatise, defines the Buddha as "the uncompounded (asamskrta), and spontaneous (anabhoga) Dharmakaya" and as "self-enlightened and self-arisen wisdom (jñana), compassion and power for

10738-409: The history of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Furthermore, a Mahāyāna devotee can also aspire to be reborn in a Buddha's Pure Land or Buddha field ( buddhakṣetra ), where they can strive towards Buddhahood in the best possible conditions. This practice is the central element of East Asian Pure Land Buddhism . Some modern Buddhists have argued that the Buddha was just a human being, albeit a very wise one. This

10856-503: The lifespan of the Buddha is immeasurable. It also says that the Buddha actually achieved Buddhahood countless eons ( kalpas ) ago and has already been teaching the Dharma through his numerous manifestations ( nirmana ) for eons. In spite of this transcendent nature, Mahāyāna also affirms the immanent nature of Buddhahood in all beings (through the doctrine of Buddha-nature , which is seen as something that all beings have). This view of an immanent Buddha essence in all normal human beings

10974-683: The moon or sun, space (Sanskrit: ākāśa ), or the sky (gagana). However, iconic representations of the Dharmakaya are also common, as with the depiction of the Buddha Mahavairocana in East Asian esoteric Buddhism and the Buddha Vajradhara or Samatabhadra in Tibetan Buddhism. In Indian Yogācāra school sources, the Dharmakāya is sometimes described in more positive ways. According to Williams, Yogācāra sees

11092-402: The named Buddhas ), while the Mahayana tradition additionally has many Buddhas of celestial origin (see Amitābha or Vairocana as examples. For lists of many thousands of Buddha names see Taishō Tripiṭaka numbers 439–448). The Theravada Buddhist tradition generally sees the Buddha as a supreme person who is neither a God in the theistic sense, nor a deva , nor a regular human . Thus,

11210-467: The natural luminosity of the mind (cittam prakṛtiśprabhāsvaram ) According to the commentary to the Dharma-dharmatā-vibhāga: "although there has been a "fundamental transformation" ( āśraya-parāvṛtti ) [at full enlightenment], nothing has undergone an actual change" This innate nature is then compared to the sky, which is always pure, but can be covered by clouds which are only adventitious. It

11328-429: The needs of all the different types of beings. He further states that Nirmāṇakāyas "are not real minds ( cittas ) and mental factors ( caittas )", they only appear as having minds. To the question of what happens when someone is devoted to and relies on several Buddhas at the same time, Xuanzang responds that "at the same time and in the same place, each of these buddhas develops as a body of emanation (nirmāṇakāya) and as

11446-639: The nirmāṇakāya is "all-accomplishing wisdom" (kṛtyānuśṭhānajñāna), which is the pure state of the five sense consciousnesses. The Dharmakāya ( Ch : 法身; Tib . chos sku; "Dharma body," "Reality body", "Truth body"; sometimes also called svabhāvikakāya - the intrinsic body) is often described through Buddhist philosophical concepts that describe the Buddhist view of ultimate reality like emptiness , Buddha nature , Dharmata, Suchness ( Tathātā ), Dharmadhatu , Prajñaparamita , Paramartha , non-duality (advaya), and original purity (ādiviśuddhi). The Dharmakāya

11564-495: The other human Buddhas who achieved enlightenment before Gautama; members of the Five Buddha Families such as Amitabha ; and the bodhisattva Maitreya , known as the "Buddha of the future who will attain awakening at a future time." In Theravada Buddhism , a Buddha is commonly understood as a being with the deepest spiritual wisdom about the nature of reality who has transcended rebirth and all suffering . He

11682-530: The private aspect of co-enjoyment is associated with the blissful reward of Buddhahood experienced by Buddhas themselves, also called “the Buddha’s own enjoyment of the dharma-delight”. This embodies the idea of reaping the benefits or rewards of spiritual practice and dwelling in sublime states of realization. The public aspect of "enjoyment for others" is associated with sharing the Dharma with other beings, with divine pure lands (buddha-fields) which are extensions of

11800-415: The pure lands receive teachings directly from the Saṃbhogakāya in standard Mahayana doctrine. As the Golden Light Sutra says, the Saṃbhogakāya "is a body that is seen on the bhūmis." That is to say, one must have entered the bodhisattva stages or the pure lands to see it. Thus, the enjoyment body has a middle position between the more human manifestation body and the totally formless Dharmakaya. This body

11918-471: The purified dharma realm (dharmadhātuviśuddha) of the Tathagatas, there appear the arising and ceasing of awareness, manifestation, and performance of all the activities for sentient beings. Yet the purified dharma realm has neither arising nor ceasing. The longer edition of the Golden Light Sutra , which contains a whole chapter on the triple body theory, states that while the manifestation body

12036-756: The short, condensed Sanskrit version of the Sutra of Golden Light into English. In Tibetan, there are three versions of the Sutra: the 21, 29, and 31 chapter versions. The 29 Chapter Version was probably the most popular in Tibet and Tibetan Buddhist regions. In 2007, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition , Lama Zopa Rinpoche 's Buddhist organization, produced a translation of

12154-714: The state of Baekje of Korea and were threatening Japan. In 741 Emperor Shōmu of Japan founded provincial monasteries for monks (国分寺) and nuns (国分尼寺) in each province. The official name of the monasteries was the Temple for Protection of the State by the Four Heavenly Kings Golden Light Sutra ( traditional Chinese : 金光明經四天王護国之寺 ). The 20 monks who lived there recited the Sovereign Kings Golden Light Sutra on

12272-421: The sun and moon appear, through a combination of factors the enjoyment bodies and the emanation bodies manifest their appearances to beings who are worthy." The Dharma body is also the true nature of all things (dharmas) and the true nature of all beings, equivalent to the Mahayana concept of emptiness (śūnyatā), the lack of inherent essence in all things. It is permanent, unceasing and unchanging. According to

12390-410: The supramundane nature of buddhas and bodhisattvas. According to Vasumitra, these four groups held that the Buddha is able to know all dharmas in a single moment of the mind. Yao Zhihua writes: In their view, the Buddha is equipped with the following supernatural qualities: transcendence ( lokottara ), lack of defilements, all of his utterances preaching his teaching , expounding all his teachings in

12508-604: The sutra. Taken at face value, one might take the main theme of the sutra literally, which is the importance for leaders to be good examples for the kingdom. In Chapter Twelve, the sutra speaks in verse form about the disasters that befall a kingdom when its ruler does not uphold justice, and the benefits of kings who lead an exemplary life. In the Chapter on the Guardian Kings, the Four Guardian Kings have

12626-501: The tathāgatas is unlimited, and the life of the buddhas is unlimited." According to Guang Xing, two main aspects of the Buddha can be seen in Mahāsāṃghika teachings: the true Buddha who is omniscient and immeasurably powerful, and the manifested forms through which he liberates sentient beings through skillful means. For the Mahāsaṃghikas, the historical Gautama Buddha was one of these transformation bodies (Skt. nirmāṇakāya ), while

12744-416: The teachings and compassion of a Buddha accessible to beings of impure realms who seek guidance from an awakened being. However, even this more human-like Buddha is not just a normal human body. A Nirmāṇakāya only appears human, in reality it is just a phantom like magic body, a mere docetic appearance, which can perform many magic powers and which only appears to die. Xuanzang's Chengweishilun defines

12862-620: The text. The sutra is influential in East Asia. The name of the sutra derives from the chapter called "The Confession of the Golden Drum", where the bodhisattva Ruchiraketu dreams of a great drum that radiates a sublime golden light, symbolizing the dharma or teachings of Śākyamuni Buddha . The Golden Light Sutra became one of the most important sutras in China and Japan because of its fundamental message, which teaches that

12980-462: The thusness of dharmas (dharmam tathātā) which has no enumeration or division. Thus, the meaning of dharmakaya here becomes "the embodiment of Dharmata". The sutra also compares those who think the Buddha is his physical body to those who mistake a mirage for water, thinking there is water where there is none. Buddhahood In Buddhism , Buddha ( / ˈ b uː d ə , ˈ b ʊ d ə / , which in classic Indic languages means "awakened one")

13098-590: The true nature of all things, it pervades the entire world, and thus its functions are operative throughout the entire cosmos according to beings' needs. The Buddhabhūmi-sūtra compares the omnipresence of the Buddha's knowledge to how space pervades all things. Furthermore, Yogācāra sources indicate that the dharma body is beyond the understanding of any being that is not a Buddha, describing it as inconceivable (acintya), subtle (suksma), difficult to know, "inaccessible to speculative investigation", and "beyond ascertainment by reason." The Golden Light Sutra also describes

13216-456: The two other bodies" according to Gadjin Nagao. For example, the Golden Light sutra states that: The first two bodies are merely designations, while the Dharma body is true and the basis for those two other bodies . Why is that? It is because there is only the true nature of phenomena and nonconceptual wisdom, and there are no other qualities that are separate from all buddhas. All buddhas have

13334-508: The ultimate nature of the dharmas . It could also refer to the set of all dharmas (phenomena, attributes, characteristics) that was possessed by a Buddha, i.e. "those factors (dharmas) the possession of which serves to distinguish a Buddha from one who is not a Buddha." In the earliest Buddhist sources (the Pali suttas , the Agamas ), the term dharmakaya appears rarely and it refers to the body of

13452-406: The way a Buddha is understood in non-Mahayana Buddhism. Some of the key attributes of Buddhahood in Mahayana buddhology include: In the earliest strata of Pali Buddhist texts , especially in the first four Nikayas , only the following seven Buddhas, The Seven Buddhas of Antiquity ( Saptatathāgata ), are explicitly mentioned and named (see for example SN 12.4 to SN 12.10). Four of these are from

13570-532: Was also adopted by the Southern Theravada school. This can be seen in the works of Buddhaghosa , who writes: That Bhagavat, who is possessed of a beautiful rupakaya, adorned with thirty major and eighty minor marks of a great man, and possessed of a dhammakaya purified in every way and glorified by sila , samadhi , pañña , vimutti and vimutti-ñana-dassana, is full of splendour and virtue, incomparable and fully awakened. This set of five qualities,

13688-488: Was developed in early Yogācāra school sources, like the Mahāyāna-sūtrālamkāra. The doctrine's interpretations vary across different Buddhist traditions, some theories contain extra "bodies", making it a "four body" theory and so on. However, the basic Trikāya theory remains a cornerstone of Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings, providing a comprehensive perspective on the nature of Buddhahood, Buddhist deities and

13806-524: Was equivalent to emptiness in Mahayana. The Aṣṭasāhasrikā also says that prajñāpāramitā is "the real relic/body of the Tathagatas (Tathāgatanam Śarīram )" and that it is both ultimate reality and the main basis for attaining ultimate reality: As the Bhagavan has said: "The Buddhas, the Bhagavans, are those who have dharma as body (Dharmakāya). But, monks, you should not think that this [physical] body

13924-464: Was understood to have multiple meanings simultaneously. The three main ways it was understood by Indian exegetes were: Mahayana sources emphasize that the three bodies are ultimately not separate from other, that is to say, they are non-dual . However, these different embodiments of the same reality can be described in different ways due to their relative functions or activities (vrttis). Thus, Śīlabhadra's Buddhabhūmi - vyākhyāna states ''the body of

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