Tag Archive for: Bodies of a Buddha

Definition of the Week (21) – The Definition of the enlightened Activity of the Dharma Kaya

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

A white quality arisen through the activity of its causal condition of a wisdom truth body is the definition of the enlightened activity of the dharma kaya.

There are two:

  1. The enlightened activity existing on the object, such as the virtue in the continuum of the disciples.
  2. The enlightened activity existing on the creator, such as the virtue contained in the continuum of the Buddha himself.

More extensively there are the twenty-seven kinds of enlightened activities, which can be summed up in three:

  1. Placing the disciple on the basis of the path.
  2. Placing the disciple on the path.
  3. Placing the disciple on the result.

Definition of the Week (20) – The Emanation Body of a Buddha

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of the emanation body of a buddha: A final form body not endowed with the five certainties.

Divisions:

  1. The artisan emanation body; e.g., the musician emanated to subdue the Gandava king.
  2. The born emanation body; e.g., animal-like emanations.
  3. The emanation body of great enlightenment; e.g., Amithaba.
  4. The supreme emanation body; e.g., Shakyamuni Buddha.

Panchen Losang Choky Gyaltsen:

Compassionate prayers and the wishes 9d

Of those to be subdued – due to this collection of causes, 10
The truth body, enjoyment body, emanation body,
As well as the grounds, paths, qualities, activities and so forth,
Exist, but only in mere appearance.

They are not seen as existing in reality. 11

Choden Rinpoche:

“The truth body that never arises from emptiness is a transcendental wisdom in single pointed equipoise on emptiness. Due to the compassion of Shakyamuni Buddha and the prayers of the disciples it arises as a physical body in accordance with the wishes of the disciples.

Due to the presence of the three conditions of compassion, the disciples prayers and wishes it arises in the aspect of the emanation body, enjoyment body, the twenty-seven enlightened activities and so forth. Due to the wishes of the disciples to some it appears in the aspect of Yamantaka, for others again in the aspect of a bikkhu as Shakyamuni Buddha. To yet others, to which he cannot appear like this, he appears as the virtuous friend.

From Shakyamuni Buddha’s own side exists absolutely no thought of ‘I shall appear like this to this person’, or ‘it is unsuitable to appear to that person like that’. For example, when the moon shines in the sky, it appears different in different bodies of water. The moon appears in different grades of clarity according to the different purities of the water. But the moon from his side has no thought of ‘Here I shall appear clearer and here not’, but relative to the clarity of the water the moon appears in some bodies of water clearer as in others. Similarly, also Shakyamuni Buddha appears different to different disciples according to their minds and dispositions.

The qualities of the grounds and paths, i.e. the ten grounds and five paths contained in the disciples’ continuums, and the enlightened activities and so forth, do not at all exist from their own side but are a mere appearance to conceptual thought, a mere imputation by name. They are not seen as existing in meaning. Any virtue that is generated in the disciples’ continuums is regarded as enlightened activity of the buddhas.

All phenomena, starting from the dharmas on the level of enlightenment down to the phenomena contained in cyclic existence, they all do not exist truly, they do not have a self, they do not exist from their own side. If one asks how they exist, they exist as mere appearances to thought, as mere imputations by name, and in no other way.”

Definition of the Week (19) – The Enjoyment Body of a Buddha

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of the enjoyment body of a buddha: A final form body endowed with the five certainties.

The five certainties:

1. Certainty of place: Resides only in Ogmin.
2. Certainty of body: Adorned with all the marks and signs.
3. Certainty of speech: Teaches only the Mahayana dharma.
4. Certainty of retinue: Surrounded only by superior bodhisattvas.
5. Certainty of time: Remains until the end of cyclic existence.

Definition of the Week (18) – Definition of Buddha lineage

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of buddha lineage: That suitable to transform into one of the bodies of a buddha.

E.g., the emptiness of the mind of clear light is suitable to transform into the nature-truth body, and the mind of clear light is suitable to transform into the wisdom-truth body.

The mental afflictions are not suitable to transform into any of the bodies of a buddha.

Definition of the Week (17) – The Wisdom-Truth Body

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of the wisdom-truth body:

An exalted knower that is final, relative to seeing both suchness and the world of multiplicity.

The clear and knowing nature of the clear light mind is the conventional buddha nature, and is suitable to transform into the dharma kaya.

Non-abiding nirvana: Analytical cessation free from the two obscurations. Synonymous with the truth of cessation in the continuum of a buddha.

“Non-abiding” because of not abiding in the extremes of existence and peace. Non abiding in the two extremes, but always abiding in meditative equipoise on emptiness, even while walking, eating or drinking.

Definition (of the Week 16) – The Nature-Truth Body

Jetsün Chokyi Gyaltsen:

Definition of the nature-truth body: A final sphere endowed with the two purities.

Divisions:
The nature-truth body being the natural purity.
The nature-truth body being the adventitious purity.

The natural purity is the absence of inherent existence of the enlightened mind, and the adventitious purity is the abandonment of the two obscurations attained through the power of the antidote.

The emptiness of a mind with obscurations becomes the nature-truth body with the attainment of enlightenment, but it already possesses the natural purity of the absence of inherent existence. (Translated this means the sky is the limit)