The Three Bodies of Enlightenment in Buddhism.
“Dharmakaya is like the sun, sambhogakaya is like the rays, and nirmanakaya is like the rays hitting the objects on the earth. Nirmanakaya is the physical situation, and sambhogakaya and dharmakaya are the level of mind.”
The three bodies of enlightenment are three types of atmosphere involved with ordinary, everyday life, as well as with enlightened mind. To start from the beginning, the first body, dharmakaya, is background or origin. It is why we are here—not necessarily why we are here in this particular place or why we are studying Buddhism, but why we are here at all. Why are we here on this earth? Why is there earth at all? Why is there sun and why is there moon? Why all of this? The first body seems to be our basis, or starting point: we start from outer space, to begin with; then we slowly get into inner space and the earth.
Dharmakāya
The dharmakāya is one of the three bodies of a buddha in Mahāyāna Buddhism. The dharmakāya constitutes the unmanifested, "inconceivable" aspect of a buddha out of which buddhas arise and to which they return after their dissolution. "Truth body" or "true being" — One of the three bodies of a buddha. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, it often refers to a kind of fundamental principle or the true nature of reality itself.
Saṃbhogakāya
Sambhogakaya is a term in Buddhism that translates as “body of divine enjoyment ” and is typically described as the “reward body” or “bliss body.” The word comes from the Sanskrit, sambhoga, meaning “complete enjoyment” or “pleasure”; and kaya, which means “body” or “habitation.”
Depending on the Buddhist tradition, sambhogakaya can have different meanings. When described as a level of buddhahood, as in Mahayana Buddhism, sambhogakaya falls between nirmanakaya (the fully human buddha) and dharmakaya (when the buddha is in union with all creation). A sambhogakaya buddha is enlightened, but still a distinct celestial being — neither a god or human.
Sambhogakaya is referred to as the "reward body" because this pleasurable state of bliss is thought to be a reward for living a righteous life and doing good deeds.
Nirmāṇakāya
The emanation body (nirmanakaya) is the form of the Buddha that appears in the world to teach people the path to liberation. The enjoyment (or bliss) body (sambhogakaya) is the celestial body of the Buddha to which contemplation can ascend. In Vajrayāna it is described as "the dimension of ceaseless manifestation."
In Tibetan Buddhism, it is considered the physical manifestation of enlightenment and presented in three ways: A buddha who is born into the physical world, like Gautama Siddhartha, or, simply, the Buddha. A tulku, or a reincarnation of a deceased master, like the Dalai Lama.
The three bodies in Hinduism
According to The Doctrine of three bodies (shariras) in Vedanta, every human being has three vital bodies (namely the Physical(Gross) body, Astral(Subtle) body, and Causal body. This doctrine of the trinity is an essential concept of Ancient Hindu philosophy that one needs to master to deeply understand the teachings of yoga.
The Three Bodies
Karana sharira – Causal Body. The causal body is one of the most subtle bodies and is a combination of the physical and astral bodies. It records our past thoughts, habits and actions in all their state of existence and carries the spirit of the person from one life to another upon reincarnation. Thus it is the foundation of the physical and astral body and connects you to your true self.
Sukshma (Linga) sharira – Subtle Body (Astral). The astral body is not a physical or material thing but it is made up of subtle elements that the eyes cannot see. The astral body is composed of prana, i.e the vital force of life that keeps the physical body alive and directs its activities. The mind is full of emotions and thoughts that affect the movement of prana in our bodies. The astral body relates to the senses and the way we feel or act. This body consists of five perceptive organs, five organs of action, five vital breaths, the mind, and the intellect. It is responsible for functions like breathing, digestion, metabolism, circulation, muscular, neural, skeletal, etc.
Sthula sharira – gross body (physical). This is the one that we all are familiar with, the human body that breathes, eats and moves. Birth i.e Sambhava, old age i.e Jara and Death i.e Maranam are the three main phases that a physical body goes through in its span of life. A physical body is made up of five elements; earth (Prithvi), air (Vayu), water (apas), fire (Agni), and ether (akasha). We can increase or restore these elements through yoga postures and breathing exercises. Upon death, the physical body dies and these 5 essential elements get separated.
Comments