DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF BUDDHA’S BODY: FROM EARLY BUDDHIST TO MAH Ᾱ Y Ᾱ NA BUDDHISM

According to the early Buddhist concept (Theravāda Tradition), the field of Buddha is unthinkable. (Acinteyyasutta, AN). This makes a limit within Theravādian in searching the Buddha’s field, but other tradition went beyond from this concept and searched for the Buddha’s field, it resulted with the presenting of the concept of body, especial the Three Bodies of the Buddha

Early Buddhism: In the Aggaññasutta of the Dīghanikāya mentions several synonyms for the Buddha Dhammakāya: The body of the Truth Brahmakāya: The divine body Karajakāya: The body (which is born of impurity) In the Vakkalīsutta of the Samyuttanikāya, the Buddha adviced to Vakkalī to see the Dhamma not see the physical body. "Enough, Vakkali! What is there to see in this vile body? He who sees Dhamma, Vakkali, sees me; he who sees me sees Dhamma. Truly seeing Dhamma, one sees me; seeing me one sees Dhamma

Buddhāpadāna in Apadānapāli of the Khuddakanikāya seems relevant to the origin of the concept of Nirmānakāya. Here we can see the imagination of many Buddhas Also in the Mahāparinibbānasutta of the Dīghanikāya, the Buddha mentioned to Ven. Ᾱnanda that he could appear in other realms, whatever the appearances of the beings in such particular realms, he could have the same appearances. He preaches the doctrine to those beings and then disappears there but no being recognizes whether he is a god or human being (Antarahita ṃ ca ma ṃ na jānanti, ko nu kho aya ṃ antarahito devo vā manusso vā ti?)

The concept of body or Kāya in Mahayana Buddhism. Vaibhāsika school, AD (Sarvastivāda) says, no use of taking the refuge of physical body of the Buddha as it is a subject of impurity. So they have instructed people to take the refuge of Dharmakāya. The text, Aş ṭ sāhasrikā mentions that ‘those who represent the Buddha through his physical attributes are described as foolish; for tathāgata cannot be seen from his form-body. The Dharma- bodies are the Tathāgata’

NIRM Ᾱ NAK Ᾱ YA : the body of transformation (the universal manifested in the world) SAMBHOGAK Ᾱ YA : the body of compensation (the symbol of the Buddha ideal) DHARMAK Ᾱ YA: the body of the law (practically synonymous with bhūtathatā

TRIMŪRTI

TRINITY

SᾹKYAMUNI BUDDHA & other human BUDDHAS (Body of incarnation) What common people are experience, the Buddha is in this body experience all those experiences, getting sick, getting old, and death…. They have power over the whole universe…. His death is only illusion, and a trick, and in reality he is ever alive helping on the progress of the world (This concept highly promoted in Lokottaravadian School, a school of Mahasanghikas) NIRM Ᾱ NAK Ᾱ YA

S Ᾱ KYAMUNI BUDDHA : NIRM Ᾱ NAK Ᾱ YA

SAMBHOGAKᾹYA The Buddha of most of the Mahāyān Sutrās is this Sambhogakāya. In the Saddharmapu ṇḍ rīkasūtra mentions that the Buddha as being the loving father who recues his children (all sentient beings) from the burning house of the three worlds. For this reason innumerable Bodhisttvās appear to testify to the fact that all through eternity the Buddhas have at various times appeared to reach all mankind the law.

‘Every drop of water in the vast ocean can be counted, but the age of Sākyamuni none can measure’ crush Sumeru Mountain into particles as fine as mustard seed and we can count them, but the age of Sākyamuni none can measure, The Buddha never entered into Parinirvā ṇ a, the Good Law will never parish. He shewed an earthly death merely for the benefits of sentient beings’ (Saddharmapu ṇḍ arīkasūtra) Body of self enjoyment Body for the enjoyment of others

AMIT Ᾱ YUS BUDDHA: SAMBHOGAK Ᾱ YA

While then the Nirmā ṇ akāya is the human Buddha, and the Sambhogakāya the glorified Buddha ideal, the Dharmakāya is the essence of Buddhahood, the norm of existence, and is therefore synonymous with the Bhūtathatā of which is but a devotional symbol. Then the Blessed One said to Ven. Ananda, "Now, if it occurs to any of you — 'The teaching has lost its authority; we are without a Teacher' — do not view it in that way. Whatever Dhamma & Vinaya I have pointed out & formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone." Mahāparinibbānasutta: DHARMAK Ᾱ YA:

AMIT Ᾱ BHA BUDDHA: DAHRMAK Ᾱ YA