Ultimate reality - Trikaya Flashcards
what is the trikaya
- historical, cosmic, symbolic
- nirmanakaya, sambhogakaya (M), dharmakaya
- ultimate level of reality conventional levels
- shakyamuni Buddha
the trikaya scholars
- he who sees the dhamma sees me PC
- ‘on the level of ultimate truth, only the dharmakaya is real’ Cush
- ‘the trikaya is a more refined understanding of the nature of enlightenment than the Buddha as an historical figure’ clive erricker
- edward conze: ‘the buddha’s humanity always more or less unimportant, has become a mere figment or phantom’ –> trikaya doctrine
describe the nirmanakaya
ROLEMODEL/HISTORICAL
- teaches truth
earthly form of siddartha gautama
- acted out life story as a drama
- historical buddha: conventional level of reality
- experienced him as a historical figure
EVIDENCE
- elevated status with 32 marks of a great man
- mythological figure, hairographical
- upaya
- part of M and T tradition but most important for T
describe the sambhogakaya
SYMBOL - represents truth
- M only
- ‘ he who sees the dharma sees me’ –> changed ontology
- BUDDHA BECOMES TEACHINGS
- glorious + heavenly buddha lands –> can participate in his being
- Mahayana sutras preached sutras preached by shakymuni buddha in glorious form
- buddha: focus of devotion, depicted in art –> worshipped and visualised
- experience of enlightened –> pure awareness (also experienced through bodhisattvas) , compassion and wisdom
describe the dharmakaya
COSMIC - truth is formless (interbeing)
- unites M and T tradition (tathagatagarbha)
- N and S help understand and access truth as humans
- underlying truth of universe –> buddha consciousness
- enlightened purified cosmic consciousness and realises reality is ineffable
- cush: ‘only the dharmakaya is real’ –> ULTIMATE REALITY, pure consciousness, TRUTH
what is the difference between the three prongs of the trikaya
- historical teaches the truth
- symbolic represents the truth
- dharmakaya shows that the truth is formless –> other two are forms for you to understand and access the truth as humans (UR is pure conciousness)
tathagatagharba
- tathagata is a title for the buddha –> one who has thus gone and will not return
- tathagartagharba –> M doctrine that Buddhist nature is within all beings, so all beings may reach enlightenment
- often described as a seed, embryo or potentiality within each individual to be developed (we are all buddha)
however
- sunyata: no separation between us and buddha
the buddha as understood by early and T buddhists
- have both symbolic and historical B
- historical Buddha is more important in the tradition
the buddha as understood by M buddhists
- all buddhists should aim to be buddhas
- represents the potential of all beings to gain enlightenment, providing the model for historical buddha
- Shakyamuni buddha is not the only buddha –> 5 symbolic buddhas of the 5 buddha mandala
- buddhavacana to a mahayanist –> whatever is helpful in leading beings towards enlightenment, and the M sutras is based upon this (UPAYA)
ideas of Buddha having 2 bodies
- buddha had a form and personality limited in time and space but also he is just the ultimate truth of the potentiality for E, existing beyond time and space and having no form (anatta)
- dharmakaya is that which is ultimately real
idea of buddha having 3 bodies
- nirmanakaya, dharmakaya, sambhogakaya
- truth in historical form, truth in symbolic form, truth is formless
why can the buddha have 3 bodies
LOTUS SUTRA
- M: everyone can be enlightened
- buddha says he never died –> ‘the lifespan i achieved…has still not expired’
- he pretended to be born and to die as part of UPAYA –> ‘I do not actually depart from this world, I teach that I do’
- he was always enlightened –> concealed his form as we would be attatched to him and view him as a god
the Trikaya ‘more refined understanding of the nature of enlightenment’ –> clive erriker
is the historical buddha relevant when the trikaya is introduced
- No: he has become more than a human, miracles at his birth, deer park sermon, 32 marks of E, mythical
- truth has no form, B is not important for the truth to be known
- parable of the raft, lotus sutra: can let go of his teaching if no longer needed when progressing through understanding
- yes: if he is not human, we cannot walk his path and E becomes inaccessible to us (Jesus)
- laity need HB to access Buddhism when they are beginners
