Five Methods of Practicing Guru Yoga - Outer (1/5)

Unless the sun of devotion shines,

Upon the snow peak of the master’s four kayas,

The stream of blessings will never fall.

So strive to arouse devotion in your mind!

What is guru yoga in Vajrayana Buddhism?

Guru yoga literally means uniting with the guru. It is the practice in which we try to merge our pure mind and consciousness with the guru's pure mind. Philosophically, our pure mind is the Buddha's mind, and so is everyone's and every living being's pure mind, including the gurus.

What is the purpose of Guru Yoga?

In Vajrayana, guru yoga is a tantric devotional practice in which the practitioner unites their mindstream with the mindstream of the body, speech, and mind of their guru.

What is the meaning of a yoga guru?

As you might know, the word guru comes from two Sanskrit words, Gu, meaning darkness, and Ru, meaning dispeller or remover. Therefore, the literal meaning of the word guru is „the one who dispels darkness“Beautiful, isn't it? In yoga, when you come to asana practice or meditation, the Yoga Guru is your teacher.

What does Guru mean in Vajrayana Buddhism?

There are four kinds of Lama (Guru), or spiritual teachers, in Tibetan Buddhism:

1) Gangzak Gyüpe Lama is a teacher who is the holder of the lineage.

2) Gyalwa Ka Yi Lama is the teacher, which is the word of the Buddha. 

What is the importance of a yoga guru?

The yoga guru will teach you about yoga philosophy. Also, yoga instructors should be familiar with the ancient Hindu language (Sanskrit) terminology used in their chosen form of practice, the purpose and benefits of the practice, and how to alter postures and techniques to suit the practitioner.

What is the difference between a yoga teacher and a yoga guru?

A guru is one or something that takes one from darkness to light in a spiritual sense. A guru does not need to do or know yoga. A yoga teacher teaches yoga.

What is the benefit of a guru?

The four benefits of having a Guru: wisdom, progress, achievement, and liberation

Guru yoga, in the Buddhist philosophy of yoga, is the practice of devotion to a guru in which an individual links their own personal Buddha-nature and mind to that of his or her guru. The result of this practice is unity with one's spiritual master and receiving the blessing and inspiration of spiritual wisdom.

In Vajrayana, guru yoga is a tantric devotional practice in which the practitioner unites their mindstream with the mindstream of the body, speech, and mind of their guru. Guru yoga is akin to deity yoga since the guru (who can be a Buddha, a historical figure like Padmasambhava, or a living person) is visualised in the same manner as with a meditational deity. 

The process of guru yoga may entail the visualisation of a refuge tree as an invocation of the lineage, with the 'root guru' channelling the blessings of the entire lineage to the practitioner. The guru may be visualized as above the meditator, in front of them, or in their heart. Guru yoga may also include a liturgy, prayer, or mantra, such as the "Seven Line Prayer" of Padmasambhava.

As in other Buddhist traditions, an attitude of reverence for the teacher, or guru, is highly prized. A guru, or lama, is seen as an essential guide during tantric practice. Without the guru's example, blessings, and guidance, genuine progress in tantra is held to be impossible for all but the most keen and gifted. One particular feature of the Tantric view of the teacher-student relationship is that in Tibetan Buddhist tantra, one is instructed to regard one's guru as an awakened Buddha. 

*Five Ways of Practicing Guru Yoga

1) Outer Guru Yoga: Requesting Blessings through Supplication

The first guru yoga is to make supplication, so we visualise the guru in the space in front of us. We fold our palms, and with our speech, we say, “I go for refuge in you. I have no other hope but you. 

I supplicate you from the very depths of my heart.” We really think like this in our minds, which gives rise to sincere faith and devotion. In this way, we make supplications, requesting the guru, “Please look on me with your compassion and bestow your blessings!” just as it is taught in Calling the Guru from Afar. That’s the outer guru yoga of supplication. 

Footnote

For those who have received the empowerment of this Tantric practise, you are reminded not to intentionally or unintentionally disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practise, and disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors.

 
Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practise! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practise, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.
 
Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods that, if practised in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practise is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power, or self-interest.  

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

What is guru yoga in Vajrayana Buddhism?

What is guru yoga in Vajrayana Buddhism?

Guru yoga literally means uniting with the guru. It is the practice in which we try to merge our pure mind and consciousness with the guru's pure mind. Philosophically, our pure mind is the Buddha's mind, and so is everyone's and every living being's pure mind, including the gurus.

What is the meaning of a yoga guru?

As you might know, the word guru comes from two Sanskrit words, Gu, meaning darkness, and Ru, meaning dispeller or remover. Therefore, the literal meaning of the word guru is „the one who dispels darkness“Beautiful, isn't it? In yoga, when you come to asana practice or meditation, the Yoga Guru is your teacher.

What does Guru mean in Vajrayana Buddhism?

There are four kinds of Lama (Guru), or spiritual teachers, in Tibetan Buddhism:

1) Gangzak Gyüpe Lama is a teacher who is the holder of the lineage.

2) Gyalwa Ka Yi Lama is the teacher, which is the word of the Buddha. 

What is the importance of a yoga guru?

The yoga guru will teach you about yoga philosophy. Also, yoga instructors should be familiar with the ancient Hindu language (Sanskrit) terminology used in their chosen form of practice, the purpose and benefits of the practice, and how to alter postures and techniques to suit the practitioner.

What is the difference between a yoga teacher and a yoga guru?

A guru is one or something that takes one from darkness to light in a spiritual sense. A guru does not need to do or know yoga. A yoga teacher teaches yoga.

Guru yoga, in the Buddhist philosophy of yoga, is the practice of devotion to a guru in which an individual links their own personal Buddha-nature and mind to that of his or her guru. The result of this practice is unity with one's spiritual master and receiving the blessing and inspiration of spiritual wisdom.

In Vajrayana, guru yoga is a tantric devotional practice in which the practitioner unites their mindstream with the mindstream of the body, speech, and mind of their guru. Guru yoga is akin to deity yoga since the guru (who can be a Buddha, a historical figure like Padmasambhava, or a living person) is visualised in the same manner as with a meditational deity. 

The process of guru yoga may entail the visualisation of a refuge tree as an invocation of the lineage, with the 'root guru' channelling the blessings of the entire lineage to the practitioner. The guru may be visualized as above the meditator, in front of them, or in their heart. Guru yoga may also include a liturgy, prayer, or mantra, such as the "Seven Line Prayer" of Padmasambhava.

As in other Buddhist traditions, an attitude of reverence for the teacher, or guru, is highly prized. A guru, or lama, is seen as an essential guide during tantric practice. Without the guru's example, blessings, and guidance, genuine progress in tantra is held to be impossible for all but the most keen and gifted. One particular feature of the Tantric view of the teacher-student relationship is that in Tibetan Buddhist tantra, one is instructed to regard one's guru as an awakened Buddha.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

The Three Trikaya in Vajrayana Buddhism - Nirmanakaya (3/3)

The Trikaya is a fundamental doctrine within Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism that delineates the multidimensional nature of a Buddha's existence. This concept posits that a Buddha has three distinct bodies or aspects, each representing a different facet of enlightenment. 

Trikaya (Sanskrit: three bodies), in Mahayana Buddhism, is the concept of the three bodies, or modes of being, of the Buddha: 

1) Dharmakaya (body of essence) 

2) Sambhogakaya (body of enjoyment) 

3) Nirmanakaya (body of transformation)

Why is Trikaya important? In essence, the Trikaya doctrine offers a profound framework for understanding the diverse dimensions of Buddhahood. It demonstrates how a Buddha can simultaneously exist in multiple realms and embody a spectrum of qualities, guiding practitioners towards liberation and awakening through various aspects of their being. 

What is the Trikaya symbol?

The Gankyil is a symbol and ritual tool in Tibetan Buddhism. In the Bon and Nyingma Dzogchen lineages, the Gankyil is the principal symbol and teaching tool; it is symbolic of primordial energy and represents the central unity and indivisibility of all the teaching, philosophical, and doctrinal trinities in Dzogchen. It is an attribute of the snow lion.

What is Nirmanakaya in Buddhism? 

Nirmanakaya is the third aspect of the Trikaya and the physical manifestation of a Buddha in time and space. In Vajrayana, it is described as "the dimension of ceaseless manifestation.

The Nirmanakaya form is the earthly, physical body of a Buddha—the flesh-and-blood being that has manifested in the world to teach the dharma and bring all beings to enlightenment. For example, the historical Buddha is said to have been a Nirmanakaya Buddha.

The Nirmanakaya body is subject to sickness, old age, and death like any other living being. It is often said, however, that Nirmanakaya Buddhas, or any enlightened individual, may take on the form of Sambhogakaya Buddhas upon their deaths. 

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.

What is the meaning of Nirmana?

Nirmana is often called a fine arts science. The presence of nirmana has a significant influence on a design. The origin of the word Nirmana itself is a combination of two words: “nir,” which means without or not, and “mana,” which means form, meaning, or meaning.

What is the manifestation of Dharmakaya? 

The Dharmakāya constitutes the unmanifested, "inconceivable" (acintya) aspect of a Buddha out of which Buddhas arise and to which they return after their dissolution. Buddhas are manifestations of the Dharmakaya called the Nirmaṇakaya, "transformation body.".

Nirmanakayas are enlightened beings who have attained liberation from the cycle of birth and death. They are free from all suffering and have a complete understanding of the true nature of reality. Nirmanakayas often take on a human form in order to teach others the path to liberation.

The word “nirmanakaya” comes from the Sanskrit words nirvana (liberation) and kaya (body). So, a nirmanakaya is literally an “enlightened body." used to describe both Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Buddhas are those who have attained full enlightenment, while bodhisattvas are those who have partially reached enlightenment but have vowed to remain in the physical world until all beings have achieved liberation.

There are many stories and legends about Nirmanakayas throughout Buddhist history. One of the most famous is the story of Milarepa, an 11th-century Tibetan saint who is said to have attained enlightenment in just one lifetime through his intense study and practice of Buddhism.

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

The Three Trikaya in Vajrayana Buddhism - Sambhogakaya (2/3)

The Trikaya is a fundamental doctrine within Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism that delineates the multidimensional nature of a Buddha's existence. This concept posits that a Buddha has three distinct bodies or aspects, each representing a different facet of enlightenment. 

Trikaya (Sanskrit: three bodies), in Mahayana Buddhism, is the concept of the three bodies, or modes of being, of the Buddha: 

1) Dharmakaya (body of essence) 

2) Sambhogakaya (body of enjoyment) 

3) Nirmanakaya (body of transformation)

Why is Trikaya important? In essence, the Trikaya doctrine offers a profound framework for understanding the diverse dimensions of Buddhahood. It demonstrates how a Buddha can simultaneously exist in multiple realms and embody a spectrum of qualities, guiding practitioners towards liberation and awakening through various aspects of their being. 

What is the Trikaya symbol?

The Gankyil is a symbol and ritual tool in Tibetan Buddhism. In the Bon and Nyingma Dzogchen lineages, the Gankyil is the principal symbol and teaching tool; it is symbolic of primordial energy and represents the central unity and indivisibility of all the teaching, philosophical, and doctrinal trinities in Dzogchen. It is an attribute of the snow lion.

What is Sambhogakaya in Buddhism? 

Sambhogakaya is defined as a 'form body' (rupakaya) of a Buddha, which appears only to Bodhisattvas and is the basis for the arising of the Nirmanakaya. It is adorned with major signs and minor marks.

Sambhogakaya is the celestial body of the Buddha to which contemplation can ascend. In the heavenly regions, or Pure Lands, the enjoyment body teaches the Bodhisattva doctrines that are unintelligible to those who are unenlightened.

Sambhogakaya is the dimension of complete enjoyment, the field of total plenitude, beyond dualistic limitations and beyond space and time.

What is the difference between Dharmakaya and Sambhogakaya?

Dharmakaya is like the sun, and 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 levels of mind.

What is the sambhogakaya of Shakyamuni?

Sambhogakaya is the body of enjoyment, or the body that experiences the fruits of Buddhist practice and the bliss of enlightenment. Some teachers compare dharmakaya to vapour or atmosphere, Sambhogakaya to clouds, and Nirmanakaya to rain. Clouds are a manifestation of the atmosphere that enables rain.

What is the nature of sambhogakaya?

Sambhogakaya : The Body of Enjoyment

The body of communication, bliss, and the play of energy, in which the enlightened mind manifests, are the five wisdoms. As the bridge between the formless and the material, Sambhogakaya is the realm of what is called “nonmaterial spiritual reality.”

The celestial manifestations of Sambhogakāya 

Sambhogakaya is a "subtle body of limitless form. Buddhas such as Bhaisajyaguru and Amitbha, as well as advanced Bodhisattvas such as Avalokiteśvara and Manjusri, can appear in an enjoyment body. A Buddha can appear in an "enjoyment body" to teach bodhisattvas through visionary experiences.

Those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest themselves in their specific pure lands. These worlds are created for the benefit of others. In those lands, it is easy to hear and practice the Dharma. A person can be reborn in such a pure land by "the transfer of some of the huge stock of'merit' of a land's presiding Buddha, stimulated by devout prayer. 

One of the places where the Sambhogakaya appears is the extra-cosmic realm, or pure land, called Akanistha. This realm should not be confused with the akanistha of the pure abodes, for it is a realm that completely transcends it.

Absolutely seen, only Dharmakāya is real; Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakāya are "provisional ways of talking about and apprehending it. 

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

The Three Trikaya in Vajrayana Buddhism - Dharmakaya (1/3 )

 

The Trikaya is a fundamental doctrine within Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism that delineates the multidimensional nature of a Buddha's existence. This concept posits that a Buddha has three distinct bodies or aspects, each representing a different facet of enlightenment. 

Trikaya (Sanskrit: three bodies), in Mahayana Buddhism, is the concept of the three bodies, or modes of being, of the Buddha: 

1) Dharmakaya (body of essence) 

2) Sambhogakaya (body of enjoyment) 

3) Nirmanakaya (body of transformation)

Why is Trikaya important? In essence, the Trikaya doctrine offers a profound framework for understanding the diverse dimensions of Buddhahood. It demonstrates how a Buddha can simultaneously exist in multiple realms and embody a spectrum of qualities, guiding practitioners towards liberation and awakening through various aspects of their being. 

What is the Trikaya symbol?

The Gankyil is a symbol and ritual tool in Tibetan Buddhism. In the Bon and Nyingma Dzogchen lineages, the Gankyil is the principal symbol and teaching tool; it is symbolic of primordial energy and represents the central unity and indivisibility of all the teaching, philosophical, and doctrinal trinities in Dzogchen. It is an attribute of the snow lion.

What is the Dharmakaya in Buddhism?

A term, Dharmakaya, was coined to describe a more metaphorical body.a body or collection of all the Buddha's good qualities or dharmas, such as his wisdom, his compassion, his fortitude, and his patience. 

1) Dharmakaya 

The first body is the Dharmakaya, often referred to as the "Dharma body," or ultimate reality. This embodies the essence of enlightenment itself, encompassing concepts like emptiness, Buddha nature, and pure existence beyond material and spiritual forms.

The Dharmakaya is one of the three bodies (Trikāya) of a Buddha in Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Dharmakāya constitutes the unmanifested, "inconceivable" (acintya) aspect of a buddha out of which buddhas arise and to which they return after their dissolution.

The Trikaya doctrine (Sanskrit, literally "three bodies" or "three personalities") is a Buddhist teaching both on the nature of reality and the appearances of a Buddha. 

In Vajrayana Buddhism,the term chos sku has been defined as "Buddha-body of reality," which is a rendering of the Tibetan chos-sku and the Sanskrit dharmakāya as:

The ultimate nature or essence of the enlightened mind is uncreated, free from the limits of conceptual elaboration, empty of inherent existence, naturally radiant, beyond duality, and spacious like the sky. The intermediate state of the time of death is considered to be an optimum time for the realisation of the Buddha-body of reality.

The Dalai Lama defines the dharmakaya as "the realm of the dharmakaya—the space of emptiness—where all phenomena, pure and impure, are dissolved. This is the explanation taught by the Sutras and Tantras." However, he also states that it is distinct from the Hindu concept of Brahman because Buddhism adheres to the doctrine of emptiness (sunyata). 

What are the two types of dharmakaya? 

Dharmakaya can be divided into the jnanakaya, or wisdom body (the blissful omniscient mind of a Buddha), and svabhavikakaya, or nature body (the emptiness of the Buddha's mind).

What are the qualities of Dharmakaya?

Tulku Thondup states that Dharmakaya must possess three great qualities:

1. Great purity
2. Great realisation
3. Great mind 

What is the manifestation of Dharmakaya?

It is also the spiritual body, or "truth body," of all Buddhas. It is also important to understand that the dharmakaya is always present and pervades everywhere. It cannot manifest as itself, yet all beings and phenomena manifest from it. It is in many ways synonymous with Buddha Nature and with sunyata, or emptiness. 

What is the difference between Dharmakaya and Dharmadhatu?

Dharmadhatu is the cosmos. It comprises all phenomena. And sometimes it is considered to be a "body." Dharmakaya means the body of the Dharma.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

What does Trikaya mean in Vajrayana Buddhism?

The trikaya is a fundamental doctrine within Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism that delineates the multidimensional nature of a Buddha's existence. This concept posits that a Buddha has three distinct bodies or aspects, each representing a different facet of enlightenment. 

Trikaya (Sanskrit: three bodies), in Mahayana Buddhism, is the concept of the three bodies, or modes of being, of the Buddha: the Dharmakaya (body of essence), the unmanifested mode, and the supreme state of absolute knowledge; the Sambhogakaya (body of enjoyment), the heavenly mode; and the Nirmanakaya (body of transformation). 

Why is Trikaya important? In essence, the Trikaya doctrine offers a profound framework for understanding the diverse dimensions of Buddhahood. It demonstrates how a Buddha can simultaneously exist in multiple realms and embody a spectrum of qualities, guiding practitioners towards liberation and awakening through various aspects of their being.

What is the Trikaya symbol? 

The Gankyil is a symbol and ritual tool in Tibetan Buddhism. In the Bon and Nyingma Dzogchen lineages, the Gankyil is the principal symbol and teaching tool; it is symbolic of primordial energy and represents the central unity and indivisibility of all the teaching, philosophical, and doctrinal trinities in Dzogchen. It is an attribute of the snow lion.

The Gankyil is symbolic of the Trikaya doctrines of Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya. The Gankyil is the Buddhist understanding of the interdependence of the Three Vajras: mind, voice, and body.

Why do they have Trikaya, or the three-body doctrine, in Mahayana Buddhism?

The Trikaya doctrine of Mahayana Buddhism tells us that a Buddha manifests in three different ways. This allows a Buddha to simultaneously be one with the absolute while appearing in the relative world for the benefit of suffering beings.

1) Dharmakaya

The first body is the Dharmakaya, often referred to as the "Dharma body," or ultimate reality. This embodies the essence of enlightenment itself, encompassing concepts like emptiness, Buddha nature, and pure existence beyond material and spiritual forms.

2) Sambhogakaya

The second body, known as the Sambhogakaya, is the "enjoyment body." This aspect represents the divine Buddhas of the Buddha realms and is associated with the blissful and rewarding aspect of Buddhahood. It is considered a manifestation that arises as a result of fulfilling vows and commitments on the spiritual journey. The Sambhogakaya embodies the idea of reaping the benefits of spiritual practice and dwelling in sublime states of realisation.

3) Nirmanakaya

The third body, the Nirmanakaya, is referred to as the "transformation body." This represents the physical appearance of a Buddha in the world. Historical Buddhas like Gautama Buddha are manifestations of the Nirmanakaya, allowing them to interact with and guide sentient beings on their path to enlightenment. This earthly embodiment serves as a bridge between the divine and the human, making the teachings and compassion of a Buddha accessible to those seeking guidance and wisdom.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

 

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

 

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

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