trikya. 三宝身 The threefold body or nature of a Buddha, i.e. the 法, 报, and 化身, ordharmakya,sambhogakya, andnirmakya. The three are defined as 自性, 受用, and 变化, the Buddha-body per se, or in its essential nature; his body of bliss, which he "receives" for his own "use" and enjoyment; and his body of transformation, by which he can appear in any form; i.e. spiritual, or essential; glorified; revealed. While the doctrine of thetrikyais a Mahyna concept, it partly results from the Hnayna idealization of the earthly Buddha with his thirty-two signs, eighty physical marks, clairvoyance, clairaudience, holiness, purity, wisdom, pity, etc. Mahyna, however, proceeded to conceive of Buddha as the Universal, the All, with infinity of forms, yet above all our concepts of unity or diversity. To every Buddha Mahyna attributed a three-fold body: that of essential Buddha; that of joy or enjoyment of the fruits of his past saving labours; that of power to transform himself at will to any shape for omnipresent salvation of those who need him. The trinity finds different methods of expression, e.g. Vairocana is entitled 法身, the embodiment of the Law, shining everywhere, enlightening all; Locana is 报身; c.f. 三宾, the embodiment of purity and bliss; kyamuni is 化身 or Buddha revealed. In the esoteric sect they are 法 Vairocana, 报 Amitbha, and 化 kyamuni. The 三宾 are also 法 dharma, 报 sagha, 化 buddha. Nevertheless, the three are considered as a trinity, the three being essentially one, each in the other. (1) 法身 Dharmakya in its earliest conception was that of the body of the dharma, or truth, as preached by kyamuni; later it became his mind or soul in contrast with his material body. In Mdhyamika, thedharmakyawas the only reality, i.e. the void, or the immateria1, the ground of all phenomena; in other words, the 如 thetathgatagarbha, thebhtatathat. According to the Huayan (Kegon) School it is the 理or noumenon, while the other two are气or phenomenal aspects. "For the Vijnavda... the body of the law as highest reality is the void intelligence, whose infection (saklea) results in the process of birth and death, whilst its purification brings about Nirva, or its restoration to its primitive transparence" (Keith). The "body of the law is the true reality of everything". Nevertheless, in Mahyna every Buddha has his own 法身; e.g. in thedharmakyaaspect we have the designation Amitbha, who in hissabhogakyaaspect is styled Amityus. (2) 报身Sambhogakya, a Buddha's reward body, or body of enjoyment of the merits he attained as a bodhisattva; in other words, a Buddha in glory in his heaven. This is the form of Buddha as an object of worship. It is defined in two aspects, (a) 自受用身 for his own bliss, and (b) 他受用身 for the sake of others, revealing himself in his glory to bodhisattvas, enlightening and inspiring them. By wisdom a Buddha'sdharmakyais attained, by bodhisattva-merits hissabhogakya. Not only has every Buddha all the three bodies or aspects, but as all men are of the same essence, or nature, as Buddhas, they are therefore potential Buddhas and are in and of thetrikya. Moreover,trikyais not divided, for a Buddha in his 化身 is still one with his 法身 and 报身, all three bodies being co-existent. (3) 化身; 应身; 应化身nirmakya, a Buddha's transformation, or miraculous body, in which he appears at will and in any form outside his heaven, e.g. as kyamuni among men.
