The Trikaya in Nichiren Buddhism

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Jechan
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The Trikaya in Nichiren Buddhism

Post by Jechan »

南無妙法蓮華経 everyone :bow:
I was thinking about the doctrine of the Trikaya, the Three Bodies of the Buddha, from a Nichiren standpoint.
Can anybody explain in relation to the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha and sections of the Lotus Sutra?
Thank you!
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Queequeg
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Re: The Trikaya in Nichiren Buddhism

Post by Queequeg »

See Rooster Diagram of the Five Periods

This document seems to have been something Nichiren composed to educate monks.

If you look at p.1042, there is a table describing the Object of Devotion of the Tientai School as the "Thus Come One Shakyamuni as the Buddha who actually carried out practice and achieved enlightenment in the inconceivably remote past." Describing this Buddha's three bodies, he states that all three bodies have no beginning or end.

This is critical. This is what the Lotus Schools call the Honbutsu 本佛, Origin Buddha. This is the Shakyamuni Buddha who appears on the Gohonzon. The Shakyamuni who lived and passed into Parinirvana in India is not the same Buddha - although he not different either. Rather, the appearance of the Shakyamuni who was born in Lumbini, attained awakening at Gaya, and turned the Wheel at Sarnath is an incomplete picture of this Origin Buddha - like the Rich Man in chapter 4 who removes his robes and puts on rags to shovel poop alongside his son in the latrine. The laborer working with the young man is in fact a laborer working alongside the young man, but he is also more. This is explained in the 16th Chapter.

The Trikaya theory is not part of the Lotus Sutra. Apparently, after it was developed and accepted widely in Mahayana circles, it became something that was read into the Sutra (retrospectively).

Its really a way to reconcile the various appearances of the Buddha, some of which are fantastical (32 Major and 80 Minor marks; being 12 feet tall, etc.), some of which are philosophical (the Buddha's body is his teachings) into a single Buddha.

The Dharma Body in the Lotus Sutra is the teaching, in general, the 80,000 teachings, but specifically, the well spring of all those teachings - the Lotus Sutra. The Sambhogakaya is the physical and spiritual attainment of the Buddha. Prior to Chapter 16, this was attained at Gaya. The Nirmanakaya is the historical man who was born, lived and died in India roughly 2500 years ago. After Chapter 16, The Dharma Body is the Lotus Sutra, which the Buddha reveals he taught as various other teachings, but now reveals in full. The Sambhogakaya is his absolute enlightenment in the remote past. The Nirmanakaya is all the forms he has taken since time immemorial, presently takes, and will take in the future, in order to approach beings and teach them the Lotus Sutra.

Look at the discussion on Eternal Buddha in the Mahayana forum for more.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
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Jechan
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Re: The Trikaya in Nichiren Buddhism

Post by Jechan »

Great, thanks for that explaination, Queequeg.
Clear and concise as always.
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Queequeg
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Re: The Trikaya in Nichiren Buddhism

Post by Queequeg »

You're welcome, Jechan. Just remember, Queegueg is often wrong. If I can help direct your inquiry, I am pleased. If I got something wrong, please let me know! I might not take it well at first, but I often come around, unless you're just blatantly wrong. LOL
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
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