Planes & Maya

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Dharma,

 

Very, very beautiful, thank you for taking the time to put

that together and sharing it with us :-))))))

 

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>From _Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism_ by Lama Anagarika Govinda

 

Part Five

[Chapter] 1

 

THE DOCTRINE OF THE 'THREE BODIES'

AND THE THREE PLANES OF REALITY

 

We have become acquainted with the experience of universality in the sacred

syllable OM, with the luminosity of the immortal mind in the 'MANI', its

unfoldment in the lotus-centres of consciousness ('PADMA'), and its

integration and realization in the seed-syllable HUM.

The way towards the realization of OM is the way of universality, the

way of the Great Vehicle, the Mahayana. The way from the OM to the HUM is

that of realizing the universal in the individual. It is the way of the

Vajrayana, or the inner (mystic) path of Vajrasattva, who accomplishes the

transformation of our earthly, 'material' world into the deeper, invisible

reality from which the visible springs, the reality of the inaudible that

pervades and motivates sound, of the intangible that pervades touch, and

the thought-transcending awareness that pervades and motivates thought.

And just as Vajrasattva represents the active force of Aksobhya so

Avalokitesvara represents the dynamic aspect of Amitabha on the plane of

human experience and activity. For every Buddha manifests himself on three

planes of reality: the universal, the ideal and the individual.

Thus we discern in the figure of the Buddha three 'bodies' or principles:

I. that, in which all Enlightened Ones are the same: the experience of

completeness, of universality, of the deepest super-individual reality of

the Dharma, the primordial law and cause of all things, from which emanates

all physical, moral and metaphysical order;

2. that which constitutes the spiritual or ideal character of a Buddha,

the creative expression or formulation of this universal principle in the

realm of inner vision: the Sambhogakaya, the 'Body of Bliss' (rapture or

spiritual enjoyment), from which all true inspiration is born;

3. that, in which this inspiration is transformed into visible form and

becomes action: the Nirmanakaya: the 'Body of Transformation', the human

embodiment or individuality of an Enlightened One.

In the Dharmakaya, the universal principle of all consciousness, the

totality of becoming and being is potentially contained - comparable to the

infinity of space, which embraces all things and is the conditio sine qua

non of all that exists. Yet we can neither say that space is identical with

things, nor that it is different from them. As little as we can become

conscious of space without its opposite pole, i.e., form, so the Dharmakaya

cannot become reality for us without descending into forms.

This happens in two ways: in the realm of pure form, or pure mental

perception, i.e., in the realm of ideas - and in the realm of action, of

individuality, of materialization or embodiment.

In states of rapture, trance and highest intuition, as characterized

by the stages of deep absorption in meditation (dhyana), we experience the

Dharmakaya as the luminous forms of purely spiritual perception - as pure,

eternal principles of form, freed from all accidentals - or as the exalted

visions of a higher reality. In them the Sambhogakaya, 'the Body of Bliss'

is realized. From it flow all immortal art, all deep wisdom, all profound

truths (dharma, in the sense of formulated or proclaimed truth). Its

enjoyment is of two kinds, like that of every great work of art: the

rapture of the creative act and the enjoyment of those who contemplate the

completed work by retrospectively experiencing and reliving the act of

creation.

A rapture, comparable to the first of these two kinds, is experienced

by all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the course of their sadhana and in

the practice of the highest virtues (paramita)1, as demonstrated by their

lives - while a rapture, comparable to the second kind, is felt by all

those who contemplate the significance of these lives and relive them in

their mind and their deeds.

 

[1 These paramitas or perfections are: 1. the perfection of giving

(dana-paramita), culminating in self-sacrifice; 2. the perfection of

morality (sila-paramita), culminating in all-embracing love; 3. the

perfection of forbearance or patience (ksanti-paramita), culminating in

forgiveness and eradication of ill-will; 4. the perfection of energy

(virya-paramita), culminating in the unshakable determination to attain

enlightenment; 5. the perfection of meditation or inner vision

(dhyana-paramita) culminating in the awareness of Reality, the realization

of the Mind itself; 6. the perfection of Wisdom (prajna-paramita),

culminating in Perfect Enlightenment.

Later Pali Scriptures, like Buddhavamsa and Cariyapitaka, probably under

the influence of the Mahayana, mention ten paramitas, namely: Perfection in

giving, morality, renunciation (nekkhamma), wisdom, energy, forbearance,

truthfulness (sacca), resolution (aditthana), unselfish love (metta), and

equanimity (upekkha).]

 

Therefore two kinds of Sambhogakaya are discerned with regard to

Buddhas: the 'sva-sambhoga-kaya' and the 'para-sambhoga-kaya': The first is

the body of 'pure form' (rupa-kaya), 'which is extremely perfect, pure,

eternal and universal, which is boundless and possesses true attributes,

due to the effects of immeasurable virtue and knowledge, which have been

accumulated by all the Tathagatas in the course of countless kalpas. It

will quietly continue till the end of time: it will always experience

within itself the bliss of the Dharma.

The second is the parasambhoga-kaya (the body that causes enjoyment to

others). It is the subtle body with the attribute of purity, which all

Tathagatas show on account of their Knowledge of Equality (samata-jnana).'1

- Such is the realization of the Dharmakaya within the human mind.

 

[1 Vijnapitmatra-siddhi-sastra X; cfr. Jiryo Masuda Der individualistische

Idealismus der Yogocara-Schule, p. 59 f.; Vijnaptimatratasiddhi, la Siddhi

de Hiuan-Tsang, translated by Louis de La Vallee Poussin, Vol. 2, pp.

705-6, Paris, 1929.]

 

Since it is the mind that creates the human body, it follows that the

more the mind reflects and is filled with the Dharmakaya the more it will

be able to influence and to transform the material body. This

transformation attains its highest perfection in the Fully Enlightened One.

Therefore it is said that the body of the Buddha is adorned with the

thirty-two signs of perfection. Hence the name 'Nirmana-kaya', the 'Body of

Transformation'.

This Nirmanakaya (Tib.: sprul-sku; pron. 'tulku' or 'tuku') of the

Buddha has often been called an illusory body or even a 'phantom body', a

concept which is as misleading as the current interpretation of the

maya-doctrine. If Indian thinkers define this world as maya, this does not

mean that the world is deprived of all reality, but only that it is not

what it appears to us; in other words, that its reality is only relative or

represents a reality of a lesser degree which, compared with the highest

reality (accessible only to a perfectly Enlightened One) has no more

existence than the objects of a dream, a cloud-formation or the lightnings

flashing up within it.

Seen from the opposite direction, however, even the most impermanent of

those phenomena are not mere hallucinations, i.e., they are neither

arbitrary nor meaningless, but expressions of an inherent law, whose

reality is undeniable. Even if this our world and what we call our

personality are mind-made and illusory, this does not mean that they are

unreal. They are as real as the mind that creates them. The body, which we

have created, does not disappear the moment we recognize it as a product of

our mind or when we get tired of it. As soon as the products of our mind

have taken material shape, they obey the laws of matter, or whatever we may

call the laws governing them. Even a saint cannot arbitrarily change or

annihilate the material properties and functions of the body. He can only

transform them step by step by controlling them in their initial states or

in the moment they come into existence. Materialization can be influenced,

directed and modified only while it is still in the process of formation.

The theory of the transformed body of a Buddha is therefore not in

contradiction to its reality, and the realism of earlier as well as later

Theravadins and their belief in the historical human personality, in no way

contradicts their faith in his super-human powers and perfections.

Buddhaghosa speaks of 'that Bhagava who is possessed of a beautiful

rupakaya, adorned with eighty minor signs and thirty-two major signs of a

great man, and possessed of a dhammakaya purified in every way and

glorified by [the five khandhas] sila, samadhi, [panna, vimutti, and

vimuttinanadassana], full of splendour and virtue, incomparable and fully

awakened.'1

 

[1 Quoted by Nalinaksha Dutt in Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its

Relation to Hinayana, p. 101.]

 

In the introductory discourse to his Atthasalini Buddhaghosa describes

the multi-coloured radiance which issues from the body of the Buddha. The

classical beauty of this description could not be surpassed by any Mahayana

text on this subject, which plays such an important role, especially in the

conception and sadhana of the Dhyani-Buddhas. 'Rays of six colours -

indigo, golden, red, white, tawny and dazzling - issued from the Teacher's

body, as he was contemplating the subtle and abstruse Law by his

omniscience. . . . The indigo rays issued from his hair and the blue

portions of his eyes. Owing to them the surface of the sky appeared as

though besprinkled with collyrium powder, or covered with flax and blue

lotus-flowers, or like a jewelled fan swaying to and fro, or a piece of

dark cloth fully spread out. The golden rays issued from his skin and the

golden portions of his eyes. Owing to them the different quarters of the

globe shone as though besprinkled with some golden liquid, or overlaid with

sheets of gold, or bestrewn with saffron powder and bauhinia-flowers. The

red rays issued from his flesh and blood and the red portions of his eyes.

Owing to them the quarters of the globe were coloured as though painted

with red-lead powder. ... The white rays issued from his bones, teeth, and

the white portions of his eyes. Owing to them the quarters of the globe

were bright as though overflowing with streams of milk poured out of silver

pots, or overspread with a canopy of silver plates. . . . The tawny and

dazzling rays issued from the different parts of his body. Thus the

six-coloured rays came forth and caught the great mass of the earth.' Then

follows a beautiful description how the earth, the water, the air, the

space beyond and all the heavenly regions and millions of world-systems are

penetrated by the Buddha's golden light; and the description ends with the

significant words (hinting at the transformation or sublimation of the

physical body) : 'But the blood of the Lord of the world became clear as he

contemplated such a subtle and abstruse Law. Likewise the physical basis of

his thought and his complexion. The element of colour, produced by the

caloric order, born of the mind, steadily established itself with a radius

of eighty cubits.'1

 

[1 The Expositor (Atthasalini), p. 17 f. Translated by Maung Tin. Pali Text

Society, London, 1920.]

 

Not only was such powerful radiance ascribed to the Buddha in Pali

Iiterature, but even the creation of Nimmita-Buddhas, i.e., of mental

projections of himself (a kind of Dhyani-Buddhas in his own form) during

the time of his absence from the world, when preaching the Abhidharma to

his mother in the Tusita heaven.

All this shows clearly that, though the doctrine of the 'three bodies'

was not yet formulated in Pali-Buddhism, the properties of these bodies and

the spiritual qualities on which they are based, were recognized even by

those who stressed the historical and human personality of the Buddha. To

them a human being was not only a physical reality, because the concept of

Man included the infinite possibilities of the Spirit and the boundlessness

of the universe. Thus the contradistinction between realism and idealism

did not yet exist.

 

[Chapter] 2

 

MAYA AS THE CREATIVE PRINCIPLE AND

THE DIMENSIONS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

>From the aforesaid it will have become evident that we are not concerned

here with a subjective idealism, based on logical speculations, concepts

and categories, but with a doctrine which is founded upon the reality of

the mind and its deepest experiences.

If we call maya a reality of a lower degree, we do this because

illusion rests on the wrong interpretation of a partial aspect of reality.

Compared with the highest or 'absolute' reality, all forms, in which this

reality appears to us, are illusory, because they are only partial aspects,

and as such incomplete, torn out of their organic connexions and deprived

of their universal relationship. The only reality, which we could call

'absolute', is that of the all-embracing whole. Each partial aspect must

therefore constitute a lesser degree of reality - the less universal, the

more illusory and impermanent.

To a point-like consciousness the continuity of a line is

inconceivable. For such a consciousness there exists only a continual and

apparently unrelated origination and passing-away of points.

To a linear consciousness - we could call it a one-dimensional

consciousness, in contrast to the non-dimensional point-like consciousness

- the continuity of a plane would be inconceivable, because it can only

move in one direction and only comprehend a linear relationship of points

following each other.

To a two-dimensional consciousness the continuity of a plane, i.e.,

the simultaneous existence of points, straight lines, curves, and designs

of all kinds are conceivable, but not the spatial relationship of planes,

as they form for instance the surface of a cube.

In three-dimensional space-consciousness, however, the relationship of

several planes is co-ordinated to form the concept of a body, in which the

simultaneous existence of different planes, lines and points can be

conceived and grasped in their totality.

Thus the consciousness of a higher dimension consists in the

co-ordinated and simultaneous perception of several systems of relationship

or directions of movement, in a wider, more comprehensive unity, without

destroying the individual characteristics of the integrated lower

dimensions. The reality of a lower dimension is therefore not annihilated

by a higher one, but only 'relativized' or put into another perspective of

values.

If we perceive and co-ordinate the different phases in the movement of

a point proceeding in one direction, we arrive at the perception of a

straight line.

If we perceive and co-ordinate the different phases in the movement of

a straight line, travelling in a direction not yet contained in it, we

arrive at the conception of a plane.

If we perceive and co-ordinate the different phases in the movement of

a plane, in a direction not yet contained in its dimension, we arrive at

the perception of a body.

If we perceive and co-ordinate the different phases in the movement of

a body, we arrive at the perception and understanding of its nature, i.e.,

we become conscious of its inherent laws and mode of existence.

If we perceive and co-ordinate organically the inner movement (growth,

development; emotional, mental, and spiritual movement, etc.) of a

conscious being, we become aware of its individuality, its psychic

character.

If we perceive the manifold forms of existence, through which an

individual has to pass, and observe how these forms arise, according to

various conditions, and depending on a multitude of inherent factors, we

arrive at the perception and understanding of the law of action and

re-action, the law of karma.

If we observe the various phases of a karmic chain-reaction in their

relationship to other sequences of karmic action and reaction, as this is

said to have been observed by the Buddha, we become conscious of a

supra-individual karmic interrelatedness, comprising nations, races,

civilizations, humanity, planets, solar systems and finally the whole

universe. In short, we arrive at the perception of a cosmic world-order, an

infinite mutual relationship of all things, beings and events, until we

finally realize the universality of consciousness in the Dharmakaya, when

attaining Enlightenment.

Seen from the consciousness of the Dharmakaya, all separate forms of

appearance are maya. Maya in the deepest sense, however, is reality in its

creative aspect, or the creative aspect of reality. Thus maya becomes the

cause of illusion, but it is not illusion itself, as long as it is seen as

a whole, in its continuity, its creative function, or as infinite power of

transformation and universal relationship.

As soon, however, as we stop at any of its creations and try to limit

it to a state of 'being' or self-confined existence, we fall a prey to

illusion, by taking the effect for the cause, the shadow for the substance,

the partial aspect for ultimate reality, the momentary for something that

exists in itself.

It is the power of maya which produces the illusory forms of

appearance of our mundane reality. Maya itself, however, is not illusion.

He who masters this power, has got the tool of liberation in his hand, the

magic power of yoga, the power of creation, transformation and

re-integration. (Skt.: laya-krama; Tib.: rdzogs-rim.)

'The power of our inner vision produces in Yoga forms and worlds,

which, while we become aware of them, can fill us with such a feeling of

incredible reality, that compared with it, the reality-content of our

sensuous and mental everyday world fades away and evaporates. Here we

experience (as in the enjoyment of love) something that means nothing to

our thought and that yet is true; that reality has degrees or steps. That

the way of the Divine outwardly and inwardly, towards fullness of form and

towards inner awareness, is graded, and that Yoga is the power to ascend

and to descend these steps. . . .'1

 

[1 Heinrich Zimmer, Ewiges Indien, p. 151.]

 

Those who think that form is unimportant, will miss the spirit as

well, while those who cling to form lose the very spirit which they tried

to preserve. Form and movement are the secret of life and the key to

immortality. Those who only see the transitoriness of things and reject the

world because of its transitory character, see only the change on the

surface of things, but have not yet discovered that the form of change, the

manner in which change takes place, reveals the spirit that inspires all

form, the reality that informs all phenomena. With our physical eye we see

only change. Only our spiritual eye is capable of seeing stability in

transformation. Transformation is the form in which the spirit moves: it is

life itself. Whenever material form cannot follow the movement of the

spirit, decay appears. Death is the protest of the spirit against the

unwillingness of the formed to accept transformation: the protest against

stagnation.

In the Prajnaparamita-Sutra all phenomena are regarded as being

sunyata according to their true nature - and sunyata as not being different

from form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness; i.e.,

sunyata is here equated with maya. And just as sunyata is not only

emptiness from all designations of a limited self-nature, but also an

expression of ultimate reality, in the same way maya is not only the

negative, the veiling, the phenomenal form, but also the dynamic principle,

which produces all forms of appearance and which never reveals itself in

the single, completed end-product, but only in the process of becoming, in

the living flow, in infinite movement.

Maya as something that has become, that is frozen and rigid in form

and concept, is illusion, because it has been torn from its living

connexions and limited in time and space. The individuality and

corporeality of the unenlightened human being, trying to maintain and

preserve its illusory selfhood, is maya in this negative sense.

Also the body of an Enlightened One is maya, but not in the negative

sense, because it is the conscious creation of a mind that is free from

illusion, unlimited, and no more bound to an 'ego'.

Only for the unenlightened worldling, who is still enmeshed in

ignorance and delusion, the visible form or personality of a Buddha is maya

in the ordinary sense of the word. Therefore the

Mahayana-Sraddhotpada-Sastra says; 'The harmonizing activities of the

Tathagatas, that are no activity in the worldly sense, are of two kinds.

The first can be perceived by the minds of common people . . . and is known

as Nirmanakaya ... the second kind can only be perceived by the purified

minds . . . it is the Dharmakaya in its aspect of Spirit and Principle. It

is the Sambhogakaya, which possesses a vast and boundless potentiality.

'That of the Dharmakaya which can be perceived by the minds of common

people, is only a shadow of it, and takes on different aspects, according

as it is considered from the different viewpoints of the six different

realms of existence. Their crude perception of it does not include any

conception of its possibilities for happiness and enjoyment; they see only

its reflection in the Nirmakaya.

'But as the Bodhisattvas advance along the stages (on their way

towards Enlightenment) their minds become purified, their conceptions of it

(the Dharmakaya) more profound and mysterious, their harmonizing activities

more transcendental, until, when they have attained the highest stage they

will be able to realize intuitively its reality. In that final realization

all traces of their individual selfness . . . will have faded away and only

a realization of one undifferentiated Buddhahood will remain.'1

 

[1 Translated by Bhikshu Wai-tao and Dwight Goddard in A Buddhist Bible, p.

383 f.]