Dissertation Research Project by Guang Xing
SOAS, University of London, UK
Supervisor: Dr Tadeusz Skorupski
In this dissertation, I will investigate the origin and formation of the trikaya
theory, with special attention given to the problem of how the concept of the dharmakaya
was developed from the collection of the teachings in early Buddhism to the cosmic body in Mahayana Buddhism. The key concept to the formation of the trikaya theory is the origin of the sambhogakaya, which in my opinion is a solution to the complex problem concerning the purity of the rupakaya that had been debated over several centuries. This contention was mainly between the Sarvastivada and the Mahasanghika. The Sarvastivadins, after synthesizing the teachings in the sutras of the Nikayas and Agamas, formulated the two-body theory in order to explain their concept of Buddha: the dharmakaya
and the rupakaya. The concept of the dharmakaya consists of the eighteen exclusive dharmas (Hinayana), while the concept of the rupakaya, though it is endowed with thirty two major and eighty minor marks, is impure. However, the Mahasanghikas believed in a lokottara
Buddha who is omnipotent and omniscient, while the historical Buddha is regarded only as a transformation body. So for the Mahasanghikas, the rupakaya of the Buddha is pure.
Based on the theories of the Mahasanghikas, the concept of the Buddha was further developed in the early Mahayana sutras such as the Prajnaparamitas and the Saddharmapundarika, according to which the Buddha has a retinue of great bodhisattvas who have one more birth before attaining bodhi and also a great amount of merit accumulated by practicing the six paramitas. On the other hand, the concept of Buddha is connected with the concept of sunyata, in that the Buddha is the person who has realized the Dharma which is empty. Therefore, the Buddha is also empty. The author of the Mahaprajnaparamita-sastra summarized teachings on the concept of Buddha in the different schools as well as in the early Mahayana sutras and explained further that the dharmakaya
is the real Buddha who always preaches the Dharma to the great bodhisattvas, while the rupakaya
is only a transformation body.
During the fourth century when Asanga and Vasubandhu were active, Mahayana gradually became influential and yet also met with heavy criticisms to the effect that it was not the authentic teaching of the Buddha. In order to establish that Mahayana is the true teaching of the Buddha, the author of the Mahayanasutralamkara
synthesized the existing practices and theories of Mahayana that were developed and established by his predecessors. On that basis, he further developed those imperfect aspects into more advanced theories. One of the most influential theories is that regarding the trikaya.
There are some problems still unsolved such as how, when and what the textual evidence is for the existence of the Buddhas in the worlds of the ten directions, and how the dharmakaya came to be regarded as the cosmic body. This is important for determining when Amitabha Buddha and Akhsobya came into being, because these Buddhas definitely appeared subsequent to the former concept.
Send comments to <Guang Xing [sudhana99@hotmail.com]>