Buddha
Here are some common questions about the Buddha:
What is a Buddha?
Can I become a Buddha?
Who is the Buddha?
What Did the Buddha Teach?
How Can the Buddha Help Me?
Where is Buddha Now?
The Truth Body Of Buddha
The Bliss Body Of Buddha
The Manifestation Body Of Buddha
What is a Buddha?
The word “Buddha” means “The Awakened (or Enlightened) One.” A Buddha was previously a human being like us, who had reached the highest peak of spiritual cultivation through purification and mastery of the Mind, attaining the highest perfection possible by anyone. Having awakened to reality, He is one who has found True Happiness in realizing the true nature of all things. With the attainment of Enlightenment (realization of the Truth of all things), Wisdom and Compassion is perfected among other countless positive qualities. Having become a Buddha, one transcends the limitations of a human (and gender) and becomes much greater than a human, gaining ultimate peace and liberation.
Can I become a Buddha?
The potential of attaining Enlightenment or Buddhahood exists in each and every sentient being (including us). We all possess within ourselves the perfect goodness of Buddha-nature (potential for Buddhahood), which is like the bright full Moon. The path towards Enlightenment is the clearing of the dark clouds of defilements (negative qualities - chiefly Craving, Aversion and Ignorance) that overshadow our Buddha-nature, to let it shine forth. There are already countless Buddhas in existence and there will be countless more as long as there are those earnest in seeking the Truth.
Who is the Buddha?
The Buddha is the greatest character that ever appeared in the history of Humankind - being an embodiment of one perfect in thought, word and deed. He was the wisest and most loving being that ever graced the Earth, an example of how great we can all become. “The Buddha” refers to the historical Shakyamuni Buddha who was born in Northern India (present day Nepal) more than 2,500 years ago (at about 563 B. C. E.). He is regarded as the founder of Buddhism for our world. He was a noble Shakyan Prince (Siddhartha Gautama) who had an entire kingdom of riches to inherit, who chose to renounce it at the age of 29 in search of Enlightenment (realization of the Truth of all things and True Happiness) out of Compassion for all beings. After He attained Enlightenment at 35, He taught the Truth inspiringly and tirelessly for 45 years to all who were willing to learn from Him. he passed away into the deep peace of Parinirvana at 80. His life is full of inspiring stories of how He touched people from all walks of life with His Wisdom and Compassion.
What Did the Buddha Teach?
The Buddha’s message is a joyous one. He found the precious treasure of Freedom in the Truth and urged us how to follow the way that leads us to this same treasure. Though He tells us that we are in deep darkness, He also teaches us the path that leads us to light. He wishes us to rise from a life of unreal dreams into a higher life of Wisdom where all love and do not hate. His appeal is universal, because He appeals to reason, and to the universal search for True Happiness in us. He put Truth to the crucial test of personal experience, encouraging everyone to doubt His teachings, believing that great realizations can arise from clearing great doubts. He taught us to be mindful of ourselves and become awake, to seek and to find True Happiness like He did.
How Can the Buddha Help Me?
The Buddha is a spiritual genius as He reached the goal of the spiritual quest, Enlightenment by Himself. However, He could see that while we too can attain Enlightenment, we might need a lot of help. Out of Compassion, He devoted the rest of His life to being a guide to all who were willing to learn from Him, teaching all that had to be taught before passing away into everlasting bliss. He proved to be just as ingenious in showing us the path to True Happiness. As long as we keep our hearts and mind open, the Buddha still inspires us through His precious teachings.
Where is Buddha Now?
The Buddhas are described as having three bodies (Trikaya) or aspects of personality, though they are in Ultimate Reality one in all and all in one:
- The Truth Body of Buddha
- The Bliss Body of Buddha
- The Manifestation Body (Bodies) of Buddha
The Truth Body Of Buddha
The Truth Body of a Buddha (Dharmakaya) is the embodiment of the Dharma (Truth itself) that is eternally present everywhere, expressed in the natural laws of the Universe and the workings of these laws. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of this wonderful reality when we are at peace and at one with everything. This body of Truth is in all things though it is beyond shape and form. It is represented by Maha Vairocana Buddha, the central and universal Buddha who is preaching the Truth right here and now. He is both one and many at the same time as he manifests in many forms. Our inability to see or hear Him is due to our defilements.
Shakyamuni Buddha taught, “He who sees the Dharma (the Truth) sees the Buddha; He who sees the Buddha sees the Dharma.” A Buddha, having realized the Truth, becomes equal to the Truth. Though there are many Buddhas, all Buddhas are one and the same, being no different from one another in the Dharmakaya, which is the oneness of Truth.
The Dhammakaya exists simultaneously with the Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya. (See “The Bliss Body of Buddha” and “The Manifestation Body of Buddha”)
With the Moon representing Buddha, the Dhammakaya is like the rays of the Moon that shine at night. These rays of light might not be visible to the eye as they do not illuminate the darkness of space, but they pervade it fully everywhere.
The Bliss Body Of Buddha
The Bliss Body of a Buddha (Sambhogakaya) or a Vairocana Buddha is the magnificent blissful reward body of a Buddha. It is the aspect through which each Buddha rejoices in the Truth, in teaching the Truth, and in leading others to the realization of Truth. Because each Buddha had practiced through countless ages and had attained perfect Wisdom and Compassion, each has immeasurable Peace, Merit and Happiness, as expressed in the Sambhogakaya. Buddhas usually do not appear in this form as we find it incomprehensible due to our lack of understanding. Instead, they manifest as Nirmanakaya (see “The Manifestation Body of Buddha”).
With the Moon representing Buddha, the Sambhogakaya is like the unclouded full Moon itself shining bright in its total splendor.
The Manifestation Body Of Buddha
An example of a Manifestation Body of a Buddha (Nirmanakaya) in our world is the manifested (transformed) body of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha. It is the Buddha expressed in a “human” form. A Buddha can also manifest in many different forms at the same time to teach the Truth to more beings. Having attained perfection, the abilities of a Buddha are far beyond that of an ordinary human. It is out of Compassion, to be an example, and to teach the Truth to all beings, that a Buddha chooses to appear in a form (instead of the Sambhogakaya - see “The Bliss Body of Buddha”) that we can relate to.
When Shakyamuni Buddha passed away into Parinirvana, only His physical body died. The essence of His Enlightenment still exists in the form of the Dhammakaya (see “The Truth Body of the Buddha”). Today, the remaining relics of Shakyamuni Buddha’s manifested body are enshrined in stupas all over the world.
With the Moon representing Buddha, the Nirmanakaya is like a reflection of the Moon upon a lake. The Moon can be reflected differently in many lakes at the same time.
Quoted from the Book Be a Lamp upon yourself
