The appearances of the word “Dhammakaya”
The word “Dhammakaya” appears in various places both in the Tripitaka and other
Buddhist texts.
In the Tripitaka, the word “Dhammakaya” appears in four places.
1. In the Sutatantapitaka Dighanikaya Pativagga:
Tathagatassa hetan vasettha adhivacanan dhammakayo itipi brahmakayo itipi
dhammabhuto itipi brahmabhuto itipi…
It means “Behold Vasettha, the word Dhammakaya, Brahmakaya, Dhammabhuti,
or Brahmabhuti, is the name of the Tathagata.”
2.In the Sutatantapitaka Khuddakanikaya Apadana Sobhitavagga No.14:
Dhammakayanca dipenti kevalan ratanakaran vikopatan na sakkonti ko disava
nappasidati…
It means “No individuals can ever kill the Buddha who attains the Dhammakaya, and is
the sole origin of the Triple Gem. Who then after having seen such a Buddha does not
come to believe in Him?”
3. In the Sutatantapitaka Khuddakanikaya Apadana Buddhavagga No. 1:
Bhavanti paccekajina sayambhu mahanta dhamma pahudhammakaya
It means “All of the Paccekabuddhas, the great and noble ones, possess great Truth and multitudes of Dhammakayas.”
4. In the Sutatantapitaka Khuddakanikaya Apadana Ekuposathavagga No. 2:
Sanvaddhitoyan sugata rupakayo maya tava anandiyo dhammakayo mama sanvaddhito
taya…
It means “Most Exalted One, your physical body I have raised until fully grown.
However, my beloved Phra Dhammakaya, you have made fully grown.”
The word “Dhammakaya” appears in other Buddhist texts as follows:
– In the Commentary the word appears in 25 places.
– In the sub-commentary of Vinaya called “Saratthadipani” in the Pali version,
the word appears in six places.
– In the Buddhist text “Visudhimagga”, the word appears in two places.
– In the Buddhist text “Milindapanha”, the word appears once.
– In the book “Stone Tablets, Part 3”, it mentioned that in Stone Tablet No. 54 which was engraved in the Thai and Magadha languages in B.E. 2092, there is one paragraph written about “Dhammakaya”.
– In the book “Pathomsombodhikatha”, it mentions very clearly that the Most
Venerable Phra Upagutta “sees” Phra Dhammakaya. That is, he “saw” Phra Dhammakaya with his mind during meditation.
– In the book “Jarerklantong”, it mentions “the height of Phra Dhammakaya”.
For More Information, please visit:
Archaeological Perspectives on the History of Buddhism & Recent Research on
Dhammakaya and Boran Meditation Traditions (Sunday 20, April 2014 )
http://www.diri-au.org/en/?page_id=410
