Observations placeholder
Asvaghosha - The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana - How to know if you have achieved annihilation
Identifier
016361
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
The Dharmakāya (Sanskrit: धर्मकाय; Pali: धम्मकाय, lit. "truth body" or "reality body") is one of the three bodies (trikaya) of the Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism. Dharmakāya constitutes "the unmanifested, inconceivable (acintya) aspect of a Buddha, out of which Buddhas arise and to which they return after their dissolution". It is thus a synonym for the Higher spirit.
The Paramitas - In the Pāli canon's Buddhavaṃsa the Ten Perfections (dasa pāramiyo) are (original terms in Pāli):
- Dāna pāramī : generosity, giving of oneself
- Sīla pāramī : virtue, morality, proper conduct
- Nekkhamma pāramī : renunciation
- Paññā pāramī : transcendental wisdom, insight
- Viriya (also spelled vīriya) pāramī : energy, diligence, vigour, effort
- Khanti pāramī : patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, endurance
- Sacca pāramī : truthfulness, honesty
- Adhiṭṭhāna (adhitthana) pāramī : determination, resolution
- Mettā pāramī : loving-kindness
- Upekkhā (also spelled upekhā) pāramī : equanimity, serenity
The Dacakucalani – the ten virtues consist in not committing the ten evils which are as follows :
- Killing a living being
- Stealing
- Committing adultery
- Lying
- Slander
- Insulting speech
- Frivolous talk
- Avarice
- Evil intent
- False view
A description of the experience
Asvaghosha - The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana translated by D T Suzuki
all Buddhas, while at the stage of discipline, feel a deep compassion [for all beings], practise all paramitas, .... and many other meritorious deeds; treat others as their own self, wish to work out a universal salvation of mankind in ages to come, through Iimitless numbers of kalpas; recognise truthfully and adequately the principle of equality among people; and do not cling to the individual existence of a sentient being.
By virtue of such a great wisdom that works means of emancipation, they destroy ignorance that knows no beginning ; recognise the Dharmakiya in its original purity; spontaneously perform incomprehensible karma as well as various unfettered moral activities ; manifest themselves throughout the universe, identify themselves with suchness, and leave no traces of compulsion.