Five Kayas

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The kayas: Various aspects or states of buddhahood. One recognizes two, three, four, or five kayas.

  • Two Kayas: dharmakaya, the absolute body, and rupakaya, the body of form.
  • Three kayas: the dharmakaya, or absolute body; the sambhogakaya, or body of divine enjoyment; and the nirmanakaya, or manifested body. These correspond to the mind, speech, and body of an enlightened buddha and are expressed as the five wisdoms.
  • Four Kayas: the svabhavikakaya, or essential body, is to be added to the three kayas and represents their inseparability (dbyer med).
  • Five kayas: to the three kayas one adds the avikaravajrakaya, the "unchanging vajra body," and the abhisambodhikaya, "body of total enlightenment." Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche