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Dictionary of the History of Ideas

Studies of Selected Pivotal Ideas
  
  
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8. Buddha. The person who has attained Wisdom
or who has realized universal norms (dharmas) is called
the Enlightened One (Buddha). Theoretically there can
be many Buddhas. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed the
idea of the Threefold Body of the Buddha: (1) “the
Body of the Law” (dharmakāya) is Voidness, the form-
less reality beyond our words and thoughts; (2) “the
Body of Enjoyment” (saṃbhogakāya) means the void
and absolute reality which, enjoying virtues as results
of merits, has taken a merciful vow to live amid the
empirical world, and to save it by leading it into wis-
dom; (3) “the Body of Transformation” (nirmāṇakāya)
is a corporeal, preaching Buddha revealed in our em-
pirical world, such as Sākyamuni Buddha.