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The Essential Sutra Recitation for Wonderful Peace 3
The Dharma body is one of the three bodies of the Buddha, together with
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Buddha body (Bodhi Kaya)
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Dharma body (Dharma Kaya)
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Sangha body (Sangha Kaya)
All beings—from humans, dogs, horses, monkeys to plants and quantum particles—contain the potential Buddha body. Practicing mindfulness and insight meditation helps the Buddha body and Dharma body to shine brightly, transforming afflictions. The story of Vakkali illustrates that focusing only on form leads to suffering, and that only through understanding the teaching—the Dharma body—can we be stable even when the physical body decays.
Nirvana (Nibbana) is not death, but “the extinction of the fires of afflictions” right in the present moment, when craving, anger, and despair are extinguished, bringing a state of coolness and peace. According to the sutras: the present moment nirvana can be recognized right when we practice mindfulness, concentration, and insight. Taking refuge in the Sangha is a necessary condition for the Dharma body and Buddha body to be nourished, because only a practicing community can preserve and transmit the teachings in a living way.