The Three Aspects of the Truth

Week of Oct 17, 2004 – The Three Aspects of the Truth

A very important set of ideas or phenomena in the Hua Yen teaching is the understanding of the three aspects of the Truth. The three aspects are:

1) Body – Essence, Substance, True Nature, Dharma Body, Wisdom Truth Body.
Dharmakaya Body ( represented by the Buddha Vairocana)

2) Appearance – Forms, Qualities, Attributes, Manifestation.
Sambhogakaya Body (for example: Buddha Ahshobya, Buddha Ratnasambhava, Buddha Amitabha, Buddha Amogasiddhi and …)

3) Purpose – Function, Functional Action, Usage.
Nirmanakaya Body (for example: Buddha Sakyamuni in this Samsara World,
Buddha Maitreya in the future)

The Body is the essence of the Truth; it is the aspect that is associated with Emptiness. How is the Body, empty in nature, being used? By having an appearance and carrying out activities. The purpose of Life is a matter of Fundamental or Essential Nature, but only through an appropriate media (manifestation) can this Nature be demonstrated. This is where Appearance comes in; Appearance is necessary to illustrate (transmit) this Essential Nature.

Everything has these three aspects. Take a table for example. The Body of a table is unspeakable and is empty in Nature; but its appearance allows it to be named “table”, and it serves certain functions that justify it being called “table”.

In our meditation practice, the mind is the Body, the physical body is the Appearance and the breathing is the Purpose. Or another way to classify it is: the mind is the Body, the breathing is the Appearance and the physical body is the Purpose. The classification is not as important as noticing the inter-relationship and inter-dependency of the three. Are they three or are they one? For an ordinary being, these three aspects are separate and independent. When your mind, your breathing and your physical body become One, you are on the path of Enlightenment! Do not analyze the three aspects; realize them through your practice.

For us beginners in practice, these three aspects are difficult to grasp or comprehend. Just be aware of these aspects for now, with more practice, you will realize them. Again, keep on practicing!

P.S.
The full name of Hua Yen Sutra is Mahavalpulya Buddhavatamsaka Sutra.

Maha – Body, realm of Buddhahood
Val – Appearance, Dharmadhutu, the all-inclusive Dharma Realm
Pulya – Purpose, Realization
Mahavalpulya: the realization

Buddha – Enlightenment
Vatamsaka – Path
Buddhavatamsaka – path leading to enlightenment, the capacity to develop realization

Sutra – the record of the process
When the realization and the capacity to develop realization are brought together, then only can the realization of enlightenment occur.