Quick Question - Dharmakaya and Dharmadhatu

Forum for discussion of Tibetan Buddhism. Questions specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
Konchog1
Posts: 1673
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 4:30 am

Quick Question - Dharmakaya and Dharmadhatu

Post by Konchog1 »

So I was thinking just now, Dharmakaya is emptiness of the mind and Dharmadhatu is emptiness of phenomena right?

So ultimately Dharmakaya and Dharmadhatu are the same thing right? Since they're both emptiness?
Equanimity is the ground. Love is the moisture. Compassion is the seed. Bodhicitta is the result.

-Paraphrase of Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tsephel citing the Guhyasamaja Tantra

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.
Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

-Ra Lotsawa, All-pervading Melodious Drumbeats
User avatar
futerko
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:58 am

Re: Quick Question - Dharmakaya and Dharmadhatu

Post by futerko »

I get the impression that Dharmakaya, truth-body, (body as in a body of knowledge) is more on the side of the subject, i.e. including jñāna, while Dharmadhatu is the more on the side of the objective nature of things (including also pratītyasamutpāda), which would be the result of Dharmakaya.
User avatar
monktastic
Posts: 489
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:48 am
Location: NYC

Re: Quick Question - Dharmakaya and Dharmadhatu

Post by monktastic »

Can't say I understand, but here's Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche on the distinction:

http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Dharmadhatu
The main image of dharmadhatu is that of space—the ‘space of all things’ within which all phenomena manifest, abide and dissolve back into. […] Dharmadhatu is the basic environment of all phenomena, whether they belong to samsara or nirvana. It encompasses whatever appears and exists, including the worlds and all beings.[…] The relationship between dharmadhatu, dharmakaya and [the wisdom of dharmadhatu] is like the relationship between a place, a person and the person’s mind. If there is no place, there is no environment for the person to exist in; and there is no person unless that person also has a mind dwelling in the body. In the same way, the main field or realm called dharmadhatu has the nature of dharmakaya. Dharmakaya has the quality of [the wisdom of dharmadhatu], which is like the mind aspect. […] "Dharmadhatu is adorned with dharmakaya, which is endowed with [the wisdom of dharmadhatu]." This is a brief but very profound statement, because ‘dharmadhatu’ also refers to sugatagarbha or buddha nature.
This undistracted state of ordinary mind
Is the meditation.
One will understand it in due course.

--Gampopa
Post Reply

Return to “Tibetan Buddhism”