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nirmanakaya

Buddhism
Also known as: nirmanakaya

Quick Summary

In Mahāyāna Buddhism, the nirmanakaya is one of the three bodies, or modes of being, of the Buddha. It is the "body of transformation" and represents the earthly manifestation of the Buddha. This can be the historical Buddha, Gautama, appearing on Earth, or any earthly bodhisattva, king, painting, or even a natural object like a lotus. The nirmanakaya is the visible form of the Buddha that ordinary humans can see and interact with. It is the body that was born, achieved enlightenment, and taught the dharma.12

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