“The Dharma body is the principle and nature of Fundamental Enlightenment. The reward body is Perfect Wisdom, or Initial Enlightenment. The transformation body is a compassionate appearance in response to living beings. The Buddha responds to the needs of living beings who are suffering by compassionately appearing in response to them.

“Another way to explain this is that the Dharma body is Vairocana Buddha, which translates as ‘All Pervasive Light.’ The reward body is Niṣyanda Buddha, which means ‘Fulfillment of Purity.’ The transformation body is Śākyamuni Buddha, which translates as ‘Capable of Humaneness,’ and ‘Still and Silent.’ The three bodies are not one and yet not different. The bodies are one, because there are three bodies. But they are not different, because the three issue from one Buddha.

It is because the potentials and conditions of living beings are different that beings see differently. Some see the reward body, others see the response body, and still others see the Dharma body. Again, taking a pearl as an analogy, the Dharma body is the substance of the pearl, which is round and perfect. The reward body is like the pure light emitted by the pearl. The response bodies are like the inter-reflections of pearls —pearl reflected within pearl. Apart from the substance, there is no light. Apart from the light, there is no reflection. The three are one.” (BNS I 11)

佛之三身