Etheric, Astral and Mental bodies

What is the commonality, and intersection with dhamma on the three types of bodies? So far I was aware of Mind made body and physical body only before reading about this article on 3 part series

There’s a concept of three bodies of a Buddha in later Mahāyāna thought.

  • Dharmakāya developed from EBT references to a “body of truth.” Over the millennia, it developed from a metaphor in EBTs to the concept of a primordial Buddha that was the basis of the other two Buddha bodies.
  • Saṃbhogakāya refers to the Buddhas who inhabit pure lands like Amitâbha in Sukhāvatī.
  • Nirmāṇakāya is the Buddha who’s born in the ordinary world like Śākyamuni.
3 Likes

The equivalent term in early Buddhism is “mind made body” (manomayakaya).

It was discussed before in this thread : The Mind-Made Body (manomayakaya)

3 Likes

In the Potthapada Sutta (DN.9) there is mention about three types of self. Olarika, Manomaya, and Arupi. I think they are related in someway.
With Metta

1 Like

I found this in DN 9 which looks similar “Potthapada, there are these three acquisitions of a self : the gross acquisition of a self, the mind-made acquisition of a self, and the formless acquisition of a self. And what is the gross acquisition of a self? Possessed of form, made up of the four great existents, feeding on physical food: this is the gross acquisition of a self. And what is the mind-made acquisition of a self? Possessed of form, mind-made, complete in all its parts, not inferior in its faculties: this is the mind-made acquisition of a self. And what is the formless acquisition of a self? Formless and made of perception: this is the formless acquisition of a self”

In seven enlightenment factors the energy enlightenment factor is described like this “In one who investigates and examines that state with wisdom and embarks upon a full inquiry into it, tireless energy is aroused. On whatever occasion tireless energy is aroused in a bhikkhu who investigates and examines that state with wisdom and embarks upon a full inquiry into it—on that occasion the energy enlightenment factor is aroused in him, and he develops it, and by development it comes to fulfilment in him.“

Though nowhere the description and connection of these three bodies and energy exchange as mentioned in initial 3 links I had posted is described to the completion, wondering why would that be?

My rudimentary understanding is that physical body is the Olarika, mental is the manomaya and emotional is the arupi.

The way I understand DN.9, all three are acquisitions in the sense that they are three ways of looking at the physical form with the notion of a self.
With Metta

1 Like