The 3 Jewels, The Buddha and the Trikaya Doctrine

The Three Jewels

There are three precious ideals that Buddhists try to put at their centre of their lives. These are often referred to as the Three Jewels of Buddhism or the Triratna, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. These are also referred to as the Three Refuges. If one formally becomes a Buddhist, one "Goes for Refuge to the Three Jewels", this means that one "takes" or repeats the verses of refuge and the ethical precepts or Silas from a monk or elder.

The Buddha

The Buddha, this is the title given to the historical individual Siddhartha Gautama. Here the Buddha represents the ideal of human growth and development. The ideal for Buddhists is that Bodhi, wisdom or enlightenment is possible, and that the teaching of the Buddha shows the way to achieve this.

The Trikaya Doctrine

As Buddhism developed a distinction was made between the historical person of the Buddha himself, the Rupakaya, and the experience or state of mind that the Buddha experienced, which is open to all, the Dharmakaya.

As Buddhism further developed a third Kaya or body was added. This is called the Samboghakaya. This literally means the "body of mutual delight", and is best understood as the symbolic Buddha, the Buddha as a symbol or archetype. The Rupakaya became known or renamed as the Nirmanakaya (the Created Body). This division became known as the Trikaya Doctrine.