廣弘明集 21.37

21.37

The dharmakāya is open and quiescent, far removed from the realms of existence and non-existence, singularly liberated beyond causes and conditions. It cannot be known by wisdom; it cannot be cognized by consciousness. How could it be discussed and debated through designations? Yet wishing to reveal the principle, one cannot remain silent; hence, conforming to speech, there arose the designation 'dharmakāya'. In India it is called *dharma-śarīra*; in this land it is called *fashen* ('Dharma-body'). In terms of its immediate substance, it is the name of its own-nature; in terms of speech, its name is established through mutual dependence. 'Dharma' has the meaning of a standard or model; 'body' has the sense of possessing substance. The substance of the model is therefore called dharmakāya. Briefly speaking in terms of language and roughly presenting its substance: it is the eternally abiding body, it is the vajra body. Yet if one examines it closely, its principle is not like this. If it were definitely vajra, it would be a name and characteristic; if it were definitely eternally abiding, it would become a spatial location. That which is called 'eternally abiding' was originally a provisional designation; that which is called 'vajra' was originally a metaphorical expression. When discussing its true substance, its nature is identical to non-arising. Therefore it is said: 'The Buddha's body is unconditioned and does not fall into conditioned phenomena.' Thus the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* states: 'The Tathāgata's body is a non-body. This body is measureless and boundless, without footprints, without knowledge, without form, and ultimately pure.' Without knowledge and pure, yet it cannot be considered defiled; called 'wondrous existence', yet it is again non-existent. Free from non-existence and free from existence—this is what is called the dharmakāya.