Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c7.s2.t11.19

c7.s2.t11.19

(iv) The Laṅkāvatāra explains the relation of Nirmāṇakāya to Dharmakāya in the same way as the Kārikā. It states that Nirmitabuddhas are not produced by actions; the Tathāgata is neither in them nor outside them (sarve hi nirmitabuddhā na karmaprabhavā na teṣu tathāgato na cānyatra tebhyas tathāgataḥ.¹ It is only when the sons of the Jina realise the visible world to have no existence apart from the citta that they obtain the Nirmāṇakāya free from kriyā and saṃskāra, and endowed with bala, abhijñā and vaśitā.² Like the Siddhi, it says that the Tathāgatas by creating Nirmāṇakāya perform the various duties of a Tathāgata (Tathāgatakṛtya).³ It gives also the interesting information that Vajrapāṇi serves as an attendant on the Nirmitanirmāṇabuddhas, and not on the real Buddhas,⁴ and that the function of such a Buddha is to preach and explain the characteristics of dāna, śīla, dhyāna, samādhi, citta, prajñā, jñāna, skandha, dhātu, āyatana, vimokṣa, and vijñāna.⁵