- Rainbow body
A rainbow body(Chinese: 虹光身 / 光蘊身;
Cantonese: Hong Gworng Sun / Gworng Whun Sun;Tibetan language : Jalü or Jalus (Wylie 'ja' lus) is a body not made of flesh, but consists of pure light.Besides secret and unrevealed scriptures, the rainbow body is also mentioned in some
Mahayana Sutras , for example, "Mahayana Secret Sublime Sutra" (大乘密嚴經,Taisho Tripitaka 0681, 0682) says:They had therefore achieved the Wisdom Concentration, and acquired Mind-Created Bodies, which are adorned with mighty supernatural powers. Such bodies are free of any interspaces, bones, or substances, they are like the sun and the moon, like rainbows, electricity, finest gold, luminous pearls, Sphatikas, Pravadas, Hridaras, Campakas, Pavonine Flowers and Moons, and the images from mirrors.
In Dzogchen
The "rainbow body" is the physical mastery state of
Dzogchen of theNyingma paMantrayana and theBönpo where thetrikaya is inaccord and thenirmanakaya is congruent withbodymind and the integrity of themindstream (theheartmind ) is realised asDharmakaya . The corporeal body of the realisedDzogchenpa which is nowhallowed , returns to the pure primordial energetic essence-quality of theFive Pure Lights of the five elemental processes of which it is constituted throughphowa and theBardo ofMahasamadhi orParinirvana . This is then projected as the mindstream through the process ofphowa . The realiser of "Jalus" resides in the 'once upon a time' time out of time, timeless eternal state that is considered a mystery.Fact|date=June 2007According to Dzogchen
lore , the attainment of the Rainbow Body is the sign of complete realisation of the Dzogchen view. AsTenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002: p.141) states: “The realised Dzogchen practitioner, no longer deluded by apparent substantiality or dualism such as mind and matter, releases the energy of the elements that compose the physical body at the time of death”.More specifically, the rainbow body is constituted by the Five Pure Lights. When the view of Dzogchen and the integrity of the mindstream which links the Trikaya is realised prior to the death-
Bardo (Skt. "antarabhava"), thebodymind of the Nirmanakaya (Tib. "sprul sku") Dzogchenpa enterssamadhi (Tib. "ting nge ‘dzin") ["Samadhi" may refer to any one of a number of meditative states ortrance .] and commencesPhowa or the ‘transferral of consciousness’ into the constituent Five Pure Lights of theSambhogakaya (Tib. "longs sku") [Sambhogakaya or “enjoyment body” is constituted entirely of light. The sambhogakaya manifestation of various buddha is often visualized intantric andsutric sadhana . In Dzogchen, the mystery of thedharmakaya manifestation is visualised such asYab-yum Samantabadra~Samantabadri.] to theDharmakaya , sometimes leaving the non-living elements of the bodymind such as hair and nails.There have been a number of documented sightings of the Jalus process through the Bardo of death which may take a number of days to complete. The bodymind of the Nirmanakaya in samadhi, all the time decreasing its dimentionality as the constituent Five Pure Lights of the mindstream are transmuted into the 'glorious body' of Sambhogakaya.
From the case studies of those who have realised the rainbow body the practices of
tregchöd andthödgal are key.Those who have realised the rainbow body according to tradition
* Togden Ugyen TendzinFact|date=June 2008
* Khenpo A-chosFact|date=June 2008
* In 1953Ayu Khandro realised the rainbow body.Fact|date=June 2008Notes
References
*"Mahayana Secret Sublime Sutra" (大乘密嚴經,
Taisho Tripitaka 0681, 0682)
*"The Scripture of Forty-nine Chapters, by Ultra Supreme Emptiness Emperor, the Heavenly Lord" (太上虛皇天尊四十九章經), in the "Orthodox Tao Store" (正統道藏) compiled during Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 – 1644)
*"A Poem that Enlightens Those Who Get Lost and Rectifies the Way to Tao" (破迷正道歌) by Taoist master Tzong Ley Kyun during Torng Dynasty (AD 617 – 960)
*"The Great Dictionary of Taoism"(道教大辭典), by Chinese Taoism Association, published in China in 1994, ISBN 7-5080-0112-5/B.054
*Norbu, Chögyal NamkhaiRinpoche (Edited by John Shane) (1988). "The Crystal and the Way of Light.".Routledge & Kegan Paul . ISBN 0140190848
*Norbu, Chögyal Namkhai (1999). "The Crystal and The Way of Light: Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen". Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1-55939-135-9
*Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002). "Healing with Form, Energy, and Light". Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1559391766
*Rinpoche, Sogyal; Harvey, Andrew (Editor) & Gaffney, Patrick (Editor)(1993). "Tibetan Book of Living and Dying". (Rev and Updated ed.). HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 9780062508348 ISBN 0062508342
*Reynolds, John Myrdhin (1996). "The Golden Letters". (1st ed edition). Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1559390506 ISBN 978-1559390507
*Blackman, Sushila (Compiled and edited) (1997). "Graceful Exits: How Great Beings Die: Death Stories Of Tibetan, Hindu & Zen Masters". New York, US: Weatherhill, Inc. ISBN 0 8348 0391 7ee also
Sakhu, transformation to
Akh in ancient Egyptian belief.External links
* [http://fodian.yolook.net/world/rainbow/rainbowa.html The Images of Rainbow Body]
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