Note 1 — THE DIAMOND SUTRA

“Primitive Buddhism distinguished a material, visible, and perishable body (Seh-Shen—lit., the Body of Form) and an immaterial, invisible, immortal body (Fah-Shen—lit., the Body of Law) as the constituents of every personality. This dichotomism, taught, as it seems by Sakyamuni himself, was ever afterwards retained as regards the nature of ordinary mortals. But in later ages, when the combined influence of Sivaism, which ascribed to Siva a threefold body (called Dharmakaya—essence, Sambhogakaya—reflex intelligence, and Nirmanakaya—practical issue of his intelligence), and that of Brahmanism with its Trimurti, gave rise to the Buddhist dogma of a Triratna (San-Pao—the precious Buddha, the precious Law, and the precious Priesthood), trichotomism was taught with regard to the nature of all Buddhas. Again they ascribed to every Buddha a triple form of existence, viewing him: (1) as having entered Nirvana; (2) as existing in reflex in the world of form; (3) as existing or having existed on earth.”—Handbook of Chinese Buddhism. Eitel.