Nirmanakaya, Nirmana-kaya, Nirmāṇakāya: 8 definitions
Introduction:
Nirmanakaya means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Hinduism
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय).—Śiva has a body called Nirmāṇakāya at the time of his avatāra. “Śiva has an avatāraśarīra called Nirmāṇakāya with śuddhasattva as the principal aspect” (Kannaḍa Nighaṇṭu, vol. 5, p. 4696).
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
The four aspects of the Nirmāṇakāya are part of the Sixteen Aspects (ṣoḍaśākārā) of Gnosis (jñāna) in terms of ultimate reality.
- the Nirmāṇa-body (nirmāṇa-kāya)
- the Nirmāṇa-mind (nirmāṇa-citta)
- the Nirmāṇa-speech (nirmāṇa-vāc)
- the Nirmāṇa-gnosis (nirmāṇa-jñāna)
Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय) (Sanskrit; in Tibetan: sprul sku) — (lit. “Emanation body”) — Within the compass of the formbody, the aspect of a buddha that appears for the sake of ordinary sentient beings. A single buddha may manifest multiple emanation bodies, which may be in human, animal, or inanimate form. The “historical Buddha” Śākyamuni is generally regarded as an emanation body. The Tibetan term for emanation body, trulku, is used to designate a deliberately reincarnated lama
Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय) refers to the “Buddha-body of Emanation” and is associated with the “vase empowerment” (Tibetan: bum-dbang) which represents one of the “Four Empowerments” of the Unsurpassed Yoga Tantras (including Mahāyoga) which are also known in Sanskrit as caturabhiṣeka.—The vase empowerment (bum-dbang) purifies the ordinary body and its energy channels into the Buddha-body of Emanation (nirmāṇakāya).
Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय) refers to the “transformation body”, according to Buddhist teachings followed by the Newah in Nepal, Kathmandu Valley (whose roots can be traced to the Licchavi period, 300-879 CE).—In the Mahāyāna, the Buddha became understood as has having "three bodies", the trikāya, which consists of the dharmakāya, "the reality body", the Buddha as the ultimate reality of emptiness, sambhogakāya, "the enjoyment body", the Buddha as a divine mystical being, and nirmāṇakāya, "the transformation body", the Buddha in human form. The sambhogakāya, is seen as the form of the Buddha which taught the Mahāyāna sūtras. This celestial understanding of buddhahood lead to a burgeoning of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in divine form.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
General definition (in Buddhism)
Nirmānakāya; See Trikāya.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय).—m., body of magic transformation: Mahāvyutpatti 118; Daśabhūmikasūtra.g. 6(342).22. In Mahāvyutpatti contrasts with dhar- ma-k° (3) and saṃbhoga-k°; see s.v. kāya, end. In Asaṅga (Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra) ix.60, 63 nairmāṇikaḥ k°; Lévi métamorphique. See also Mus, Barabudur (II) 643 ff. (corps d'artifice). In Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 241.7 nirmāṇa-kāyair may be an early occurrence of this; see Suzuki's translation(s), and Studies p. 145; compare also Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 314.2. Cf. nairmāṇikaṃ (q.v.) kāyaṃ Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 73.9 (verse), but the same verse 276.10 reads nairvāṇikaṃ.
Nirmāṇakāya (निर्माणकाय):—[=nir-māṇa-kāya] [from nir-māṇa > nir-mā] m. the body of transformations, [Buddhist literature; Monier-Williams’ Buddhism 247]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Kannada-English dictionary
Nirmāṇakāya (ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಕಾಯ):—[noun] the material body in which a god incarnates in this world.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Nirmana, Kaya.
Full-text (+98): Ying shen, Hua shen, Bian hua shen, Jue yong, Nirmana, Ying hua shen, Fa hua sheng shen, Sheng hua er shen, Da shen, Jia chi shen, San shen, Er se shen, Zhang liu, Dharmakaya, Wu sheng zhi sheng, Zhen fu, Dharmatabuddha, Nirmanabuddha, Ying ji, Ying xing.
Relevant text
Search found 26 books and stories containing Nirmanakaya, Nirmana-kaya, Nirmāṇa-kāya, Nirmāṇakāya; (plurals include: Nirmanakayas, kayas, kāyas, Nirmāṇakāyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Blue Annals (deb-ther sngon-po) (by George N. Roerich)
Chapter 1 - Homage (mchod par brjod pa) < [Book 1 - The beginning of the story of the Doctrine]
Chapter 1c - The Zur Geneology (xi): Zhig po bdud rtsi < [Book 3 - Early translations of Secret Mantra]
Chapter 18a - Rgyal ba yang dgon pa < [Book 8 - The famous Dakpo Kagyü (traditions)]
The Great Chariot (by Longchenpa)
Part 3e.2c - The various nirmanakayas < [B. The explanation of the kayas and wisdoms]
Part 3e.1 - Nirmanakaya: The brief teaching < [B. The explanation of the kayas and wisdoms]
Part 3e.2b - The nirmanakayas who are tamers of beings < [B. The explanation of the kayas and wisdoms]
Advayavajra-samgraha (Sanskrit text and English introduction) (by Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri)
Part 3 - The three Kayas < [Introduction]
Part 1 - Introduction (to the Advayavajra-samgraha) < [Introduction]
Chapter 8 - Pancakara < [Sanskrit texts of the Advayavajra-samgraha]
Bodhisattvacharyavatara (by Andreas Kretschmar)
Text Sections 165-166 < [Khenpo Chöga’s Oral Explanations]
Text Sections 248-249 < [Khenpo Chöga’s Oral Explanations]
Text Section 309 < [Khenpo Chöga’s Oral Explanations]
Hevajra Tantra (analytical study) (by Seung Ho Nam)
6. The Tenets of Vajrayana in Hevajra Tantra < [Chapter 1 - Tantric Buddhism]
3.1. The Generation Stage < [Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra]
1.3. (i) Existence of Gotra < [Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra]
The Six Yogas of Naropa (by C. A. Musés)