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'''Nirmāṇakāya''' ({{Sanskrit|निर्माणकाय}} "manifested body, emanation body"; {{w:Tibetan script|Tibetan]]: སྤྲུལ་སྐུ, Tulku, also Trülku or Trulku, transcription according to [[w:Wylie transliteration|Wylie]]: ''sprul sku''; [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]]: ''Kuutuktu''), also translated as "living Buddha", is the supersensible body through which a [[Buddha]], after he has completed his last earthly incarnation and passed through death, from now on only has an effect on earthly events in ethereal or astral form. In Buddhism, the nirmanakaya is also regarded as an emanation or manifestation body that can not only be perceived by [[initiate]]s or [[bodhisattva]]s, but under certain conditions can also become visible to ordinary beings who have not undergone conscious training of the mind. High initiates with fully developed nirmanakaya, who do not need another earthly incarnation for their own development, can nevertheless decide to descend to a new earthly life for the benefit of humanity. For example, according to the teachings of Tibetan [[Vajrayana]] [[Buddhism]], high Buddhist masters can consciously decide for a certain rebirth on earth. The respective [[Dalai Lama]] is considered the highest Trulku here. The current 14th Dalai Lama is the Buddhist monk Tendzin Gyatsho.
'''Nirmāṇakāya''' ({{Sanskrit|निर्माणकाय}} "manifested body, emanation body"; {{w:Tibetan script|Tibetan]]: སྤྲུལ་སྐུ, Tulku, also Trülku or Trulku, transcription according to [[w:Wylie transliteration|Wylie]]: ''sprul sku''; [[w:Mongolian language|Mongolian]]: ''Kuutuktu''), also translated as "living Buddha", is the supersensible body through which a [[Buddha]], after he has completed his last earthly incarnation and passed through death, from now on only has an effect on earthly events in ethereal or astral form. In Buddhism, the nirmanakaya is also regarded as an emanation or manifestation body that can not only be perceived by [[initiate]]s or [[bodhisattva]]s, but under certain conditions can also become visible to ordinary beings who have not undergone conscious training of the mind. High initiates with fully developed nirmanakaya, who do not need another earthly incarnation for their own development, can nevertheless decide to descend to a new earthly life for the benefit of humanity. For example, according to the teachings of Tibetan [[Vajrayana]] [[Buddhism]], high Buddhist masters can consciously decide for a certain rebirth on earth. The respective [[Dalai Lama]] is considered the highest Trulku here. The current 14th Dalai Lama is the Buddhist monk [[w:Tenzin Gyatso|Tenzin Gyatso]].


[[Rudolf Steiner]] primarily refers to the [[astral body]] that has been fully transformed into [[manas]] and leaves no remains in the [[kamaloka]] after death as nirmanakaya:  
[[Rudolf Steiner]] primarily refers to the [[astral body]] that has been fully transformed into [[manas]] and leaves no remains in the [[kamaloka]] after death as nirmanakaya:  
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{{GZ|Man dies, soon after death the etheric body is detached, an extract remains. Man goes through Kamaloka, there the unprocessed shell is detached; what is processed goes in the I through all eternity, it is brought back to the new incarnation. The more perfect a man is, the less will be these remnants which he leaves behind in the astral world, until at last he is so far advanced that nothing of his astral body remains in Kamaloka, until he is so far advanced that he cannot, so to speak, be harmful to anyone on earth through the remnants which he leaves behind in Kamaloka. Such a person then has the possibility of looking into the spiritual worlds. For it is not possible to reach this state without having attained a certain degree of clairvoyance in the astral. The whole astral body is then spiritualised, has become spirit-self, the whole astral body is taken along. In former times what was bad had to be left behind, now the whole astral body can be taken along into the whole subsequent time. And at the moment when the astral body is so far worked through, the whole new form of the astral body, of the spirit self, is pressed into the etheric body, so that the etheric body is then an imprint of this astral body which has thus been reworked. It does not need to be completely reworked itself, but what could be worked into the astral body is printed into the etheric body. In short, you see, we have thus described a particularly high being, which has come far in the most eminent sense by having developed the whole spirit-self. This being is now called Nirmanakaya in Eastern science, for its astral body, its astral kaya, has reached the stage where it leaves no remains. That is a Nirmanakaya.|110|149ff}}
{{GZ|Man dies, soon after death the etheric body is detached, an extract remains. Man goes through Kamaloka, there the unprocessed shell is detached; what is processed goes in the I through all eternity, it is brought back to the new incarnation. The more perfect a man is, the less will be these remnants which he leaves behind in the astral world, until at last he is so far advanced that nothing of his astral body remains in Kamaloka, until he is so far advanced that he cannot, so to speak, be harmful to anyone on earth through the remnants which he leaves behind in Kamaloka. Such a person then has the possibility of looking into the spiritual worlds. For it is not possible to reach this state without having attained a certain degree of clairvoyance in the astral. The whole astral body is then spiritualised, has become spirit-self, the whole astral body is taken along. In former times what was bad had to be left behind, now the whole astral body can be taken along into the whole subsequent time. And at the moment when the astral body is so far worked through, the whole new form of the astral body, of the spirit self, is pressed into the etheric body, so that the etheric body is then an imprint of this astral body which has thus been reworked. It does not need to be completely reworked itself, but what could be worked into the astral body is printed into the etheric body. In short, you see, we have thus described a particularly high being, which has come far in the most eminent sense by having developed the whole spirit-self. This being is now called Nirmanakaya in Eastern science, for its astral body, its astral kaya, has reached the stage where it leaves no remains. That is a Nirmanakaya.|110|149ff}}


The Buddha's members are then shaped similarly to those of an [[Angel}}.  
The Buddha's members are then shaped similarly to those of an [[Angel]].
 
According to Rudolf Steiner, however, an [[etheric body]] that is completely preserved after death can also be called a Nirmanakya:
 
{{GZ|An etheric body that is acquired through various incarnations can remain preserved as a single one; one that is dispersed gives copies, imprints. An etheric body that preserves itself as a single one may be called Nirmanakaya, and such an etheric body that comes forth from division, Dharmakaya.|109|295}}
 
When etheric body and astral body are preserved, the Nirmanakaya has reached its most perfect stage of development. Such a Nirmanakya is comparable to the supersensible body of an [[Archangel]].
 
The Nirmanakaya can also appear as a multiplicity of beings. Thus, as Rudolf Steiner explains, the host of Angels who announced the birth of the [[Nathanian Jesus boy]] to the shepherds in the field was in fact the Nirmanakaya of [[Buddha Shakyamuni]]:
 
{{GZ|The Nirmanakaya of the Buddha appeared to the shepherds in the form of the angelic hosts. Then the Buddha shone forth in his Nirmanakaya and thus revealed himself to the shepherds.|114|72}}
 
Later, when the [[Nathanian Jesus]] was in his 12th year and, with sexual maturity, shed his youthful astral mother-shell, the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha joined and permeated it and was itself rejuvenated. Through his rejuvenated supersensible body, the Buddha was able to give his teaching in a completely new, childlike, fresh way, thus inspiring the writer of the [[Gospel of Luke]].


== Literature ==
== Literature ==

Revision as of 07:58, 24 December 2021

Nirmāṇakāya (Sanskritनिर्माणकाय "manifested body, emanation body"; {{w:Tibetan script|Tibetan]]: སྤྲུལ་སྐུ, Tulku, also Trülku or Trulku, transcription according to Wylie: sprul sku; Mongolian: Kuutuktu), also translated as "living Buddha", is the supersensible body through which a Buddha, after he has completed his last earthly incarnation and passed through death, from now on only has an effect on earthly events in ethereal or astral form. In Buddhism, the nirmanakaya is also regarded as an emanation or manifestation body that can not only be perceived by initiates or bodhisattvas, but under certain conditions can also become visible to ordinary beings who have not undergone conscious training of the mind. High initiates with fully developed nirmanakaya, who do not need another earthly incarnation for their own development, can nevertheless decide to descend to a new earthly life for the benefit of humanity. For example, according to the teachings of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, high Buddhist masters can consciously decide for a certain rebirth on earth. The respective Dalai Lama is considered the highest Trulku here. The current 14th Dalai Lama is the Buddhist monk Tenzin Gyatso.

Rudolf Steiner primarily refers to the astral body that has been fully transformed into manas and leaves no remains in the kamaloka after death as nirmanakaya:

„Man dies, soon after death the etheric body is detached, an extract remains. Man goes through Kamaloka, there the unprocessed shell is detached; what is processed goes in the I through all eternity, it is brought back to the new incarnation. The more perfect a man is, the less will be these remnants which he leaves behind in the astral world, until at last he is so far advanced that nothing of his astral body remains in Kamaloka, until he is so far advanced that he cannot, so to speak, be harmful to anyone on earth through the remnants which he leaves behind in Kamaloka. Such a person then has the possibility of looking into the spiritual worlds. For it is not possible to reach this state without having attained a certain degree of clairvoyance in the astral. The whole astral body is then spiritualised, has become spirit-self, the whole astral body is taken along. In former times what was bad had to be left behind, now the whole astral body can be taken along into the whole subsequent time. And at the moment when the astral body is so far worked through, the whole new form of the astral body, of the spirit self, is pressed into the etheric body, so that the etheric body is then an imprint of this astral body which has thus been reworked. It does not need to be completely reworked itself, but what could be worked into the astral body is printed into the etheric body. In short, you see, we have thus described a particularly high being, which has come far in the most eminent sense by having developed the whole spirit-self. This being is now called Nirmanakaya in Eastern science, for its astral body, its astral kaya, has reached the stage where it leaves no remains. That is a Nirmanakaya.“ (Lit.:GA 110, p. 149ff)

The Buddha's members are then shaped similarly to those of an Angel.

According to Rudolf Steiner, however, an etheric body that is completely preserved after death can also be called a Nirmanakya:

„An etheric body that is acquired through various incarnations can remain preserved as a single one; one that is dispersed gives copies, imprints. An etheric body that preserves itself as a single one may be called Nirmanakaya, and such an etheric body that comes forth from division, Dharmakaya.“ (Lit.:GA 109, p. 295)

When etheric body and astral body are preserved, the Nirmanakaya has reached its most perfect stage of development. Such a Nirmanakya is comparable to the supersensible body of an Archangel.

The Nirmanakaya can also appear as a multiplicity of beings. Thus, as Rudolf Steiner explains, the host of Angels who announced the birth of the Nathanian Jesus boy to the shepherds in the field was in fact the Nirmanakaya of Buddha Shakyamuni:

„The Nirmanakaya of the Buddha appeared to the shepherds in the form of the angelic hosts. Then the Buddha shone forth in his Nirmanakaya and thus revealed himself to the shepherds.“ (Lit.:GA 114, p. 72)

Later, when the Nathanian Jesus was in his 12th year and, with sexual maturity, shed his youthful astral mother-shell, the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha joined and permeated it and was itself rejuvenated. Through his rejuvenated supersensible body, the Buddha was able to give his teaching in a completely new, childlike, fresh way, thus inspiring the writer of the Gospel of Luke.

Literature

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.