The third system is a combination of all bodies from the two groups mentioned above.
The bodies from the crudest mnk to the current human body are categorised into the first group. It contains the human bodies in countless number [See: Illustration 33, no. 2].
Counting from the current mnk to the refined arahant dhammakāya, the total number of bodies is eighteen [See: Illustration 33, no.1]. From the refined arahant dhammakāya to the most refined dhammakāya, the number of bodies is countless [See: Illustration 33, no.
3]. It should be understood that the number of the inner bodies is uncountable by mundane bodies: 1) mnk, 2) dbk, 3) rup and 4) arup. It is countable by the supramundane bodies which are the dhammakāyas. Due to the vast number of inner bodies, the numeric system below is used by the meditator in order to calculate the number of the bodies they attained.
The method for counting asaṃkhaya [119]
1) Zero, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, koṭi (ten million), ten thousand koṭi and a hundred thousand koṭi.
2) Ten million koṭi is pakoṭi
3) Ten million pakoṭi is koṭipakoṭi
4) Ten million koṭipakoṭi is nahut
5) Ten million nahut is ninnahut
6) Ten million ninnahut is akkhobhinī
7) Ten million akkhobhinī is bindu
8) Ten million bindu is abbhuda
9) Ten million abbhuda is nirabuda
10) Ten million nirabuda is ahaha
11) Ten million ahaha is abba
12) Ten million abba is aṭaṭa
13) Ten million aṭaṭa is sogandhika
14) Ten million sogandhiga is upala
15) Ten million upala is kamula
16) Ten million kamula is pamuda
17) Ten million pamuda is puṇḍika
18) Ten million puṇḍika is akathāna
19) Ten million akathāna is mahākathāna
20) Ten million mahākathāna is one asaṃkhaya.190
190 D4. pp. 42-3.
The bodies are arranged in groups. Each group has a particular name and a particular number of inner bodies. For example, the D4 explains that:
The mnk, dbk, rup, arup, dhamma body, and the more refined bodies from the crudest to the most refined status are called ‗first thao‟ (เถาแรก) as the bowls are overlapped like a ‗thao [120]‘.191
The bodies of one ‗thao‘ are overlapped in a forward order from the crudest to the most refined status and are one ‗chut [121]‘.
The bodies of one ‗chut‘ are multiplied and overlapped in a forward order from the crudest to the most refined status and constitutes one ‗chan [122]‘.
The bodies of one ‗chan‘ are multiplied and overlapped in a forward order from the crudest to the most refined status and constitute one ‗ton [123]‘.
The bodies of one ‗ton‘ are multiplied and overlapped in a forward order from the crudest to the most refined status to constitute one ‗phak [124]‘.
The bodies of one ‗phak‘ are multiplied and overlapped in a forward order from the crudest to the most refined status to constitute one ‗phuet [125]‘.192
Illustration 35: The method for counting of the inner bodies
These inner body systems are significant at the advanced level of Vd. Intellectual understating of these systems, attaining and seeing these bodies is far more important. In
191 Something that is overlapped in layers (เถา, thao).
192 Ibid., pp. 94-6.
addition, there is a system of other inner bodies called ‗kaiyasit (กายสิทธิ์)‘ existing as its counterpart.
Kaiyasit (the escorts) [126]
The escort is a counterpart body of the mnk. However, it is not a part of the inner bodies mentioned above. It has all kinds of inner bodies from the crudest to the most refined body as in the mnk, but they exist within like the inner layers of a human‘s bodies. The escort‘s duty is to take care of the human by providing all kinds of environments such as natural wealth or weather etc.193 The D3 says:
The method for seeing small realms, large realms of kaiyasit is the same as the method for seeing nipphan, phopsam and lokan and the five bodies from the crudest to most refined status of the human…The difference is that the centres of the things (Pali: dhātudhamma) of kaiyasit always wrap the centres of the same kinds of things of the human. They all have a pair of everything viz. there is the centre of the thing of the mnk. There is the centre of the same thing belonging to kaiyasit wrapping inside the centre of such thing of mnk. It is similar to the bark wraps of the trunk of a tree. It is similar to the centre of the realm, nipphan, lokan and body, when you see inside the centre of them; you will see the realm, nipphan, lokan and bodies of such body.194
These escorts always take care of the human body. The levels of evironments depend on the levels of the perfections (Pali: pāramī) of each individual. Its inner body systems are similar to that of the inner bodies of a human. All bodies of kaiyasit have their own realms. The only difference is the centres of bodies and the realms of kaiyasit always wrap the centres of the bodies and realms of the mnk.
Conclusion
In order to eradicate the idea that Vd is an adaptation of other practices, this dissertation studies all the primary texts of Vd. Due to the complexity of the material found in the original texts of Vd, this chapter has provided various elements for a proper understanding of the essential concepts. To sammarise:
193 D2. pp. 41-2.
194 D3. pp. 61-3.
1. The spheres of thattham are the original factor of everything which exists in the universe. These spheres are the primary element of all bodies and realms and are divided into two categories. The first, wirakhathat-tham, is the level where the bodies and realms exist and are beyond the control of impurities. In other words, this level is the body and the realm of arahant-dhammakāya which has its realm called ‗nibbāna‘. The second, sarakhathat-tham, is subdivided into two levels; asangkhatathat-tham and sangkhatathat-tham. The first of these is the level of the remaining dhammakāyas existing beyond the control of impurities but suppressed by the fetters or bondages (Pali:
saṁyojanas). The sangkhatathat-tham level is where all bodies and realms are fully under the control of impurities. The bodies at this level refer to those from ‗kai arupppaphom‘ to ‗kaisatlokan‘; while, the realms refer to the realms from ‗aruppaphop‘
to ‗lokan narok‘.
2. Regarding cosmology, the texts explain that there are eight types of super cosmic realms or thatthams which are divided into three groups, namely, white, black and grey.
The first two fight in order to govern all of the thatthams; while, the grey will be subject to the winner. Inside the super cosmic realm are a number of sub-realms consisting of three major realms inside: nipphan, phopsam and lokan. Nipphan is the residence of the arahant-dhammakāyas of the Buddha and his disciples. Phopsam consists of three sub-realms: aruppaphop, ruppaphop and kammaphop. It is the place for those who are under the control of impurities such as aruppaphom, rupaphom and thewada or kaithip etc.
while, the lokan is the place for beings who have committed the most demerit deeds. The kammaphop is where sawans or heavens, loks or worlds, and naloks or hell are located.
3. This dissertation classifies the practices of Vd into three levels: elementary, intermediate and advanced. The aims of the first level are to first attain the pathommamak sphere. This is followed by the attainment of the arahant dhammakāya. At this level, meditators understanding things such as meditation posture, seven bases of the mind, nimit and stopping the mind, and so on. The intermediate level aims to obtain the knowledge of self and universe such as khan 5, ayatana 12 and that 18. My fieldwork has
revealed that, it is known among the disciples of Sot Bhikkhu as ‗the knowledge of teaching (วิชชาเผยแผ่ witcha-phoeiphae)‘. The highest level aims to fight or eliminate the black thattham that is the origin of all kinds of suffering. This is called by followers of Vd as ‗the knowledge of battling (วิชชารบ witcha-rop)‘.
4. In addition, some key elements that the meditators should understand are: esoteric language, the significance of the seven bases of the mind, the original birth of dhātudhamma and the systems of the inner bodies of humans and the kaiyasit. These elements facilitate a better comprehension of the material in the primary texts.
The core doctrines found in each pedagogical text are presented in the following chapters.
( ทางมรรคผล Thang Mak Phon)
Introduction
This chapter studies an introductory text called ‗The Path and Result‘ (ทางมรรคผล Thang Mak Phon)195 (abbr.,D1) which is a sermon transcription of Sot Bhikkhu by Phrakhru-samanatham-Samathan (Thira Khlosuwan) on 23rd October 2509 B.E. (1966 C.E.). The text aims to present the core doctrines gathered from the text. Its principles are:
1) The concepts of samatha and vipassanā meditation196 2) The structure of the mind
3) The seven bases of the mind 4) The inner spheres and bodies
195 Vijjādhammakāya (วิชชาธรรมกาย witchathammakai, Pali: Vijjādhammakāya). Vijjā is commonly translated as knowledge, transcendental wisdom or sometimes it refers to the three fold knowledge (Pali: vijjā); 1) recollection of past lives (Pali: pubbenivāsanussatiñāṇa), 2) knowledge of the decease and rebirth of beings (Pali: cutūpapātañāṇa) and 3) knowledge of the destruction of mental intoxication (Pali:
āsavakkhayañāṇa). See PDB. p. 347.
The word dhammakāya is commonly translated as the collection of dhamma when it is considered as Tappurisa compound. However, in this dissertation, I follow the translation of Chanida Jantrasrisalai which interprets the meaning of the term according to contexts as found the Pali canon as ‗having dhamma as body‘. It is translated as Bahubbīhi compound (Jantrasrisalai, p. 189-242). Therefore, Vijjādhammakāya refers to the transcendental wisdom or knowledge of the dhamma body.
Jantrasrisalai, Chanida. "Early Buddhist Dhammakāya and Its Relation to Enlightenment‖ In The Pathway to the Centre Purity and the Mind: Proceedings of the Inaugural International Samadhi Forum, edited by Dhammachi International Research Institute Inc. Sydney, 2010.pp. 189-242.
196 Samatha and vipassana meditation (สมถวิปัสสนากรรมฐาน Samathawipatsanakammathan, Pāli: Samatha-vippassanā-kammaṭṭhāna). In the Pali canon, there is a common term bhāvanā [mental cultivation] which is sub-divided into two branches: bhāvetabba-dhamma (the dhamma which should be cultivated) and vijjābhāgiya-dhamma (the dhamma which is conducive for knowledge); kammaṭṭhāna is the more common term for a meditation practice in the commentaries and Buddhist texts of later generations. Also it is often translated as subject of meditation, meditation exercises, the act of meditation or contemplation and the ground for mental culture. See PDB: p. 137.
5) The preparatory chants
In the previous chapter, I presented some elements found in this text: 1) stopping of the mind, 2) the structure of the mind, 3) the inner spheres and 4) the inner bodies. This chapter therefore presents only the four essential elements of the text that have not been discussed:
1) The method of paying homage to the triple gem (Pali: ratanattaya) 2) Samatha meditation197
3) Vipassanā meditation198 4) The technique of meditation.