Dharmakāya (Sanskrit: धर्मकाय; Chinese: 法身, fǎshēn; Tibetan: chos sku) is a key concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism referring to the “truth body” or “reality body” of The Buddha. It represents the ultimate, formless essence of Buddhahood, encompassing the unchanging, all-encompassing nature of reality itself. Unlike the Nirmāṇakāya (manifest body) and Saṃbhogakāya (enjoyment body), which are considered more accessible to sentient beings, the Dharmakāya is formless and beyond ordinary perception.
In the context of The Three Bodies (त्रिकाय Trikāya) doctrine, the Dharmakāya is the aspect of the Buddha that is identified with the very fabric of the cosmos—timeless, infinite, and beyond dualistic distinctions. It is associated with the Buddha’s perfect wisdom, representing the pure, ineffable truth of all things. The Dharmakāya is sometimes equated with emptiness (शून्यता Śūnyatā) or ultimate reality (Tathatā), emphasizing its non-conceptual and non-material nature.
This concept serves as a foundation for various Mahāyāna teachings, particularly in relation to the realization of enlightenment, which involves awakening to the Dharmakāya or realizing one’s own intrinsic Buddha-nature. In Vajrayāna Buddhism and certain other traditions, Dharmakāya also refers to the primordial mind or Buddha-nature inherent in all beings, underscoring its pivotal role in the path to liberation.