Understanding Dhammakāya in Aṅgāṇā-sutta : หน้า 40/141

In brief, contemporary academics refer to the term dhammakāya in the Aṅgāṇā-sutta either as a noun or an adjective. As a noun, the term is interpreted mostly as the Buddha’s teachings collected together. As an adjective, the term’s first component ‘dhamma’ is also mostly interpreted in the sense of the Buddha’s teaching collected together, with a few exceptions. The translation of the term dhammakāya in this passage as a bahubbhi compound agrees with explanations given by traditional Pāli commentators, Buddhaghosha and Dhammapala. The former explains the term as ‘(he) who has dhamma as body,’ and interprets its first component either as the Buddha’s verbal teaching or as the ninefold transcendent dhamma (navavidha lokuttaradhamma). The latter refers to the ninefold transcendent dhammas (nava-lokuttara-dhamma) as being the Tathāgatas' nature or ‘body.’ He relates it with the Buddha’s enlightenment that it is ‘the dhamma which all Tathāgatas have attained and have become. 33 DA.III.865. 34 SA.II.313. Even though this is not a direct commentary to the Aṅgāṇā-sutta, its mention of ‘dhamma’ that is the Tathāgata’s body’ refers directly to the term dhammakāya in the Aṅgāṇā-sutta. Note that the expression ‘ninefold transcendent dhamma’ (navavidha lokuttaradhamma) is a commentarial expression collectively referring to nine dhammas mentioned in the canon, i.e., the ‘four transcendental fruits (phalas)’ along with their ‘corresponding paths (maggas)’ and ‘Nibbāna.’ 35 ThrA.II.205. Dhammabhūtehiṭi dhammakāyatāya dhammasabhāvehi, navalokuttaradhammaṭo vā bhūtehi jatehi, dhammaṁ vā pattei. Having become dhamma means having dhamma as their own nature, for they (the Tathāgatas) have the dhamma as body. In other words, they have become or have been born through the ninefold transcendent dhamma, or they have attained the dhamma.