Understanding Dhamma and Nibbāna : หน้า 59/141

The parallel usage of dhammakāya and dhammabhūta with brahmakāya and brahmmabhūta suggests further that the term dhamma in the passage should refer to Nibbāna. Indeed, it is possible also to say that Nibbāna itself can ‘transform’ beings as well, for the realization of it engenders the transformation from worldly people to noble persons.83 Our study thus concludes, in general terms, that ‘dhamma’ in all these compounds refers to ‘transcendental dhamma.’84 As the significance of such a conception of ‘dhamma’ is determined by ‘its function’ as ‘transfomer’ or ‘defilement eradicator,’ the meaning of ‘kāya’ as ‘body’ is more appropriate. Each transcendental path or fruit can be understood as a totality of various qualities. As an example, the Stream-attaining path (sotāpattimagga) is composed of path-constituents at the level of the Stream-attaining state.85 Thus, the path itself is the ‘whole’ or the ‘totality’ of all path-constituents at the corresponding level. It could be possible that different path-constituents may perform different functions in the elimination of defilements. But the effective elimination of corresponding fetters (samyojanas) requires the ‘whole’ or ‘totality’ by which the particular ‘path’ is named. In other words, the effective functions of individual path-constituents are ‘dependent’ on this ‘whole’ or ‘totality’ which is identified with the particular ‘path.’ Thus, the text mentions the eradication of particular fetters in accordance with different levels of the functioning path, from the path to Stream-entry (sotāpattimagga) up to the path to 83 As the Dhammacakkappavattana-sutta suggests, there can be different levels of the realisation of the four noble truths. These many levels may well correspond to different levels of transcendental states. In other words, the trainee (sekha-pugiala) from the Stream-attainer (sotāpanna) to the Non-returner (anāgāmi) have realised Nibbāna also to their corresponding degrees. 84 Rather than limiting its interpretation to only ‘Nibbāna,’ the present study proposes a broader context of ‘dhammakāya’ as ‘transcendental dhamma’ (lokuttara dhamma) in order to avoid the preclusion of noble disciples of lower levels, e.g., the stream-attainer (sotāpanna) to the non-returner (anāgāmi) which appear to be included also in the sutta. Cf. Harvey, The Selfless Mind, op. cit., pp. 233-4. 85 S.V.348.