Understanding the Inner Bodies and Enlightenment : หน้า 124/263

the centre of the body, in the same way as described earlier, in entering the centre of the Pathama Magga Sphere, successive inner bodies can be attained, going further inside the subtle human body — the angelic body, the subtle angelic body, the form-Brahmā body, the subtle form-Brahmā body, the formless Brahmā-body, the subtle formless Brahmā-body and eventually the body of enlightenment [Dhammakāya] — each with their own life and mind. The mind of the Dhammakāya is endowed with special knowledge allowing the meditator to see that the various bodies, all the way from the human body to the subtle formless Brahmā-body are all composed of the Five Aggregates [khandha] and are hence subject to the influence of the Three Signs [tilakkhaṇa], namely: impermanence [anicca], suffering [dukkha] and not-self [anattā]. None of these bodies transcend the mundane level of existence — they are worldly [lokiya]. They are all still in the vicious circle of causation between defilements [kilesa], action [kamma] and retribution [vipāka]. By contrast, the further up the scale of purity of the various bodies of enlightenment, the more radiant and blissful the mind becomes. The bodies of enlightenment are transcendental [lokuttara] and are beyond the influence of the Three Signs because they are not made of mundane Aggregates but transcendental Aggregates [dhammakkhandha]. The knowledge contained in the bodies of enlightenment which allows the meditator to consider the Three Signs in the mundane bodies, also allows them to consider the Four Noble Truths. This part of the practice is indeed the Noble Path which leads the meditator to the transcendental and eternal Noble Fruition they are aiming for. ___________________________________ 122