The Relationship among the Three Kāyas: Dharmakāya, Sambhogakāya, and Nirmāṇakāya

The tathāgatagarbha neither increases nor decreases, and the manas neither increases nor decreases; the countless transformation bodies and the immeasurable six-consciousness bodies are all subsumed under the tathāgatagarbha and the manas. At the same time, the six faculties of the dharmadhātu neither increase nor decrease, the six sense objects of the dharmadhātu neither increase nor decrease, the six consciousnesses of the dharmadhātu neither increase nor decrease, and the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness neither increase nor decrease. These phenomena are like illusions and conjurations, without any inherent substance, and therefore have never increased or decreased; illusory arising and illusory ceasing can never be obtained, and therefore there is neither increase nor decrease; all dharmas arise from the combination of causes and conditions, are not real in themselves, and have never arisen nor ceased, and therefore there is no increase or decrease.

Although the transformation bodies are also sentient beings, they must be subsumed under the manas, and the manas is singular and unique; therefore the transformation bodies neither increase nor decrease. What makes a sentient being a sentient being is that it possesses a complete set of equipment and apparatus, including the eight consciousnesses, and may also include the physical body. The Dharmakāya is the eighth consciousness, the Sambhogakāya is the seventh consciousness, and the transformation bodies are the six consciousnesses. No matter how many transformation bodies the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have, they all exist by relying on the Dharmakāya and the Sambhogakāya and belong to the Dharmakāya and the Sambhogakāya; a transformation body cannot exist independently. Therefore, strictly speaking, a transformation body alone cannot be counted as a sentient being, because it lacks self-mastery (avaśatā) and independence.