Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

PART ONE
The terms "human body" and "Buddha-body" occur
frequently in Buddhist texts dealing with various stages
of mental development and different methods of bodily
sublimation. The Theravada teaches disciples to purify
the human body, in which there are thirty-six impurities.
The Mahayanists and the Vajrayanists stress the
sublimation of voidness and the function of
wisdom-energy. All three have their merits and
correspond in a certain order with definite aspects of
truth.
In order to transform the human body into a
Buddha-body, the former must be purified. For this
reason, most disciples who rebuke the doctrine of the
Theravada have difficulty attaining satisfactory results
in the Mahayana or Vajrayana practices.
The philosophy behind the sublimation of voidness in
the tathata and the function of wisdom-energy in the
position of Buddhahood requires voluminous writing
which cannot be presented in detail here.
The Tang Dynasty Tantra and the Japanese Tantra have
a system of concentrated cultivation called "The Five
Forms of the Accomplishment of the Buddha-Body."
Many disciples often neglect the philosophy governing
this system, which will be touched upon briefly in this
appendix.
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