Nirmāṇakāya

Nirmāṇakāya (T. sprul sku/sprul pa'i sku; C. huashen; J. keshin; K. hwasin 化身), or emanation body, is one of the three kayas in the Sanskrit Mahayana tradition, where it has the following connotations:

• The aspect of enlightenment that can be perceived by ordinary beings
• The physical manifestion of a buddha
• The aspect of mind which manifests as thoughts, emotions and sensations

The 84000 glossary states:

The buddha body of emanation is the visible and usually physical manifestation of fully enlightened beings which arises spontaneously from the expanse of the buddha body of reality, whenever appropriate, in accordance with the diverse dispositions of sentient beings.

The nirmanakaya can manifest in various different forms to suit the needs of beings. For example, four ways in which a nirmanakaya can manifest are:

• supreme nirmanakaya (uttamanirmāṇakāya)
• nirmanakayas through birth
• nirmanakayas in art (śilpanirmāṇakāya)
• diversified manifestations

Sources

• Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang (2011), A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher, translated by Padmakara Translation Group, Shambhala