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The Buddhist tradition brought to life in the featured art works is based
on an understanding that Enlightenment manifests in three ways: (1) the level of
truth itself, Dharmakaya; (2) the level of light as bliss, Sambhogakaya; and (3) the level
of corporal manifestations, Nirmanakaya. The level of truth itself is beyond
description, symbol, or designation. It is the realization of Enlightenment.
The level of light as bliss, on the other hand, is the aspect of Enlightenment
where pure form and rainbow color become manifest to those intent on
Enlightenment. Many of the enlightened beings in the Buddhist cosmos are
depicted based on intuitions of Enlightenment at this level. The level of
corporal incarnation, or a physical body, is the level on which anyone with eyes
can see an Enlightened One. It is therefore at this level that many of the
transmitters of the Dharma, including the Buddha Gautama, are presented. As the
Dharmakaya, the level of truth, cannot be represented, it is most closely
symbolized in the tradition of the Stupa, or reminders of the Buddha's
Enlightenment. Here, then, are representations of the three, all in the mode
of transmitting the Dharma.
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