The Rainbow Body also termed the Varja Rainbow Body within Tibetan culture, is the final result of daily dedication to
meditation, breathwork, visualization, or simply having a decent life purposed around projecting love and life.
Some Buddhist adepts are rewarded by either nature or pure cosmic design with a rainbow body upon their death as a result of their
extraordinary lives. To clarify this spiritual phenomenon, we must understand that it occurs at the time of death as the physical
vehicle(Body) is believed to diffuse into light, leaving nothing but small fragments like nails and hair on this planet.
How to Achieve Rainbow Body?
Well, this is a lifetime dedication or years of practicing spiritual activities, which is about detoxing the body/mind from negative energy and
thoughts while focusing on nourishing one’s whole existence with wisdom and peace.
This will help us understand the complexity of self and boost spiritual merit, which is good karma; it's a
lso a significant factor in achieving the rainbow body, according to many Buddhists. Alongside Dzgochen, a
yogic technique similar to hypnosis in the sense that it utilizes hypnotic-like practices of keeping the attention on
a particular object within an environment, visualization, and posthypnotic suggestion to help the practitioners of Dzogchen
dive into the nature of the mind.
Even though the rainbow body is linked with the ultimate realization of reality itself, in Tibetan
Buddhism, it is more like the full attainment of spiritual practices, making those who achieve it attain Buddhism's ultimate goal.
The Levels of Rainbow Body:
1-Dharmakaya: The Ultimate Essence of Reality
This is the highest level of the Rainbow Body or its pinnacle, showing us the ultimate nature of reality in the beauty of oneness(this is represented as the rainbow body vanishes into the cosmos from a single limited body). Just by reaching this stage, the dedicated practitioner has merged itself with truth, becoming one beyond the limitations of the physical and mental realms of existence. All negative emotions and energies are benign and shed away, leaving nothing but pure wisdom and peace, embodying the vibrance of the Rainbow body.
2-Sambhogakaya: The Blissful Form of Enlightenment
Sambhogakaya is the middle stage of the rainbow body ascension; it encapsulates the blissful form of enlightenment.
A dimension of total joy represented in an aura of abundance beyond time and space, radiating with pure, luminous light,
reflects Dharmakaya's manifestation.
Here, practitioners revel in inner tranquillity and joy, fostering connections with other enlightened beings.
3-Nirmanakaya: The Material Form
Nirmanakaya, the base level of the Rainbow Body, symbolizes the physical form. Here, the physical body transmutes into light, leaving behind remnants of hair, nails, and clothing. This stage, the Rainbow Body, embodies Buddhism's ultimate aspiration in spiritual endeavors. It represents the culmination of arduous spiritual practices, marking the pinnacle of enlightenment and transcendence.
Examples of Tibetan masters who achieved the Rainbow Body
Shardza Tashi Gyeltsen (1859-1935):
Shardza Tashi Gyeltse entered the world in 1859, born into a Bönpo household in bsDa (brDa), situated in Eastern Tibet.
Among the twenty-five sacred sites in mDo khams, this locale is renowned for its breathtaking natural vistas. Adorned by revered mountains and winding river valleys, bsDa is steeped in legend, said to be graced by generations of revered masters and marked by the appearance of self-arisen (rang byon) svāstikas.
During his youth, Shardza displayed a remarkable disinterest in worldly pursuits, preferring to spend his time in empty places (sa sto
ng) where he would often read and meditate. During these practices, he claimed to have visions of deities and heroes transmitting secret k
nowledge. Despite this, his parents nicknamed him "The Bored One" (Nyobbe) due to his unique nature.
In the final years of his earthly journey, Shardza Tashi Gyeltse retreated to his humble hermitage, where he orchestrated sa
cred rituals, welcomed guests on special occasions, imparted annual public teachings, and transmitted profound wis
dom to his chosen disciples. His transition in 1934 at the age of seventy-five marked a profound event: the at
tainment of the Rainbow Light Body. This extraordinary phenomenon signifies a transcendent ascension beyond the
confines of the physical realm, as his form reportedly dissolved into pure light, leaving behind no trace of mo
rtal remains. He left behind a legacy of many devoted followers, led by his nephew and designated successor, Lodrö
Gyatso. Among these disciples, Raton Kalzang Tenpa Gyaltsen stands out, renowned for crafting the biography of his
revered teacher, immortalizing Shardza Tashi Gyeltse's spiritual journey for generations to co
me. Source
Shukseb Jetsun Choying Zangm (1853/1865 - 1951):
Jetsun Rigdzin Choying Zangmo was born in northern India to a low-income family of the Kheme Clan in 1853.
Her father was Dondrub Namgyel, and her mother was Penpa Drolma. At birth, she was named Chonga Lhamo. Chonga Lhamo's mother is said to have carried, unsuccessfully, "boy stones" (bu rdo) on her back as a way of ensuring the child in her womb would be a son.
Through the dedicated practice of trekchö, Shukseb Jetsun Choying Zangmo achieved the remarkable state of the Rainbo
w Body. This profound transformation involves the gradual dissolution of the physical body, which emits radiant rainbow
light during the process. In the end, only hair and nails, which do not dissolve like the rest of the body, may remain.
By mastering this spiritual discipline, Shukseb Jetsun Choying Zangmo's physical form underwent a self-liberation,
transforming into a Sambhogakāya, a nonmaterial body of light. This extraordinary achievement allowed
her to transcend the ordinary limitations of existence.
Kenchen Tsewang Rigdzin (1883-1958):
Under Shining Daylight and in Front of Many People’s Eyes, a Person Vanished with His Body into Nowhere
Khenchen Tsewang Rigdzin, also known as Khenpo Chaiwan Runzheng, was born in Maiwa Vi
llage of Hongyuan County in Sichuan Province in 1883. At 10, he began studying the dharma a
t the Zhaxiquenang Temple. He became a monk at 15 after a formal ceremony to receive the precepts. He
then went to the Zhuqing Temple, one of the six major temples of the Nyingma Sect, to study the Tripit
aka and took refuge with several great accomplished masters. At the age of 25, he received the perfect and
complete precepts of Bhiksu and became a monk. He strictly abided by the principles and carefully avoided
violations as if protecting his eyes. Eventually, his clothing, waist belt, meditation mattress, and other d
aily used items all had a clear and pure scent.
Numerous residents of Tongde County, Huangnan Region, Qinghai
Province, and Khenchen Tsewang Rigdzin (also known as Khenpo Chaiw
an Runzheng) remain cherished memories. This esteemed master of the Nyingm
a Sect, who astonishingly ascended into the sky and vanished in September 1958 i
n the presence of accompanying soldiers, has transformed from a casual conversation topic am
ong locals into a figure of legend deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness.
According to local accounts, in September of 1958, preparations were underway for a mass gathering near the Digan Temple i
n Tongde County to confront and question Khenchen Tsewang Rigdzin (Khenpo Chaiwan Runzheng), who was already incarcerated in
the County Prison at the time. The journey from the prison to the assembly site involved traversing several small hills,
with the Khenpo escorted by a group of soldiers. Due to his physical limitations, he could ride on the back of a red yak.
As they neared their destination, a sudden and powerful cyclone descended upon them, rendering the soldiers unable to see
due to the force of the wind. This occurred when they were close to the hilltop, several kilometres from the Digan Temple.
After the cyclone subsided, the soldiers searched the area but found that Khenchen Tsewang Rigdzin (Khenpo Chaiwan Runzheng)
had vanished from the yak. Despite being securely tied with rope for safety, he had ascended into the sky, accompanied by aus
picious coloured clouds, much to the amazement of the witnesses.
Final Words: Wisdoms to Carry.
You probably want to do more research into discovering the many secrets and historical tales,
and I encourage you to do that. Each of those sacred experiences, which may also be called lifetimes, is a message that can teach us collective lessons about the very definitions of inner peace, pure joy, enlightenment, and shared happiness.
Learn more about some of these Tibetan Masters, and you will definitely not just understand but als
o feel their hard dedication to aligning themselves with the higher aspect of existence.
It's definitely a long journey and pure commitment to explore the depth of the rainbow body by yourself;
however, we are blessed with many lifetime encounters that have given us many stories to tell, protect, and share.
