The Great Calm Observation, Volume 1, Part 3, Page 7

2. Seeing the Major & Minor Signs of the Buddha & Inspiring the Bodhi Mind¹

1. The Lesser Body of Response²: When one sees the physical body of the One That Has Come³, born from a father and a mother, the signs of the body are brilliant and remarkable. It shines upon the place in which it is found with a miraculous sparkle. Visvakarman⁴ could not have made this. It is clearly superior to the major and minor signs of a Wheel-Rolling King⁵. Being the most rare sight in the world, there is nothing above or below heaven like the Buddha, it being without compare in the ten directions. One vows to attain enlightenment like the noble Lord of the Dharma and uplift countless living beings. This is seeing the major and minor signs of the Buddha's Lesser Body of Response, seeking that above and influencing those below, and inspiring the Bodhi mind.
2. The Greater Body of Response⁶: When one sees and recognizes the One That Has Come without Him being there, and one sees and recognizes the major and minor signs without them being there, the One That Has Come and His major and minor signs are all like empty space. In emptiness there is no Buddha, much less the major and minor signs. But seeing the One That Has Come without His being there is the same as seeing Him. Seeing the major and minor signs without them being there is the same as seeing them. One vows to attain enlightenment like the noble Lord of the Dharma and uplift countless living beings. This is seeing the major and minor signs of the Buddha’s Greater Body of Response, seeking that above and influencing those below, and inspiring the Bodhi mind.
3. The Body of Reward⁷: When one sees the signs of body of the One That Has Come, there is nowhere that it is not present. Like a bright and clear mirror, one sees it in a multitude of forms and images, with each having the major and minor signs. The common and the noble do not grasp its bounds. Brahma did not see the fleshy protuberance on the Buddha’s crown⁸ and Maudgalyayana did not fathom the depth and breadth of the Buddha’s voice⁹. The Discourse says: "The highest embodiment is without shape and it is adorned without adornment. One vows to attain enlightenment like the noble Lord of the Dharma. This is seeing the major and minor signs of the Buddha's Body of Retribution, seeking that above and influencing those below, and inspiring the Bodhi mind.
4. The Spiritual Body¹⁰: When one sees the One That Has Come, one recognizes that His wisdom deeply reaches into the aspects of sin and blessedness, illuminating it everywhere in the ten directions. The subtle and pure Spiritual Body is complete with all of the 32 signs. In each one of the major and minor signs there is the True Spiritual Aspect of Reality. The True Spiritual Aspect of Reality and the Spiritual Realm are perfect without a flaw. One vows to attain enlightenment like the noble Lord of the Dharma. This is seeing the Buddha's Spiritual Body, seeking that above and influencing those below, and inspiring the Bodhi mind.

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1. The Signs of the Buddha: The 32 Major Signs and 80 Minor physical characteristics of the Great Wheel Turning King, (S. Cakravartin, a great ruler among men) and especially of a Buddha – used to visually contemplate the Buddha's appearance

2. The One That Has Come (S. Tathagata): One of the ten honorific titles of the Buddha. Generally it refers to the One that comes down to this world from the realm of the absolute spiritual reality to enlighten living beings and then reenters Nirvana, returning back to that absolute reality. More specificallt it refers to the threefold body or life of enlightenment.

3. The Lesser Body of Response: The Body or Life of Response (S. Nirmanakaya) is the living body that, through sympathetic response, manifests itself in this world to teach the Dharma. The lesser, or inferior, reponse, refers to the actual physical body that appears. The Body of Response is one of the Three Embodiments of the Buddha/Tathagata described here.

4. Visvakarman: The Indian Vulcan, the maker of all things, the artisan of the universe and the patron of craftsmen

5. Wheel Rolling King: (S. Cakravartin) One who controls the turn of the wheel of life, who makes the wheels roll; a King, a Ruler

6. The Greater Body of Response: The Greater, or Superior, Body/Life of Response refers to the Tathagata’s spiritual presence, as opposed to his mere physical presence.

7. The Body of Reward: (S. Sambhogakaya) Also called the Body/Life of Retribution, or the Body/Life of Enjoyment, it refers to the limitless wisdom and virtues earned by the Tathagata.

8. The fleshy protuberance on the Buddha’s crown: (S. Usnisa) One of the 32 marks of the Buddha. In the Guhyaka-Vajrapani Sutra, part of the Maharatnakuta Sutra (The Sutra of the Great Pile of Treasure), it is said that even the Divine Brahma, lord of the Realm of Form, could not see the limitless signs of the Tathagata.

9. Maudgalyayana was one of the Buddhas 10 main disciples, known for his great spiritual powers. In the Guhyaka-Vajrapani Sutra and in the Great Discourse, there is the story of how he tried to follow the Buddha’s voice to see how far it carried but was unable because no matter how far he went, it was still as clear as if he were right before the Buddha.

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