Rainbow body (Tib. འཇའ་ལུས་, ja lü, Wyl. 'ja' lus) — fully accomplished Dzogchen practitioners can dissolve their body at the time of death.

Through the practice of trekchö, the practitioner can attain the so-called ‘rainbow body’, in which the body becomes smaller and smaller as it dissolves, emanating rainbow light, and finally only the hair and nails are left behind.

Through the practice of tögal, the practitioner can dissolve his or her body into the ‘Light Body’ (Tib. འོད་སྐུ་, ö ku ), where the body transforms into light and disappears completely into space. This was done by Garab Dorje, Manjushrimitra, Shri Singha, Jnanasutra and Vairotsana.

), where the body transforms into light and disappears completely into space. This was done by Garab Dorje, Manjushrimitra, Shri Singha, Jnanasutra and Vairotsana. Another accomplishment of tögal practice is the ‘Rainbow Body of Great Transference’ (Tib. འཇའ་ལུས་འཕོ་བ་ཆེན་པོ་, ja lü phowa chenpo; Wyl. 'ja lus 'pho ba chen po), where the master dissolves his or her body into rainbow light and lives for centuries in order to benefit others. Such was the case with Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, Nyang Tingdzin Zangpo and Chetsün Senge Wangchuk.

Other Recent Examples

Notes

↑ http://www.thenon2.com/lama-achuk-rinpoche The body of Lama Achuk shrunk from a height of 1.8 meters to about 1 inch tall, a sign of achieving the rainbow body. ↑ http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=4849 Information on the passing of Akhyuk Rinpoche.

Further Reading