His conduct righteousness,
Then in the fulness of gladness
He will make an end of grief.”
—Buddhism. T. W. Rhys Davids.
[Chapter 5]
The Lord Buddha interrogated Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Is it possible that by means of his physical body,[1] the Lord Buddha may be clearly perceived?” Subhuti replied, saying: “No! Honoured of the Worlds! It is impossible that by means of his physical body, the Lord Buddha may be clearly perceived. And why? Because, what the Lord Buddha referred to as a physical body, is in reality not merely a physical body.” Thereupon the Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “Every form or quality of phenomena is transient and illusive. When the mind realises that the phenomena of life are not real phenomena, the Lord Buddha may then be clearly perceived.”[2]
[1] “Primitive Buddhism distinguished a material, visible, and perishable body (Seh-Shen—lit., the Body of Form) and an immaterial, invisible, immortal body (Fah-Shen—lit., the Body of Law) as the constituents of every personality. This dichotomism, taught, as it seems by Sakyamuni himself, was ever afterwards retained as regards the nature of ordinary mortals. But in later ages, when the combined influence of Sivaism, which ascribed to Siva a threefold body (called Dharmakaya—essence, Sambhogakaya—reflex intelligence, and Nirmanakaya—practical issue of his intelligence), and that of Brahmanism with its Trimurti, gave rise to the Buddhist dogma of a Triratna (San-Pao—the precious Buddha, the precious Law, and the precious Priesthood), trichotomism was taught with regard to the nature of all Buddhas. Again they ascribed to every Buddha a triple form of existence, viewing him: (1) as having entered Nirvana; (2) as existing in reflex in the world of form; (3) as existing or having existed on earth.”—Handbook of Chinese Buddhism. Eitel.
[2] The spiritual Buddha must be realised within the mind, otherwise there can be no true perception of the Lord Buddha.—Chinese Annotation.