Abstract
The theory of the ‘Threefold Circle-Body’ (_??__??__??_) refers to the three kinds of buddhakaya: ‘xixing-lun-shen’ (_??__??__??__??_) denotes the tathagata; ‘zhengfa-lun-shen’ (_??__??__??__??_) denotes the bodhisattva; and ‘jiaoling-lun-shen’ (_??__??__??__??_) denotes the vidyaraja. Of these, zhengfa-lun-shen and jiaoling-lun-shen are described in the Prajñaparamitanayasatapañcasatika (_??__??__??__??__??_) and the Renwang-niansong-yigui (_??__??__??__??__??__??_), both of which were translated by Amoghavajra (_??__??_); xizing-lun-shen can be found in the She-wuai jing (_??__??__??__??_). Although the ‘Threefold Circle-Body’ theory was developed in Japan, it is thought to have not yet been properly formulated until the time of Kakuban (_??__??_). However, Annen (_??__??_), who established Tendai esoteric Buddhism (_??__??_) in Japan, uses the term ‘Twofold Circle-Body, ’ (_??__??__??__??_) in connection with the tathagata, as well as referring to the ‘Threefold Circle, ’ in his major work, the Bodaishingi sho (_??__??__??__??__??_). Until now, it has been supposed that the ‘Threefold Circle-Body’ had not yet been developed by the time of Annen, as it has been assumed that the ‘Three-Circle’ model described by Annen is unrelated to the ‘Threefold Circle-Body’. In this paper, however, it will be argued that Annen's model is indeed greatly related to the formation of the theory of the ‘Threefold Circle-Body’. To this end, we shall take into consideration the relation between the tathagata, bodhisattva and vidyaraja in Annen's theory of buddhakaya, as well as its influence upon later thinkers.
