Dharma body [法身] ( dharma-kāya; hosshin): Also, body of the Law. The dharma of dharma-kāya means Law, and kāya, body. One of the three bodies—the Dharma body, the reward body, and the manifested body. The Dharma body means the essence of Buddhahood, the ultimate truth or Law, and the true nature of the Buddha’s life. It also means a Buddha per se, whose body is the Law itself. A Buddha of this kind is referred to as the Buddha of the Dharma body or the Buddha in his body of the Law. See also three bodies.