First is nirmanakaya, that human form the Buddha-principle took on to answer the needs of a suffering world. The Gospel of John says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” The same principle is described in the Bhagavad Gita (4:7–8), where Lord Krishna says, “Whenever dharma declines and the purpose of life is forgotten, I manifest myself. I am born in age after age to protect the good, to destroy evil, and to reestablish dharma.”
