Introduction

Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path are similar to the Theravada idea of the Noble Eight-fold Path, although not the same in the order of the stages, as well as the aim of the various stages that comprise the total trajectory that the Bodhisattva has to traverse. The idea of the Bodhisattva path is linked to the idea of bodhicitta, the aspiration of becoming enlightened, and this aim is for the benefit of all sentient beings—when compared to the Arahant idea it is distinguished by the fact, that the Bodhisattva holds off on attaining final non-returning Nirvana until all sentient beings are brought along the journey of the Bodhisattva path towards Enlightenment.

Various Mahayana texts discuss the stages of the path in varying detail and order. For this tenth article in the series, I’ve mainly followed the stages of the Path as explained in the Dasa Bhumika Sutra. Dasa bhumika in Sanskrit means ten stages.

In the Dasa Bhumika Sutra, a Bodhisattva is compared to gold in each stage, which is purified more and more by being heated in the goldsmith's fire until it is at last made into an ornament to be worn around the neck of a powerful wheel-turning monarch (cakravartin). The bodhisattva's splendor is likened to the light of the moon and the sun. In each subsequent stage, a Bodhisattva's glory and power (prabhava) increase a hundred-fold, a thousand-fold, a million-fold, and so on.

I’ve also consulted the abhidharma-samuccaya text of Asanga, the prajna-paramita abhi-samaya-lankara, the Maha-vastu, and the Mahayana-sutralamkara text. The Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Ornament Scripture) has great details on the 10 stages of the path as well, including the Gandavyuha commentary. For cross-reference purposes I’ve used the yogacara-bhumi text, which incorporates the Bodhisattva path into an even greater 17 stages, to verify Sanskrit terminology. The ‘Materials for a Dictionary of The Prajnaparamita Literature’ by Edward Conze has been very useful, in verifying Sanskrit terms as they are used in the various Prajna Paramita texts.

In this article, I’ll cover the eighth stage of the 10 Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path.

• The supra-mundane Perfection of Wisdom (prajna-paramita)
• What is the supra-mundane perfection of wisdom?

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Through his non-apprehension of self, beings, gift, or enlightenment, and through the three-fold purity, he purifies the perfection of giving for enlightenment.

• Through his non-apprehension of self, being, morality, or enlightenment he purifies the perfection of morality for enlightenment;
• and likewise the perfection of patience by the non-apprehension of self, beings, enduring, and enlightenment;
• the perfection of vigor by the non-apprehension of self, physical and mental vigor, merit and cognition, and enlightenment;
• the perfection of concentration by the non-apprehension of self, beings, meditative-absorptions (dhyana) and concentrations and attainments, and enlightenment;
• the perfection of wisdom by the non-apprehension of self, beings, all-dharmas and enlightenment.

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He dedicates all wholesome roots to the Supreme Enlightenment, by means of dedication which is undifferentiated, supreme, unequalled, beyond rational thought, incomparable, and immeasurable.

Summary

Stage 8. The Steadfast Immovable stage (acala bhumi)

The eighth stage is called Steadfast and Immovable, as the Bodhisattva has gotten this far and has become aware of the definitive quality of their development on the Mahayana Path. This is a no-turning-back-now moment, where the Bodhisattva realizes and sees in a vision when and where Buddhahood will be attained in the near future.

In detail

This eighth stage is called acala, because in this stage the bodhisattva is not disturbed by either the perception of signs (nimitta-samjna) or by the perception of effort regarding the signless (animittabhoga-samjna).



Various types / levels of ignorance have been purified in the first seven stages, and in each subsequent stage the ignorance that is to be purified is more subtle and difficult to address than in the previous stage.

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In the first stage, the ignorance of clinging to person and things, and the ignorance of the defilement of wrong tendencies and actions have been purified.
In the second stage, the ignorance of minute errors and transgressions, and the ignorance of what various actions lead to have been purified.
In the third stage, the ignorance of greed, and the ignorance of complete mental control to retain what is learned have been purified.
In the fourth stage, the Bodhisattva addressed the ignorance of attachment to attainments in concentration, and the ignorance of attachment to religion.
In the fifth stage, the Bodhisattva addressed the ignorance of one-sided thought rejecting life and death, and the ignorance of one-sided thought heading for nirvana.
In the sixth stage, the Bodhisattva addressed the ignorance of observing the flux of events at the moment, and the ignorance of elaborate active mental patterns.
In the seventh stage, the Bodhisattva addressed the ignorance of subtle active mental patterns, and the ignorance of method in one-sided formless awareness.
In the eighth stage, the Bodhisattva addresses the ignorance of making effort toward the formless, and the ignorance of control over forms.

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A Bodhisattva after completing and purifying the first seven stages of the path, by means of knowledge and skillful means, merit collection, establishing the great vow of aspiration (maha-pranidhana), establishing himself in the four sustaining powers (adhisthana) (realized truth, renunciation, calm abiding, and wisdom). The Bodhisattva comprehends all realities being without origination, sustainment, cessation, impermanence, and are ultimately by their very nature non-existent; that their beginning, middle, and end have the same suchness; comprehending the transcendental reality of that-ness (tathata) of all things (dharmas).



The Bodhisattva develops ten powers — control over: 1. the duration of one’s life-span (ayu), 2. one’s mind (cetas), 3. [the fulfillment of] one’s requirements (pariskara), 4. one’s actions (karma), 5. one’s choice of birth (upapatti), 6. one’s aspiration (adhimukti), 7. one’s resolute vow [to help sentient beings] (pranidhana), 8. wonder-working powers (rddhi), 9. teachings (dharma) and 10. knowledge and wisdom (jnana).

The Bodhisattva at this stage possess inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable knowledge and all their actions are without error. There is no possibility of transgression (falling back) from this stage (avaivartya). He is now a member of the Buddha clan.



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In the eighth stage, the following four dharmas should be completed:

1. His entrance into the thoughts and conduct of all beings consists in that, with one single thought, he cognizes the thoughts and conduct of all beings.
2. He practices the super-knowledges in the sense that, using them (at will), he can pass from Buddha-field to Buddha-field for a vision of the Buddha, but he does not become one who has a notion of the Buddha.
3. The creation of Buddha-fields in accordance with what he has seen consists in that, after he has occupied in the triple world (tri-dhatu; a. sense-desire sphere, b. form sphere, c. formless sphere) the position of Ruler and Universal Monarch, he renounces all world systems and yet does limit himself to that [for the sake of all sentient beings].
4a. He honors the Buddhas and the Dharma in order to help all beings.
4b. His contemplation of the Buddha-body (buddha-kaya) as it really is (yatha-bhuta), is the contemplation of the Dharma-body (dharma-kaya) as it really is.

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Practitioners in the eighth stage fully realize that all things are non-conceptual, accessible to non-conceptual knowledge. They become wholly detached from mind, intellect, consciousness, thought, and ideation and thus become free from all striving in thought, word, and deed; no actions based on views, passions, or intentions become manifest in them. Nevertheless, even though they have attained peace and liberation, practitioners in this stage who are supported by their past vows of complete enlightenment do not become complacent but are further inspired to seek infinite knowledge. By means of the knowledge they develop, they are able to distinguish many paths in the world, show all aspects of virtue, control their own resolution, know the past and future, repel deluding influences, and carry out enlightening activities in endless contexts without regression.

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Furthermore, in the eighth stage, another four dharmas should be completed:

1. His perception of the higher and lower faculties of others consists in that, as a result of abiding in the ten powers (dasa bala), he recognized the extent to which the dominant faculties (ajnata-vindriya) of all sentient beings are perfected.

2. He purifies the Buddha-field (buddha-kseta) by purifying the thought of all beings.



3a. His concentration on everything as an illusion (mayopama-samadhi) results in all actions being done, and yet no real action taking place (in the sense of accumulation).

This refers to the unreliability of dharmas which give our regular action nothing to lean on.

Dharmas, because of the lack of either single or manifold own-being (svabhava), can’t be relied upon.

3b. The perpetual attainment of this concentration is due to the fact that, to the Bodhisattva, it arrives as a karma result of the good deeds of their past.

4. He gains a personality at will (sam-cintya), i.e. as the wholesome roots of beings come to completion, so a Bodhisattva takes hold of a personality at will.

4a. He has control over the choice of his rebirth.

4b. He is reborn with the set purpose of doing good in the world, whereas ordinary rebirth occurs based on of our former actions.

4c. He adopts a form of existence which is most suitable to serve the needs of living beings.

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The Mahayana-sutralankara explains that this stage is so called, because a Bodhisattva can’t be disturbed by the two aspects of causation and non-causation. A Bodhisattva now attains the ‘patient acceptance of all realities (dharmas) as they are no longer produced’ (anutpattika-dharma-ksanti). He is not contaminated by any actions. The Buddhas initiate him into infinite Knowledge (atyanta-jnana), otherwise he would enter into final Enlightenment, instead of continuing his efforts to gain Enlightenment for the good of all. He understands the process of the evolution and involution of the Universe. He knows the exact number of atoms in the different elements, of which the Universe is composed. He assumes different bodies and shows them to the people as he sees fit. He acquires the ten powers (dasa bala). This stage is so important that it is called the Stage of Perfection, of Birth, of Finality. A Bodhisattva especially cultivates the Perfection of Aspiration (pranidhana) without neglecting the others, and he pervades the whole world with the feeling of Friendliness.

In the next article, I’ll be discussing The Ninth Stage of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path in full detail.

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References for research:

• Boin-Webb, Sara — Abhidharmasamuccaya, The Compendium of the Higher Teaching (Philosophy) by Asanga, 2000, Asian Humanities Press.
• Cleary, Thomas — Buddhist Yoga a Comprehensive Course, The Samdhinirmochana Sutra, 1995, Shambhala Publications.
• Cleary, Thomas — The Flower Ornament Scripture, A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra, 1993, Shambhala Publications.
• Conze, Edward — Materials for a Dictionary of The Prajnaparamita Literature,1973, Suzuki Research Foundation.
• Conze, Edward — The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom with the Divisions of the Abhisamayalankara, 1975, University of California Press.
• Conze, Edward — The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines and Its Verse Summary second printing, 1975, Four Seasons Foundation.
• Dayal, Har — The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit Literature, 1932, Motilal Banarsidass.
• Dutt, Nalinaksha — Mahayana Buddhism, 1978, Motilal Banarsidass.
• Jones, J. J. — The Mahavastu Volume 1, 1949, Luzac & Company Ltd.
• Kimura, Ryukan — A Historical Study of the Terms Hinayana and Mahayana and the Origin of Mahayana Buddhism, 1927, University of Calcutta.
• Sparham, Gareth — Abhisamayalamkara with Vrtti and Aloka in Three Volumes, 2008—2011, Jain Publishing.
• Wayman, Alex — Analysis of the Sravakabhumi Manuscript, 1961, University of California Press.
• Williams, Paul — Altruism and Reality, Studies in the Philosophy of the Bodhicaryavatara, 1998, Curzon Press.
• Williams, Paul — Mahayana Buddhism, The Doctrinal Foundations, second edition, 2009, Routledge.
• Wogihara, Unrai — Bodhisattvabhumi, 1930, Tokyo.

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Pictures From Pixabay

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• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 1
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 2
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 3
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 4
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 5
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 6
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 7
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 8
• The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path-The Two Preliminary Stages-Part 9

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• The Deathless In Buddhism
• The "Timeless" Teaching-Being Beyond Temporality

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• The Nine Successive Cessations In buddhist Meditations - Part 1
• The Nine Successive Cessations In buddhist Meditations - Part 2
• The Nine Successive Cessations In buddhist Meditations - Part 3

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• The Twelve Links Of Dependent Origination

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• THINGS to DEVELOP and THINGS to AVOID

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• The First Noble Truth
• The Second Noble Truth
• The Third Noble Truth
• The Fourth Noble Truth

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• 10 Fold Path Series

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• EATING MEAT — WHY THE BUDDHA WAS NOT A VEGETARIAN

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Pictures From Pixabay

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