Bhumi (Buddhism)

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

The Ten Bhumi, in the Mahayana tradition, are the ten stages a Bodhisattva advances through in the path to become a Buddha. The ten bhumi vary in content according to different scriptures.

The Avatamsaka Sutra refers the following ten Bhumi <ref>1998, The Seeker's Glossary of Buddhism, Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, 2nd ed..[1]</ref>:

1. the Bhumi of joy (Skt. / Paramudita), in which one rejoices at realizing a partial aspect of the truth;
2. the Bhumi of purity (vimala), in which one is free from all defilement;
3. the Bhumi of the emission of light (prabhakari), in which one radiates the light of wisdom;
4. the Bhumi of glowing (archishmati), in which the flame of wisdom burns away earthly desires;
5. the Bhumi of overcoming final illusions (sudurjaya), in which one surmounts the illusions of darkness, or ignorance as the Middle Way;
6. the Bhumi of the sign of supreme wisdom (abhimukhi), in which supreme wisdom begins to appear;
7. the Bhumi of progression (duramgama), in which one rises above the states of the Two Vehicles;
8. the Bhumi of immobility (achala), in which one dwells firmly in the truth of the Middle Way and cannot be perturbed by anything;
9. the Bhumi of the all-penetrating wisdom (sadhumati), in which one preaches the Law freely and without restriction;
10. the Bhumi of the Cloud of Teaching (dharmamegha), in which one benefits all sentient beings with the Law (Dharma), just as a cloud sends down rain impartially on all things.”

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