DESCRIPTION
According to most Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions, there are fifty-two ‘stages’ on the Bodhisattva’s Path to Awakening. These stages are not sequential, 1-52, but presented in five sets of ten-step progressions: Ten Faiths, Ten Abodes, Ten Practices, Ten Transferences, and Ten Grounds. The first 'step' of each of these sets loosely corresponds to the first of each set, and so on up to the 10th. There are then two additional stages before attaining anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi ('Unsurpassable, Supreme Awakening'), which is the 52nd and final stage.
Most historians and scholars consider the origin of the Fifty-Two Stages system to be the Ten Grounds (Bhūmi), which are presented in a very early Mahāyāna sutra called the Daśabhūmika Sūtra (’The Ten Grounds’). This text then appears as Chapter 26 of the much larger Avataṃsaka Sūtra, which also includes chapters and sections on the remaining 42 stages.
Primary Reading
Daśabhūmika Sūtra (’The Ten Stages’)
Suggested translation: The Ten Grounds Sutra: The Dasabhumika Sutra translated from the Chinese version of Kumārajīva (circa 410) by Bhikshu Dharmamitra (Kalavinka Press: 2019)
THE FIFTY-TWO STAGES
Two aspects of Bodhi (‘Awakening’)
52nd – ANUTTARĀ-SAMYAK-SAṂBODHI / Unsurpassable, Supreme Awakening (‘Eternal’)
51st – SAMYAK-SAṂBODHI / Supreme Awakening (‘Manifested’)
Ten Bhumi ('Grounds')
10th Ground – DHARMAMEGHA / DHARMA CLOUD9th Ground – SĀDHUMATĪ / SUBTLE INTELLECT8th Ground – ACALĀ / IMMOVABLE7th Ground – DŪRAṂGAMĀ / GONE AFAR6th Ground – ABHIMUKHĪ / MANIFESTATION 5th Ground – SUDURJAYĀ / DIFFICULT TO MASTER4th Ground – ARCIṢMATĪ / RADIANT INTELLECT3rd Ground – PRABHĀKARĪ / LIGHT-MAKER 2nd Ground – VIMALĀ / STAINLESS1st Ground – PRAMUDITĀ / EXTREME JOYTen Pariṇāmanā (‘Transferences of Merit’)
10th Transference – DHARMADHĀTU-APRAMĀṆA / Entering the Dharmadhatu Measurelessly9th Transference – ASANGA-ABANDHA ADHIVIMOKṢA / Liberating Understanding without Hindrance8th Transference – BHŪTATHATĀ-LAKṢANA / The Absolute Characteristic7th Transference – Universally adapting to all Beings6th Transference – Causing all Good Roots to Endure5th Transference – AKṢAYA PUṆYA-GARBHA / Inexhaustible Treasuries of Merit4th Transference – Reaching Everywhere3rd Transference – Being equal to all Buddhas2nd Transference – AVINĀŚYA / Indestructible1st Transference – Saving all beings without the concept ‘Beings’Ten (‘Practices’)
10th Practice – BHŪTATHATĀ / Absolute Reality 真實行 9th Practice – SUDHARMA / Good Dharma 善法行 8th Practice – Difficult to Attain 難得行 7th Practice – ASANGA / Free of Attachment 無著行 6th Practice – SUDARŚANA/ Beautiful Appearing 善現行 5th Practice – Without Confusion 無癡亂行 4th Practice – Indomitable 無屈橈行 3rd Practice – APRATIVILOMATĀ / Non-Opposition 無違逆行 2nd Practice – Abundantly Benefiting 饒益行 1st Practice – PRAMUDITĀ / Bestowing Joy 歡喜行Ten Nivāsa (‘Abodes’)
10th Abode – ABHIṢEKA/ Anointment 灌頂 - consecration as monarch 9th Abode – RĀJA-PUTRA / Dharma Prince 王子 8th Abode – KUMĀRA-BHŪTA / Youthful Nature (‘Child of the Buddha’) 童真 Completion 7th Abode – AVAIVARTIKA (avinivartanīya) / Nonregressing 不退 - unity with constant progress6th Abode – SAMYAK_CITTA / Correct Mind 正心 - the whole mind becoming Buddha-like5th Abode – SAMPADA-UPAYA / Fulfilling Skillful Means 具足方便 - perfect adaptability 4th Abode – JANMAN / ‘Noble Birth’ 生貴 - acquiring the Tathāgata nature or seed3rd Abode – CARIYĀ / Cultivating Practice 修行 - unhampered liberty in every direction2nd Abode – BHŪMI-PARIKARMA / Preparing the Ground 治地 - mental control1st Abode – BODHICITTA / Initial Generation of the Will for Enlightenment 初發心Ten Śraddhā (‘Faith' or 'Certainty’)
10th Faith – PRAṆIDHĀNA / Vow 願 9th Faith – ASAṂSKṚTA / Effortlessness 無為 8th Faith – PARINĀMANĀ / Transference 廻向 7th Faith – DHARMAPĀLA/ Protecting Dharma 護法 6th Faith – AVAIVARTIKA (avinivartanīya) / Non-Regressing 不退 5th Faith – DHYĀNA / Meditation 定 4th Faith – PRAJÑĀ / Wisdom 慧 3rd Faith – VYĀYĀMA / Vigor 精進 2nd Faith – SMṚTI / Mindfulness 念 1st Faith – ŚRADDHĀ / Certainty 信Additional lists of 10 not included in the 52 Stages
The Ten Grounds in terms of the Three Vehicles
10 - Buddhahood
9 - Bodhisattvahood
8 - Pratyeka-buddhahood, with only the dead ashes of the past left to sift
7 - Arhatship - complete discrimination in regard to wrong views and thoughts
6 - Freedom from the remaining three delusions in practice
5 - Freedom from the six of the nine delusions in practice
4 - Freedom from wrong views
3 - The stage of the eight patient endurances
2 - The embryo-stage of the nature of Buddha-truth
1 - ‘Dry wisdom’ stage - stream-entry (srota-āpanna)
The Ten Pāramitās
10 - Jñāna / Knowledge 智
9 - Bala / Power 力
8 - Praṇidhāna / Vows 願
7 - Upāya / Means 方便
6 - Prajñā / Wisdom 智慧
5 - Dhyāna, / Meditation 闡定
4 - Vīrya / Determination, drive, vigor, energy 精進
3 - Kṣānti / Patience 忍辱
2 - Śīla / Morality 持戒
1 - Dāna / Giving 布施
The Ten Powers
10 - knowing the exhaustion of the defilements (āsravakṣaya-jñānabala).
9 - knowing death and rebirth (cyutyupapattijñānabala,
8 - knowing the recollection of past existences (pūrvanivāsānusmṛti-jñānabala);
7 - knowing the concentrations, liberations, absorptions, equilibriums, afflictions, purifications, and abidings (dhyānavimokṣasamādhisamāpattisaṃkleśavyavadānavyutthānajñānabala)
6 - knowing the paths that lead to all destinations (sarvatragāminīpratipajjñānabala,
5 - knowing the supreme and lesser faculties (indriyaparāparajñānabala,
4 - knowing the various elements (nānādhātujñānabala,
3 - knowing the various inclinations (nānādhimuktijñānabala,
2 - knowing the ripening of karma (karmavipākajñānabala,
1 - knowing what is possible and what is impossible (sthānāsthāna-jñānabala
The Ten Deeds of a Buddha
10 - Entering parinirvāṇa (final cessation without remainder)
9 - Turning the Dharma Wheel
8 - Attaining Supreme Awakening
7 - Conquering all Maras on the Bodhimandala (’Sight of Awakening’)
6 - Six years of austerities
5 - Renunciation of household life
4 - Birth from the right side of the mother
3 - Remaining in mother’s womb
2 - Conception as a white elephant
1 - Descent from the Tuṣita Heaven
Ten Samadhi (Ch. 27 of the Avatamsaka Sutra) 十定
10 - Unobstructed Wheel Samadhi 無礙輪三昧
9 - Sovereign of the Dharmadhatu Samadhi 法界自在三昧
8 - Differentiated Bodies of all Sentient Beings Samadhi 一切眾生差別身三昧
7 - Understanding the Buddha Adornments of all Worlds 了知一切世界佛莊嚴三昧
6 - Treasury of the Light of Knowledge 智光明藏三昧
5 - Knowledge of Past Treasuries of Adornments 知過去莊嚴藏三昧
4 - Pure Profound Mind Practice Samadhi 清淨深心行三昧
3 - Successive Traveling to all Buddha Lands Power Samadhi 次第遍往諸佛國土神通三昧
2 - Subtle Light Samadhi 妙光明三昧
1 - Universal Light Samadhi 普光明三昧