Ten bhumis

Bodhisattva sangha from the Longchen Nyingtik Field of Merit

Ten bhumis (Skt. daśabhūmi; Tib. ས་བཅུ་, sa chu, Wyl. sa bcu) — ten stages or ‘grounds’ used in the Mahayana to describe the progression of a practitioner on the path to enlightenment. They are:

1. Perfect Joy (Skt. pramuditābhūmi; Tib. rabtu gawa, Wyl. rab tu dga’ ba)
2. Immaculate / Stainless (Skt. vimalābhūmi; Tib. drima mepa, Wyl. dri ma med pa)
   
3. Luminous / Illuminating (Skt. prabhākarībhūmi; Tib. ö jepa, Wyl. ‘od byed pa)
   
4. Radiant (Skt. arciṣmatībhūmi; Tib. ö tro chen, Wyl. ‘od ‘phro can)
   
5. Hard to Keep / Hard to Conquer (Skt. sudurjayābhūmi; Tib. shintu jankawa, Wyl. shin tu sbyang dka’ ba)
   
6. Clearly Manifest (Skt. abhimukhībhūmi; Tib. ngöntu gyurpa, Wyl. mngon du gyur ba)
   
7. Far Progressed (Skt. duraṅgamabhūmi; Tib. ringtu songwa, Wyl. ring du song ba)
   
8. Immovable (Skt. acālabhūmi; Tib. miyowa, Wyl. mi g.yo ba)
   
9. Perfect Intellect (Skt. sādhuṃatībhūmi; Tib. lekpé lodrö, Wyl. legs pa’i blo gros)
   
10. Cloud of Dharma (Skt. dharmameghaābhūmi; Tib. chökyi trin, Wyl. chos kyi sprin)

The eleventh bhumi, Universal Radiance (Tib. kuntu ö, Wyl. kun tu 'od), is buddhahood according to the sutra system.

Related to the subtle body

There are twenty-two knots between the central channel and the two lateral channels. As they become freed, pair by pair, the meditator attains the successive bhumis, from the first to the eleventh, up to buddhahood.

Literature

• Sutra of the Ten Bhumis
• Samdhinirmochana Sutra, chapter 9

Alternative Translations

• Ten levels
• Ten grounds
• Ten stages

Further Reading

• Appendix 12, 'The Bodhisattva Bhumis' pp.201-205 in The Light of Wisdom Volume 1. Root text by Padmasambhava and commentary by Jamgön Kongtrül the Great. Published by Shambhala Publications ISBN 0-87773-566-2

Internal Links

• Ten Stages according to Anuyoga
• Five paths

External Links

• Patrul Rinpoche's Brief Guide to the Paths and Stages of the Bodhisattvas at Lotsawahouse