Five paths: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:49, 2 January 2021

Bodhisattva sangha from the Longchen Nyingtik Field of Merit

The five paths (Skt. pañcamārga; Tib. ལམ་ལྔ་, lam nga, Wyl. lam lnga) are:

the path of accumulation (Skt. sambhāramārga)
the path of joining (also called 'engagement' or 'junction') (Skt. prayogamārga)
the path of seeing (or 'insight') (Skt. darśanamārga)
the path of meditation (or 'cultivation') (Skt. bhāvanāmārga)
the path of no-more-learning (Skt. aśaikṣamārga)

These five paths incorporate the entire spiritual journey, as described in the Mahayana, from its very beginnings with the taking of the bodhisattva vow and the generation of relative bodhichitta, up until its culmination at the stage of complete enlightenment.

It is said in the pith instructions that the path of accumulation is the stage of understanding, the path of joining is the stage of experience, and the path of seeing is the stage of realization.

Chart Linking Five Paths with Other Aspects of the Path

paths	subdivisions	factors of enlightenment	bhumis
1. accumulation	lesser	four applications of mindfulness four genuine restraints four bases of miraculous powers	trainee bodhisattva
	intermediate
	greater
2. joining
3. seeing
4. meditation
5. no-more-learning

Canonical Literature

Sutras

Sutra of the Ten Bhumis

Shastras

Internal Links

Ten bhumis

External Links

A Brief Guide to the Stages and Paths of the Bodhisattvas by Patrul Rinpoche

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ==Chart Linking Five Paths with Other Aspects of the Path==
+{|class="wikitable"
 {|align="center" border="1" cellpadding="15" cellspacing="1":
-|colspan=“1” align="center"|paths
+! paths !! subdivisions !! eliminations !! accomplishments !! [[Thirty-seven factors of enlightenment|factors of enlightenment]] !! [[ten bhumis|bhumis]]
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|subdivisions
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|eliminations
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|accomplishments
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|[[Thirty-seven factors of enlightenment|factors of enlightenment]]
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|[[ten bhumis|bhumis]]
 |-
-|colspan=“1” align="center"|1. accumulation
+|rowspan="3" align="center"|1. accumulation
-|colspan=“1” align="left"|lesser<br/>intermediate<br/>greater<br/>
+|rowspan="1" colspan=“1” align="left"|lesser
-|colspan=“1” align="left"|
+|colspan="1" align="left"|
-|colspan=“1” align="left"|
+|colspan="1" align="left"|
-|colspan=“1” align="left"|[[four applications of mindfulness]]<br/>[[four genuine restraints]]<br/>[[four bases of miraculous powers]]
+|colspan="1" align="left"|[[four applications of mindfulness]]<br/>[[four genuine restraints]]<br/>[[four bases of miraculous powers]]
-|colspan=“1” align="left"|trainee bodhisattva
+|colspan="1" align="left"|trainee bodhisattva
 |-
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|2. joining
+|colspan=“1” align="left"|intermediate
 |-
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|3. seeing
+|colspan=“1” align="left"|greater
 |-
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|4. meditation
+|colspan="1" align="center”|2. joining
 |-
-|colspan=“1” align="center”|5. no-more-learning
+|colspan="1" align="center”|3. seeing
+|-
+|colspan="1" align="center”|4. meditation
+|-
+|colspan="1" align="center”|5. no-more-learning
 |-
 |}