Bodhisattva

==== The bodhisattva grounds (''bhūmis'') ====
[[File:Bodhisattva, Kamakura period, Japan.jpg|thumb|[[Maitreya]], 13th century, [[Kamakura period]], [[Tokyo National Museum]], [[Important Cultural Property (Japan)|Important Cultural Property]] of [[Japan]]]]
According to various Mahāyāna sources, on the way to becoming a Buddha, a bodhisattva proceeds through various stages (''[[Bhumi (Buddhism)|bhūmis]]'') of spiritual progress''.'' The term ''bhūmi'' means "earth" or "place" and figurately can mean "ground, plane, stage, level; state of consciousness".<ref>Dayal 1970, p. 270.</ref>  There are various lists of bhumis, the most common is a list of ten found in the ''[[Ten Stages Sutra|Daśabhūmikasūtra]]'' (but there are also lists of seven stages as well as lists which have more than 10 stages).<ref>Dayal 1970, pp. 271-272.</ref>

The ''[[Ten Stages Sutra|Daśabhūmikasūtra]]'' lists the following ten stages:

# '''Great Joy:''' It is said that being close to enlightenment and seeing the benefit for all [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient beings]], one achieves great joy, hence the name. In this ''bhūmi'' the bodhisattvas practice all [[paramita|perfections]] (''pāramitās''), but especially emphasizing [[dana (Buddhism)|generosity]] (''dāna'').
# '''Stainless:''' In accomplishing the second ''bhūmi'', the bodhisattva is free from the stains of immorality, therefore, this ''bhūmi'' is named "stainless". The emphasized perfection is [[śila|moral discipline]] (''śīla'').
# '''Luminous:''' The light of Dharma is said to radiate for others from the bodhisattva who accomplishes the third ''bhūmi''. The emphasized perfection is [[kṣanti|patience]] (''{{IAST|kṣānti}}'').
# '''Radiant:''' This ''bhūmi'' it is said to be like a radiating light that fully burns that which opposes enlightenment. The emphasized perfection is [[vīrya|vigor]] (''vīrya'').
# '''Very difficult to train:''' Bodhisattvas who attain this ground strive to help sentient beings attain maturity, and do not become emotionally involved when such beings respond negatively, both of which are difficult to do. The emphasized perfection is [[Dhyāna in Buddhism|meditative concentration]] (''dhyāna'').
# '''Obviously Transcendent:''' By depending on the perfection of wisdom, [the bodhisattva] does not abide in either ''[[saṃsāra|{{IAST|saṃsāra}}]]'' or ''[[nirvāṇa|{{IAST|nirvāṇa}}]]'', so this state is "obviously transcendent".  The emphasized perfection is [[Wisdom in Buddhism|wisdom]] (''prajñā'').
# '''Gone afar:''' Particular emphasis is on the perfection of [[upaya|skillful means]] (''upāya''), to help others.
# '''Immovable:''' The emphasized virtue is aspiration. This "immovable" ''bhūmi'' is where one becomes able to choose his place of rebirth.
# '''Good Discriminating Wisdom:''' The emphasized virtue is the understanding of self and non-self.
# '''Cloud of Dharma:''' The emphasized virtue is the practice of primordial wisdom. After this ''bhūmi'', one attains full Buddhahood.

In some sources, these ten stages are correlated with a different schema of the buddhist path called [[Bhūmi (Buddhism)#Five Paths|the five paths]] which is derived from [[Vaibhāṣika|Vaibhasika]] [[Abhidharma]] sources.<ref>Watanabe, Chikafumi (2000), ''A Study of Mahayanasamgraha III: The Relation of Practical Theories and Philosophical Theories." Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Calgary, pp. 38-40.''</ref>

The ''[[Shurangama Sutra|Śūraṅgama Sūtra]]'' recognizes 57 stages. Various [[Vajrayana|Vajrayāna]] schools recognize additional grounds (varying from 3 to 10 further stages), mostly 6 more grounds with variant descriptions.<ref>{{cite web |title=大圆满心性休息 – 显密文库 佛教文集 |url=http://read.goodweb.cn/news/news_more.asp?lm2=603 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908080747/http://read.goodweb.cn/news/news_more.asp?lm2=603 |archive-date=8 September 2015 |access-date=21 August 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=鄔金旺度 |title=吉祥鄔金密嚴寺 |date=29 August 2009 |url=http://akanistha.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post_4818.html |access-date=21 August 2015}}</ref> A bodhisattva above the 7th ground is called a ''[[mahāsattva]]''. Some bodhisattvas such as [[Samantabhadra Bodhisattva|Samantabhadra]] are also said to have already attained Buddhahood.<ref>{{cite web |title=459 因地菩薩和果地菩薩 |url=http://wisdom.buddhistdoor.com/alankwan/2009/09/13/459-%E5%9B%A0%E5%9C%B0%E8%8F%A9%E8%96%A9%E5%92%8C%E6%9E%9C%E5%9C%B0%E8%8F%A9%E8%96%A9/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105090211/http://wisdom.buddhistdoor.com/alankwan/2009/09/13/459-%E5%9B%A0%E5%9C%B0%E8%8F%A9%E8%96%A9%E5%92%8C%E6%9E%9C%E5%9C%B0%E8%8F%A9%E8%96%A9/ |archive-date=5 November 2011}}</ref>