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Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c8.s2.t2: Adhimukticaryābhūmi

Aspects of Mahāyāna Buddhism and its Relation to Hīnayāna c8.s2.t2

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Adhimukticaryābhūmi

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It is in the Madhyamakāvatāra that we find mention of a pre-Bodhisattva stage called the Adhimukticaryābhūmi. The Madhyamakāvatāra,⁶ quoting the Ratnamegha-sūtra, says that the bhūmi of the Bhaviṣyad (future) Bodhisattva is placed just before the first bhūmi and consists essentially of excessive (adhimātra-adhimātra) practices of the adhimukti (aspiration). He is a future Bodhisattva because he has not yet developed Bodhicitta. He is therefore said to be in the Adhimukticaryābhūmi, *i.e.*, he has been aspiring to become a Buddha by following the doctrines of Mahāyāna. After hearing a religious discourse, or praises and accounts of the powers of a Buddha, he has only passing thoughts that he would become a Buddha, but unless and until this thought stays permanently in his mind, he cannot be said to possess Bodhicitta and become an Ārya, a Bodhisattva.¹

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⁶ Le Muséon, VIII, p. 262.

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¹ Cf. *E.R.E.*, II, p. 745.

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The *Bodhisattvabhūmi* is more explicit with regard to the pre-bodhisattva stage; the technical name given by it is Prakṛticaryā.² It divides this stage into two, Gotravihāra³ and Adhimukticaryāvihāra.⁴ These two preparatory stages cannot be strictly called bhūmis. The *Daśabhūmikasūtra* and other treatises dealing with bhūmis do not therefore mention them in their list of bhūmis. They deal with or refer to the qualities needed in the pre-bodhisattva stage but do not reckon them as additional bhūmis as the *Bodhisattvabhūmi* does.

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² This is mentioned also in the *Mtu.* as the first of the four caryās.

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³ Vihāra-bhūmi. The corresponding Hinayāna term is Gotrabhū, which is reckoned as a pre-sotāpanna stage. See *Aṅguttara*, IV, p. 373. The first two bhūmis, Śuklavipaśyanā and Gotra, mentioned in the *S'ata.* (see *ante*, p. 240), also correspond to this.

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⁴ It is the same as the Adhimukticaryābhūmi of the *M. Ava.* The *Laṅkā.* (p. 65) speaks of the preparatory stage as Parikarmabhūmi. See *E.R.E.*, II, p. 744 for Parikarma and Upacāra bhūmis. In the *S'ata.* (ch. x), Parikarma refers to the duties to be performed by a bodhisattva in a bhūmi.

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The Gotravihāra is thus described in the *Bodhisattvabhūmi*: A person who is gotrastha, *i.e.*, belongs by nature to a noble class of beings, is endowed with the qualities, high aims, and good dharmas of a Bodhisattva. They are apparent

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The *Mtu.* (I, 46 f.) calls the corresponding bhūmis Prakṛticaryā and Praṇidhānacaryā. The former refers to the worldly virtues of being respectful to parents, śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, performance of the ten kuśalakarmapathas, worship of Buddhas, etc. The latter (praṇidhānacaryā) refers to the aspiration felt by a bodhisattva to become Buddha and to achieve the same at any cost. The *Mtu.* gives also the legends about the present Buddha as to when and in what circumstances, he made the resolution (praṇidhāna).

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in his natural demeanour. He sets himself to perform good deeds naturally, and does not require persuasion; he does the same with a certain amount of wisdom and feeling of charity. He possesses the seeds of Buddhadharmas and is incapable of committing evil deeds, not to speak of the deadly (ānantarya) sins.¹ The gotravihāra forms the root-cause (hetumātra) of the other eleven vihāras. It only makes it possible for one to exert himself for the attainment of the other bhūmis but does not carry him further.

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¹ For ānantarya sins, see Kośa, IV. 96; Vibhaṅga, p. 378.

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The Adhimukticaryāvihāra is the name given to the first attempts made by a Bodhisattva to develop Bodhicitta, the noble aspiration. In this bhūmi the Bodhisattva actually starts on his march to the Tathāgatavihāra, while in the Gotravihāra he gives only an indication of same.² When he completes the duties of the adhimukticaryā, he can be said to have done the work preliminary to the first bhūmi, the Pramuditā. In the Adhimukticaryāvihāra, a bodhisattva practises bhāvanās in a limited degree, and is incapable of retaining what is acquired. He makes only an attempt fo- nirnimitta-bhāvanā (i.e., meditation of the Absolute devoid of all signs).³ He is possessed of pratisamkhyānabala (power of discriminating knowledge) and applies himself to the duties of a bodhisattva with pratisamkhyāna-prajñā and not by natural tanmayatā (absorption). He cannot yet have the Bodhisattva-bhāvanās, which make one steadfast and non-receding. He is not above the five fears, viz., of livelihood, dispraise, death, evil destiny (durgati) and censure by the assembly.⁴ With pratisamkhyā he exerts himself for the good of beings and not out of natural love and compassion. Sometimes, he explains things wrongly and sometimes he interests himself in improper spheres or in the material requisites of life. He may have reverential faith (śraddhā) but no innate knowledge of truth. He possesses only limited śrutamayi and cintāmayi prajñā (knowledge derived from hearing and reflection),¹ which again sometimes gets bewildered. He follows the bodhisattva-path with great difficulty and sluggish knowledge (dhandha-abhijñā) and does not develop a very strong desire for bodhi. Now and then he forgets the right means in which beings should be trained and even the Buddhavacana. Occasionally he imparts teaching incautiously and fails to produce the desired result. At times he takes away his mind from bodhi and loses energy for the observance of Bodhisattva-saṃvaras (disciplines) or for rendering service to beings. Sometimes he also seeks his own happiness, though after reflection he seeks the happiness of others as well. Not unoften he notices his own failings but lacks sufficient energy to correct them. He likes instruction in the Bodhisattva-dharmas but sometimes he gets frightened by the magnitude of the task. He is not endowed with all the bodhipakṣika-dharmas. These are the chief indications by which it can be ascertained whether or not a person is in the Adhimukticaryābhūmi.

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² These two vihāras have a parallel in the two kinds of Bodhicitta, mentioned in the Bodhic., viz., Bodhipraṇidhi and Bodhiprasthāna. The Bodhic. puts these two after the development of Bodhicitta, see infra, p. 247.

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³ B. Bh., p. 3.

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⁴ Cf. Aṅguttara, IV, p. 364.

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¹ See Netti, pp. 8, 60; Kośa, VI. 5c. Cf. Rahder, La Carrière du Saint Bouddhique, p. 5.

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The idea underlying the preparatory stage is that there are beings who possess to their credit such kuśalamūlas that they are destined to become Buddhas. These beings are called gotrasthas.² Just as a king's sons are different from those of a commoner by their inherent nature, demeanour, and aspiration, so also those beings who possess the germs of Buddhahood are known by their inherent superior qualities.

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² See Sūtrā., p. 11 for gotrāgratva. The B. Bh. devotes about six leaves to the details of the gotra; see Camb. Ms., leaves 1-6. For gotra, see also ante, pp. 84 ff.

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The Daśabhūmikasūtra³ furnishes us with the details of the pre-bodhisattva stage which are on many points different from the account of the Bodhisattvabhūmi. Some of these details are as follows: They develop bodhicitta after having accumulated enough merits, followed the prescribed practices, worshipped many Buddhas, possessed pure and sublime intention and aspiration, and held compassion always in the front of his mind. They are desirous of attaining the Buddha knowledge, the ten powers, the four great Vaiśaradyas, realising the sameness of all dharmas (things), rescuing all beings from misery, acquiring every form of knowledge, and purifying all Buddha-kṣetras.

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³ Daśa., p. 11.

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These accounts depict the wavering mind of a person who is endeavouring to develop Bodhicitta. It is by the actual development of Bodhicitta¹ that a person gets rid of his pṛthagjanahood and becomes an Ārya or the Elect to proceed along the stream of sanctification.² Bodhicitta, in short, means the vow or aspiration of a being to become a Buddha and obtain all the qualities and powers of a Buddha. The Bodhicaryāvatāra divides it into two parts, Bodhipraṇidhicitta and Bodhiprasthānacitta. The former is simply an aspiration to become a Buddha for saving worldly beings from misery without seriously thinking of the duties of making the highest gifts, and such other virtues. The latter refers to the resolution to observe the Bodhisattva-saṃvaras (disciplines) and to strive for the acquisition of merits. The former is compared to a traveller who is thinking of going to another country, while the latter to one who has actually set out on his journey in order to reach the destination.³ As soon as one develops bodhicitta, he is entitled to perform the duties connected with the first Bhūmi.⁴

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¹ The topic of Bodhicitta is of all-absorbing interest in most of the Mahāyāna works. The Bodhic. devotes to it its first three chapters, and its commentary quotes many sūtras throwing light on the same.

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² See E.R.E., II, p. 744; M. Ava. in the Le Muséon, VIII, p. 11: yena cittotpādena sahotpannena bodhisattvo 'tikrānto bhavati pṛthagjanabhūmim avakrānto bhavati bodhisattva-niyāmam, etc.

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³ Bodhic., pp. 23-5.

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⁴ According to the Mtu. (I, 78) a bodhisattva in the first bhūmi is still a pṛthagjana but he is prāptaphala and dakṣiṇeya.

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