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Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c8.s3.t1: Correspondence of Bhūmis with Maggas and Phalas

Aspects of Mahāyāna Buddhism and its Relation to Hīnayāna c8.s3.t1

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Correspondence of Bhūmis with Maggas and Phalas

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The Hinayāna system does not offer any parallel to the first bhūmi of the Mahāyānists, for it has no concern with Bodhicitta, Praṇidhānas, Maitrī, Karuṇā, and the ten qualities needed by a bodhisattva for fortifying himself to march along the ten bhūmis. It is from the second bhūmi that the Hinayāna system offers a parallel to the Mahāyānic stages of progress. The Bodhisattvabhūmi⁴ and the Madhyamakāvatāra⁵ notice this fact in their treatment of the bhūmis.

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⁴ See Rahder's edition in the App. to Daśa., p. 1.

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⁵ M. Ava., ch. I (Le Muséon, VIII).

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In the Hinayāna system a very common way of speaking about the various stages of progress is that an adept by complying with the rules of Adhisīla⁶ (entire moral precepts) becomes a Sotāpanna and Sakadāgāmi, by complying with the rules of Adhicitta, an Anāgāmi, and by those of Adhipaññā, an Arhat. So we can name the Hinayāna stages also as (1) Puthujjana but Gotrabhū, (2) Adhisila, (3) Adhicitta, and (4) Adhipaññā.¹ If we now compare with these the Mahāyānic bhūmis as named in the *Bodhisattvabhūmi*, the relation of the Hinayānic to Mahāyānic bhūmis becomes apparent. They are as follows: (1) Gotra-Vihāra, (2) Adhimukticaryā-Vihāra, (3) Pramuditā-Vihāra, (4) Adhiśīla-Vihāra,² (5) Adhicitta-Vihāra, (6), (7) and (8) Adhiprajñā-Vihāra, (9) Sābhisaṃskāra-sābhoga-nirnimitta-Vihāra, (10) Anābhoga-nirnimitta-Vihāra, (11) Pratisamvid-Vihāra, and (12) Parama-Vihāra. Of these twelve Vihāras, we have already dealt with the first two, the preparatory Bhūmis,³ which are, as a rule, not included in the usual list of bhūmis, and correspond to the Hinayānic Puthujjana or pre-Sotāpanna stage. Hence, if they be left out, we have the usual ten bhūmis. Evidently the five bhūmis (4-8 of the *Bodhisattvabhūmi*, and 2-6 of the *Daśabhūmikasūtra*) correspond to the four Hinayānic stages. The higher knowledge and attainments, which the Bodhisattvas claim and which, according to the Mahāyānists, are beyond the capacity of the Hinayānists, are to be attained in the last four bhūmis.

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⁶ The Aṭṭhaṅgika Magga is arranged thus : Sīla = Sammāvācā, °kammanta, and °ājīva. Citta or Samādhi = Sammāsaṅkappa, °vāyāma, °sati, °samādhi. Paññā = Sammādiṭṭhi. See, e.g., Vis. M., pp. 4, 510; Dīgha, III, p. 219

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¹ Three samaṇakaraṇīyas in the *Aṅguttara*, I, p. 229.

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² *B. Bh.*, p. 12 tells us that the Adhiśīla-V. is the same as Vimalā-bhūmi of the *Daśa*.

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³ See *ante*, pp. 243 ff.

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