Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c8.s3.t1.4

c8.s3.t1.4

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.