Stages of the Bodhisattva’s Path
Ten Stages of Stabilizing the Mind
“Ananda, once a good practitioner has reached the state where his emotional love and desire have dried up, where his sense-faculties no longer pair up with sense-objects, and the residues of his habitual tendencies no longer arise, now what is left in him is pure wisdom, with no emotional attachment and no mental obstruction. The nature of this wisdom is bright and perfect, illumining the worlds of the ten directions. This state is named Dry Wisdom, where all habits of desire have dried up (purely with wisdom remaining), although they have not yet merged with the stream of the Tathagatas’ Dharma.
“Dwelling on the center of this state, the practitioner enters the flow of wondrous perfection, where layers upon layers of wondrous perfection reveal themselves, while the practitioner constantly abides in unshakable faith, until all delusions are completely eliminated, and the Middle Way is truly realized. This is called ‘The Stage of Residing in Faith‘.
“This true faith gives rise to complete clarity, in which the three elements (aggregates, places and realms) are no longer obstacles, and the practitioner can clearly see all the habits that have been perpetuating the endless cycles of death and rebirth throughout countless eons, in the past as well as in the future, and the good practitioner can remember everything, forgetting none. It is called ‘The Stage of Residing in Mindfulness‘.
“Then the essence of the wondrous perfection brings about a transformation in the practitioner’s mind, in which all the habits ever accumulated since the beginningless time have been transformed into a single essential clarity, and through which the practitioner gets to progress into true purity. This is called ‘The Stage of Advancing Through Essential Clarity‘.
“As this essential clarity becomes fully present, the mind purely functions with wisdom alone. It is called ‘The Stage of Residing in Wisdom‘.
“As this wisdom is firmly upheld, its light pervades everywhere with a constant stillness and profound majesty. This is called ‘The Stage of Residing in Samadhi‘.
“As this state of Samadhi becomes more and more illuminating, the essence of light penetrates deeper and deeper, the practitioner keeps advancing on the Path, without ever backsliding again. It is called ‘The Stage of No Retrogression‘.
“As the practitioner abides in this state of mind securely, without ever wandering loss, his energy becomes connected with the energy of the Tathagatas of the ten directions. This is called ‘The Stage of Protecting the Dharma‘.
“While the light of enlightenment is being protected, the practitioner can use its wondrous power to reflect on the Buddhas’ light of compassion and to calmly abide in the Buddhas’ abode. It is as if two mirrors are facing each other with layer upon layer of light being reflected between them. This is called ‘The Stage of Redirecting the Light Inward‘.
“Through this interplay of light, the practitioner attains the eternal steadfastness and the unsurpassed purity of the Buddhas, abiding in the unconditioned and knowing no loss. It is called ‘The Stage of Residing in Precepts‘.
“Through this self-mastery in precepts, the practitioner may now freely traverse the ten directions as he pleases. This is called ‘The Stage of Fulfilling Vows‘.
阿難是善男子欲愛乾枯根境不偶。現前殘質不復續生。執心虛明純是智慧。慧性明圓瑩十方界。乾有其慧名乾慧地。欲習初乾未與如來法流水接。即以此心中中流入。圓妙開敷從真妙圓。重發真妙妙信常住。一切妄想滅盡無餘。中道純真名信心住。真信明了一切圓通。陰處界三不能為礙。如是乃至過去未來。無數劫中捨身受身。一切習氣皆現在前。是善男子皆能憶念。得無遺忘名念心住。妙圓純真真精發化。無始習氣通一精明。唯以精明進趣真淨名精進心。心精現前純以智慧名慧心住。執持智明周遍寂湛。寂妙常凝名定心住。定光發明明性深入。唯進無退名不退心。心進安然保持不失。十方如來氣分交接名護法心。覺明保持能以妙力。迴佛慈光向佛安住。猶如雙鏡光明相對。其中妙影重重相入名迴向心。心光密迴獲佛常凝。無上妙淨安住無為。得無遺失名戒心住。住戒自在能遊十方。所去隨願名願心住。
Ten Abodes of Dwelling in the Mind
“Ananda, now the good practitioner has used skillful expedients to cultivate the abovementioned ten states of mind, throughout which the essence of mind radiantly pervades, and the functions of the ten states of mind are perfectly integrated into one single-mindedness. This is called ‘The Abode of Resolve‘.
“Light is therefore shining forth from the mind as if pure gold radiating from within a flawless crystal, and the good practitioner dwells on it as if he was leveling the ground. It is called ‘The Abode of Leveled Ground‘.
“As the mind ground attains wisdom, it gives rise to a luminous understanding, and traversing the ten directions becomes free of restraint and obstruction. This is called ‘The Abode of Walking the Path‘.
“Walking the Buddhas’ Path and resonating with the Buddhas’ Energy, the practitioner is like a rebirth seeker during the intermediate bardo state, where he is guided by a secret communication to penetrate the darkness, and at a moment of conception, entering the Tathagata’s lineage. It is called ‘The Abode of Noble Birth‘.
“Residing in the womb of the Way and being the heir to Enlightenment, the practitioner has now acquired the attributes and expedients of the Awakened Ones, just like a mature fetus has all human features developed. This is called ‘The Abode of Acquiring Full Set of Expedients‘.
“Now the practitioner has the outward appearance and the mental state of a Buddha. It is called ‘The Abode of the Proper State of Mind‘.
“United with Buddhahood on both physical and mental levels, the practitioner grows day by day. This is called ‘The Abode of Irreversibility‘.
“The practitioner now has the efficacy to manifest in ten forms, all of which have perfect spiritual attributes. It is called ‘The Abode of Pure Youth‘.
“Completely developed now, it is time to leave the womb and officially become a child of the Buddha. This is called ‘The Abode of Dharma Prince‘.
“Reaching adulthood, the Dharma Prince is now like a crown prince being anointed as the Ksatriya king’s heir, to whom the affairs of the state are entrusted. It is called ‘The Abode of Anointment‘.”
阿難是善男子以真方便發此十心。心精發揮十用涉入。圓成一心名發心住。心中發明如淨瑠璃。內現精金。以前妙心履以成地名治地住。心地涉知俱得明了。遊履十方得無留礙名修行住。行與佛同受佛氣分。如中陰身自求父母。陰信冥通入如來種名生貴住。既遊道胎親奉覺胤。如胎已成人相不缺名方便具足住。容貌如佛心相亦同名正心住。身心合成日益增長名不退住。十身靈相一時具足名童真住。形成出胎親為佛子名法王子住。表以成人如國大王。以諸國事分委太子。彼剎利王世子長成。陳列灌頂名灌頂住。
Buddha Mind 