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THE MATRIX AND DIAMOND WORLDMANDALAS IN SHINGON BUDDHISM

ADRIAN SNODGRASS

INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF INDIAN CULTUREand ADITYA PRAKASHAN, NEW DELHI

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728APPENDIX 1: THE FIFfY TWO BODIDS ATTVA STAGESThe exoteric schools of the Mahayana teach that there are fifty two Bodhisattva stages( gojuni-i )1, which are the successive steps taken by the sadhaka in his ascent to Buddhahood, the levels he traverses to eliminate delusion and gain Wondrous Enlightenmen(myogaku). The fifty two stages are divided into two phases. The first forty stages, calledthe "prior stages" (jizen), culminate in the attainment of Awakening; the next stages,called the "superior stages" (jijo) include the "ten stations" (jiiji), which are stages inwhich the Buddha Wisdom (prajnii, chie) acquired with the attainment of Awakening, isincreased and perfected, and two stages of Enlightenment.

There are several lists of the fifty two stages, differing from each other in minordetails. A typical list, given in the Tendai teaching, is:

A. The Prior Stages

1-10. The Ten Stages of Faith (jusshin), those of aspiration, remembrance, endeavourconcentration of mind, wisdom, keeping the precepts, transference of one's merits toothers, protection of the Dharma, giving unsparingly, and the making of vows.

11-20. The Ten Stages of Security (juju), those of the attainment of the truth, seeing theVoid (siinyata, kii), the performance of good deeds, the seeing of selflessness, doinggood, obtaining wisdom, never sliding back, having no more illusions, becoming a sonof a Buddha, and annihilating life and death.

21-30. The Ten Stages of Practice (jugyo), those of joyful service, beneficial servicenon-resentment, dauntlessness, no misconduct, appearing in any form at will, attachment

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7'2931-40. The Ten Stages of the Transference of Merit (jueko), those of saving others insecret, seeing the non-substantiality of all things without analyzing them, propagating theteachings of all the Buddhas, making oblations to all the Buddhas, giving theBuddha-Nature to others, seeing the Middle Way, leniency towards evil persons, seeingeverything as the Dharma World, seeing that all thip.gs are equal, seeing that all things arethe Middle Way.

B. The Superior Stages

41-50. The Ten Stations ( d a ~ a - b h u m i , juji). These are ten stages in the development ofthe Buddha Wisdom, the cutting away of the hindrances of delusion and the realization ofthe supreme fruition of Buddhahood. Each station is the attainment of a Paramita. Entryinto the tenth station, the completion of the Paramita of Knowledge (jniina-piiramitii,hannya-haramitsu), is the perfection of Buddhahood. The Ten Stations are:

1. The Station of Joy (pramudita-bhumi, kangiji). This is the perfection of the Pliramitaof Giving (diina-paramita, dan-haramitsu). A great spiritual joy arises in the Bodhisattvabecause he has cut away all deluded views, attained the single thought (ichinen) ofnon-discriminating Knowledge (mufumbetchi) and realized Suchness (tathatii, shinnyo)and the Middle Way of the Buddha Wisdom.

2. The Station of Freedom from Defilements (vimala-bhumi, rikuji). The Pliramita ofthe Precepts (sila-piiramitii, kai-haramitsu) is perfected, the delusions of practice(gyowaku) cut away, all the defilements of improper action stemming from beginninglesstime are removed, and purity of body and mind are attained.

3. The Station of Manifesting Light (prabhiikari-bhumi, hakkoji). This is the station ofthe perfection of the Paramita of Patience ( k ~ i i n t i - p i i r a m i t i l , ninniku-haramitsu), in whichthe delusions of practice are cut away.2 The Bodhisattva attains the "patience to assess the

2. Following the Mikkyo-daijiten, op. cit., p. 864, s.v., fuji, where the cuttingaway of the delusions of practice is given as a characteristic of both the second and thirdstations.

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730dharmas truly" (taisatsilhoninP and manifests his supreme Knowledge by shining with aradi:mt light.

4. The Station of Blazing Wisdom a r c i ~ m a t i - b h i l m i , enneji). This is the station of theperfection of the Paramita of Exertion (vfrya-piiramitii, shojin-haramitsu), in which thelight of supreme Knowledge shines with ever-increasing brilliance and, reaching itsgreatest intensity, bums away the last vestiges of illusion.5. The Station of Overcoming the Supremely Difficult (sudurjayii-bhilmi, gokunanshoji). This is the station of the perfection of the Paramita of Meditation (dhyiinapiiramitii, zenjo-haramitsu), in which the non-duality of the two truths, mundane andabsolute4, is effected. The station derives its name from the extreme difficulty in unifyingthe two truths.

6. The Station of Being Face to Face (with Wisdom) (abhimukhi-bhilmi, genzenji).This is the station of the perfection of the Paramita of Wisdom (prajnii-piiramitti,hannya-haramitsu). It is also called the "Station of the Immediate Presence of Wisdom"(genzaiji) because it is the station in which the Bodhisattva perceives, "before his eyes';,the absolute identity ofthe worlds of defllement and purity.7. The Station of Far-reaching Practice (dilrangama-bhilmi, ongyoji). This is the stationof the perfection of the Paramita ofMethod (upiiya-piiramitii, hi5ben-haramitsu), in whichthe Mind of Great Compassion is manifested and all the attachments to the concept ofself-benefit (jiri) as expounded in the doctrines of the Two Vehicles (nijo) are cut away.The Bodhisattva enlarges his spiritual aims to encompass the good of all beings; heperfects the practices of Great Compassion and the use of Expedient Means -(upiiya,

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7318. The Station of Immovability (acalii-bhumi,fudoji). In this station the Bodhisattvaperfects the Paramita of the Vows (pralJidhiina-piiramitii, gan-haramitsu) and fulfills thevows to liberate all beings. He abides immovably in the formless, immutable and eternalWisdom, which manifests the great practices that liberate all sentient beings.

9. The Station of the Wisdom of Skills (siidhumatz-bhiimi, zenneji). In this theParamitaof Power (bala-piiramitii, riki-haramitsu) is perfected. The ten powers5 and thefour kinds of unhindered eloquence6 are mastered. With this mastery of skills theBodhisattva has complete freedom to aid and rescue all beings in the worlds of the tendirections. He can preach the Dharma everywhere with compelling force and greatversatility.

10. The Station of the Dharma Cloud (dharmamegha-bhiimi, hounji). This is theperfection ,of the Paramita of Knowledge (jfliina-piiramitii, chi-haramitsu) and is thestation in which, Wisdom and Compassion having both been perfected, the immeasurablevirtues of the Bodhisattva permeate, like a cloud, the whole of the Dharma World. It isthe stage in which the Bodhisattva becomes like a great and all-pervading cloud ofknowledge that rains down the Elixir of the Dharma (dharma-amrta, ho-kanro) to irrigateand nourish all the beings of the Dharma World.

Beyond these Ten Stations there are two more stages, called the stages of "similarAwakening" (togaku) and of "wondrous Awakening" (myogaku). The latter is thesupreme stage of Buddhahood and the former differs from it to a very small degree, andhence is called "similar".

5. Namely, profundity of mind (shinjin), profundity of faith (jinshin), greatcompassion (daihi ), great love (daiji ), dharaQ.Is (soji), discrimination (benzai ), theParamitas (haramitsu), the great vows (daigan), supernatural faculties (jinzii) and kajiwith the Buddha.6. See p. 360, note 70.