2. Five Paths

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We may progress through the five pathway minds on three levels, depending on our

motivation and style of practice. The first two levels are as Hinayana practitioners;

the third is the Mahayana level.

Note that in Buddhist terminology, motivation (kun-slong) refers to the mental factor

of intention (dun-pa) the intention to reach a certain a goal for a certain purpose.

It does not refer to the mental factor of the positive or negative emotion, such as

love and compassion or jealousy and greed, that accompanies the intention and moves

us to attain a goal.

1. Shravakas (nyan-thos, listeners) strive to attain liberation (thar-pa, Skt.

moksha) from samsara. Their motivating factor to reach that goal is renunciation

(nges-byung) of true suffering and the true causes of it, and the determination to be

free from them. Listening to the teachings of a Buddha, they work to achieve their

aim.

2. Pratyekabuddhas (rang-rgyal, self-realizers) also strive, with renunciation, to

attain liberation. They live during dark ages when the teachings of a Buddha are no

longer available. They do not study with spiritual teachers, because there are none,

and they teach only by gestures, since others are not receptive. Living either singly

(like a rhinoceros) or in small groups, they must rely on their instincts to learn of the

Dharma.

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3. Bodhisattvas (byang-chub sems-dpa) strive to achieve enlightenment and the

ability to be of as much benefit to all limited beings (sentient beings) as is possible.

The motivating factor to reach this goal is called bodhichitta (byang-sems).

Reaching One of the Three Purified States as One of the Three Types of Arhat

When the three types of practitioners reach their goals, they all become arhats

(dgra-bcom-pa, liberated beings, "foe-destroyers"). They become:

1. shravaka arhats,

2. pratyekabuddha arhats, or

3. Buddha arhats. A Buddha arhat is another name for a Buddha.

Moreover, each of the three goals is called bodhi (byang-chub), a purified state.

Buddhahood (enlightenment) is also called samyaksambodhi (yang-dag-pa r dzogs-pai

byang-chub), the full, perfectly purified state.

The Building-up Pathway Mind

Depending on our situations and motivations, we achieve one or the other of the two

Hinayana building-up pathway minds of building up when we attain uncontrived (bcos-

med) renunciation as our primary motivation. "Uncontrived" means that this mental

factor arises without needing to work ourselves up to it by relying directly, step by

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step, on a line of reasoning. We achieve a Mahayana building-up pathway mind when we

attain, in addition, uncontrived bodhichitta.

* According to the Gelug Jetsunpa (rJe-btsun Chos-kyi rgyal-mtshan) textbooks,

contrived bodhichitta is not actually bodhichitta. The only definitional bodhichitta is

the uncontrived variety. According to the Gelug Panchen (Pan-chen bSod-nams grags-

pa) textbook tradition, both contrived and uncontrived bodhichittas are actually

bodhichitta.

Having renunciation or both renunciation and bodhichitta as our primary motivation

means that we have them manifest (mngon-gyur-ba) all the time. Having them

manifest does not necessarily mean that we are conscious of them every moment

from then on. Even when we are not consciously thinking about bodhichitta, we still

have the intention to achieve enlightenment and benefit all limited beings.

Further, to attain a building-up pathway mind, we need to have gained beforehand two

levels of discriminating awareness of the sixteen characteristics of the four noble

truths:

1. that which arises from hearing about them (thos-byung shes-rab), so that we

can focus conceptually on the sixteen with a mere idea of the words (sgra-spyi), but

without any associated meaning to them,

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2. that which arises from pondering them (bsam-byung shes-rab), so that we

understand and can focus conceptually on them with an accurate idea of their meaning

(don-spyi).

Included among the sixteen characteristics is voidness (stong-pa-nyid, emptiness),

the absence of impossible ways of existing, as defined differently by each of the

Hinayana and Mahayana schools of tenets.

[See: List of the Sixteen Characteristics and Sixteen Incorrect Views of the Four

Noble Truths.]

The building-up pathway mind has nine stages or levels three initial, three

intermediate, and three advanced. As we progress from one stage to the next, we

"build up" to the attainment of shamatha (zhi-gnas, a serenely stilled and settled

state of mind, calm abiding) focused conceptually on the sixteen characteristics of

the four noble truths and then the joined pair of shamatha and vipashyana (lhag-

mthong, an exceptionally perceptive state of mind, special insight) similarly focused.

We may or may not have already achieved shamatha and vipashyana focused on some

other object before attaining the first pathway mind. In fact, their attainment is not

exclusively Buddhist. Non-Buddhist meditators also practice and achieve shamatha

and vipashyana, but not focused on the sixteen characteristics of the four noble

truths. Here, when we achieve shamatha focused on the sixteen characteristics, we

achieve an advanced building-up pathway mind.

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3. Patience (bzod-pa), with which we have no more fears about losing our

conventional identities. With the attainment of this stage of mind, we no longer will

be reborn in one of the three worse rebirth states as a trapped being in a joyless

realm (hell being), clutching ghost (hungry ghost), or animal.

4. Supreme Dharma (chos-mchog), with which we are able to apply our joined

shamatha and vipashyana on the sixteen characteristics to the nature of mind itself.

The Seeing Pathway Mind Becoming an Arya

When we achieve joined shamatha and vipashyana focused nonconceptually on the

sixteen characteristics of the four noble truths during our total absorption (mnyam-

bzhag, meditative equipoise) on them, we attain a seeing pathway mind. Nonconceptual

joined shamatha and vipashyana focused like this is called yogic nonconceptual

cognition (rnal-byor mngon-sum). At this point, depending on our level of progressing

through the five pathway minds, we become aryas (phags-pa, highly realized beings,

"noble ones"):

1. arya shravakas,

2. arya pratyekabuddhas,

3. arya bodhisattvas.

We continue to hold the name arya even when we achieve our goals of bodhi. Thus,

Hinayana and Mahayana arhats (Buddhas) are included among aryas. Those who have

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not yet become aryas are termed ordinary beings (so-soi skye-bo), even if they have

achieved one of the first two pathway minds.

As an arya with a seeing pathway mind, we attain our first true stoppings (gog-bden,

true cessations) or riddances (spang-ba, abandonments) of items included in one of

two sets of obscuration:

* obscurations that are disturbing emotions and attitudes and which prevent

liberation (nyon-sgrib),

* obscurations regarding all knowables and which prevent omniscience (shes-

sgrib).

Only the Mahayana tenet systems assert the obscurations preventing omniscience.

The Hinayana systems, Vaibhashika and Sautrantika, assert only obscurations

preventing liberation.

Although the Mahayana tenet systems, Chittamatra and Madhyamaka, define

differently the items included in each of the two sets of obscuration,

* the Sakya and Nyingma presentations of Svatantrika-Madhyamaka and

Prasangika-Madhyamaka share a common assertion of the two.

* The Gelug and Karma Kagyu presentations of Madhyamaka assert that

Svatantrika and Prasangika have different assertions of the two.

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What a Mahayana Seeing Pathway Mind Rids Us Of

Obscurations Preventing Liberation

Obscurations Preventing Omniscience

* Chittamatra

* Gelug Svatantrika

* Karma Kagyu Svatantrika

* Nyingma Madhyamaka

conceptually based

conceptually based

Sakya Madhyamaka

* conceptually based

* automatically arising

conceptually based

* Gelug Prasangika

* Karma Kagyu Prasangika

conceptually based

------------

* From among the obscurations preventing liberation, what a seeing pathway mind

rids us of (mthong-spang, abandonments of the path of seeing) include the

conceptually based disturbing emotions and attitudes (nyon-rmongs kun-brtags)

associated with the three dimensions of being (kham-gsum, three realms).

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* According to the Sakya presentation of the Madhyamaka systems, a Mahayana

seeing pathway mind also rids us of the automatically arising obscurations preventing

liberation.

The three dimensions of being are:

1. the dimension of desirable sense objects (dod-khams, desire realm),

2. the dimension of ethereal forms (gzugs-khams, form realm),

3. the dimension of formless beings (gzugs-med khams, formless realm).

The latter two are called the two higher dimensions of being (khams gong-ma).

* According to all presentations of the Chittamatra system, the Gelug and Karma

Kagyu presentation of the Svatantrika-Madhyamaka systems in general, and the

Nyingma and Sakya presentations of the Madhyamaka systems in general, if we are

progressing through the pathway minds as bodhisattvas, then, from among the

obscurations preventing omniscience, a Mahayana seeing pathway mind also rids us of

the conceptually based form of these obscurations.

* The Gelug and Karma Kagyu presentations of the Prasangika-Madhyamaka

system do not assert this set of obscurations as having a division into conceptually

based and automatically arising (lhan-skyes) forms. According to this presentation,

the Mahayana seeing pathway mind does not rid us of any form of obscuration

preventing omniscience.

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The Sixteen Phases of the Seeing Pathway Mind

Total absorption on the sixteen characteristics of the four noble truths with a seeing

pathway mind has sixteen phases (skad-cig, moments):

* eight uninterrupted pathway minds (bar-chad med-lam) pathway minds having

nonconceptual cognition of the sixteen,

* eight liberated pathway minds (rnam-grol lam) pathway minds having

separations (bral-ba), true stoppings (gog-pa), or riddances (spang-ba, abandonments)

of what a seeing pathway mind rids us (mthong-spang).

Thus, the eight uninterrupted seeing pathway minds rid us of what a seeing pathway

mind is rid of, and the eight liberated seeing pathway minds are rid of them.

The eight uninterrupted pathway minds of seeing are also called the eight states of

patience (bzod-pa brgyad). The eight liberated pathway minds of seeing are also

called the eight purified awarenesses (shes-pa brgyad).

The eight purified awarenesses include:

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* the four purified awarenesses concerning phenomena (chos-shes bzhi), one

each for each of the four noble truths concerning the phenomena of the dimension of

desirable sense objects.

* The four purified awarenesses from further realization (rjes-shes bzhi, rjes-

su rtogs-pai shes-pa bzhi), one each for each of the four noble truths concerning the

phenomena of the two higher dimensions of being.

The eight states of patience are patient for achieving the eight purified

awarenesses, and include:

* the four states of patience for phenomena (chos-bzod bzhi) or, more fully, the

four states of patience for the purified awarenesses concerning phenomena (chos-

shes-pai bzod-pa bzhi),

* the four states of patience for further realization (rjes-bzod bzhi) or, more

fully, the four states of patience for the purified awarenesses from further

realization (rjes-su rtogs-pai shes-pai bzod-pa bzhi).

The Accustoming Pathway Mind

With an accustoming pathway mind, we accustom ourselves to the nonconceptual

cognition of the four noble truths that we gained with a seeing pathway of mind.

What a Mahayana Accustoming Pathway Mind Rids Us Of

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Unpurified Bhumis (2-7)

Purified Bhumis (8-10)





* Chittamatra

* Gelug Sautrantika- Svatantrika

* Karma Kagyu Svatantrika

* Nyingma Madhyamaka

automatically arising


----------


Gelug Yogachara-Svatantrika





Sakya Madhyamaka

----------


----------


* Gelug Prasangika

* Karma Kagyu Prasangika


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----------

----------

all (no division of conceptually based and automatically arising)

There are nine grades of what an accustoming pathway mind rids us of (sgom-spang,

abandonments of the path of meditation). An accustoming pathway mind rids us of

them progressively, one grade at a time. Thus, there are different levels of

accustoming pathway minds according to the number of grades it is rid of.

* As shravakas and pratyekabuddhas, a Hinayana accustoming pathway mind

progressively rids us of the rest of the obscurations that are disturbing emotions

and attitudes, namely those that automatically arise (nyon-rmongs lhan-skyes).

* As bodhisattvas, except according to the Sakya presentation of the

Madhyamika systems in general, a Mahayana accustoming pathway mind also

progressivley rids us of the automatically arising obscurations preventing liberation.

* According to the Gelug and Karma Kagyu presentations of the Svatantrika-

Madhyamaka systems in general and the Nyingma and Sakya presentations of the

Madhyamaka systems in general, a Mahayana accustoming pathway mind also

progressivley rids us of the automatically arising form of the obscurations preventing

omniscience.

* According to the Gelug and Karma Kagyu presentations of the Prasangika-

Madhyamaka system, it progressively rids us of all the obscurations preventing

omniscience.

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The various schools of Indian Buddhist tenets and the various Tibetan traditions give

different presentations of the order in which, as arya bodhisattvas, we rid ourselves

of what an accustoming pathway mind rids us of.

From among what a Mahayana accustoming pathway mind rids us of:

* according to all presentations of the Chittamatra system, the Gelug and Karma

Kagyu presentations of the Svatantrika-Madhyamaka systems in general, and the

Nyingma presentation of the Madhyamaka systems in general, we start to rid

ourselves of both the automatically arising disturbing emotions and attitudes and the

automatically arising obscurations preventing omniscience at the same time.

* Except for the Gelug presentation of the Yogachara Svatantrika-Madhyamaka

system, all presentations of all other Mahayana systems assert that we finish ridding

ourselves of the former set first, before finishing ridding ourselves of the second

set. According to the Gelug presentation of the Yogachara Svatantrika system, we

finish ridding ourselves of both sets of obscurations simultaneously with the

attainment of Buddhahood.


Madhyamaka system, we rid ourselves of the automatically arising disturbing

emotions and attitudes first and only after we have completely removed all of them,

do we begin to rid ourselves of the obscurations preventing omniscience.

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7. far gone (ring-du song-ba),

8. immovable (mi-g.yo-ba),

9. most intelligent (legs-par blo-gros),

10. cloud of Dharma (chos-sprin).

The uninterrupted and liberated pathway minds distribute among the ten bhumi mind

levels as follows.

* A first-level bhumi mind encompasses first-level uninterrupted and liberated

seeing pathway minds, and a first-level uninterrupted accustoming pathway mind for

achieving a second-level bhumi mind. Thus, a first-level bhumi mind encompasses the

two phases of a seeing pathway mind and the first phase of an accustoming pathway

mind. Only in its second phase, as a first-level liberated pathway mind, is it rid of

what a seeing pathway mind is rid of. All the rest of the bhumi mind levels have only

two phases and are levels of an accustoming pathway mind.

* The two phases of a second-level bhumi mind include a second-level liberated

pathway mind and a second-level uninterrupted pathway mind for achieving a third-

level bhumi mind. Both phases of a second-level bhumi mind are rid of the first of the

nine grades of what an accustoming pathway mind is rid of.

* A third-level bhumi mind encompasses a third-level liberated pathway mind and

a third-level uninterrupted pathway mind for achieving a fourth-level bhumi mind.

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Both phases of a third-level bhumi mind are rid of the second grade of what an

accustoming path rids us .

* The subsequent levels of bhumi mind continue in the same fashion. Thus, the

two phases of a tenth-level bhumi mind includea tenth-level liberated pathway mind

and a tenth-level uninterrupted pathway mind for achieving Buddhahood. Both phases

of a tenth-level bhumi mind are rid of the ninth and final grade of what an

accustoming path rids us .

The first seven-level bhumi minds are called the unpurified bhumi minds (ma-dag-pai

sa), while the eighth through the tenth-level bhumi minds are the purified bhumi

minds (dag-pai sa). There is a wide variety of presentations of what "unpurified" and

"purified" mean in this context, even within each of the four Tibetan traditions.

Regardless of definition:

* According to all presentations of the Chittamatra system, the Nyingma

presentation of the Madhyamaka systems in general, the Karma Kagyu presentation of

the Svatantrika-Madhyamaka system, and the Gelug presentation of the Sautrantika

Svatantrika-Madhyamaka and Prasangika-Madhyamaka systems, when we attain an

eighth-level bhumi mind, we are rid of all automatically-arising disturbing emotions

and attitudes and thus rid of the obscurations preventing liberation. This is the

attainment of bodhisattva arhatship.

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* According to the Gelug presentation of the Yogachara Svatantrika-

Madhyamaka system, we attain bodhisattva arhatship and Buddhahood simultaneously

with the attainment of a bodhisattva pathway mind of no further learning.

* According to the Sakya presentation of the Madhyamaka systems, we attain

bodhisattva arhatship with a Mahayana seeing pathway mind, because the Mahayana

seeing pathway mind rids us of all obscurations preventing liberation.

Hinyana System of Stream-Enterer, Once-Returner, Non-Returner, and Arhat

The division scheme of aryas into stream-enterer (rgyun-zhugs), once-returner

(phyir-ong), non-returner (phyir mi-ong), and arhat (dgra-bcom) is unique to

Hinayana. Mahayana does not use it for the levels of arya bodhisattvas. Each of the

four have an enterer (zhugs-pa) and resultant abider (bras-gnas) state, thus making

eight enterer and resultant levels of Hinayana aryas (zhugs-gnas brgyad).

1. As an enterer stream-enterer, we attain a seeing pathway mind and aim with

the eight states of patience (uninterrupted pathway minds of seeing) to rid ourselves

of the conceptually based disturbing emotions and attitudes associated with the

three dimensions of being.

2. As a resultant abiding stream-enterer, we have achieved the eight purified

awarenesses (liberated pathway minds of seeing) and are rid of all conceptually based

disturbing emotions and attitudes. At this stage, we still have one of the Hinayana

seeing pathway minds (shravaka or pratyekabuddha).

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3. As an enterer once-returner, we achieve a Hinayana accustoming pathway mind.

Of the automatically arising disturbing emotions and attitudes associated with a mind

in the dimension of desirable sense objects, we aim to rid ourselves of the first six

grades.

4. As a resultant once-returner, we are rid of all six grades. Because we will

attain arhatship after only one more lifetime, we are called once-returner. In other

words, we will return with another samsaric rebirth only one more time.

5. As an enterer non-returner, we aim to rid ourselves of the last three grades of

the automatically arising disturbing emotions and attitudes associated with a mind in

the dimension of desirable sense objects.

6. As a resultant abider non-returner, we are rid of all three grades. We are

called non-returner, because we will attain arhatship in this lietime, without returning

once more with a samsaric rebirth.

7. As an enterer arhat, we aim to rid ourselves of all nine grades of automatically

arising disturbing emotions and attitudes associated with a mind in the two higher

dimensions of being. We are still on the path of meditation.

8. As a resultant abider arhat, we rid ourselves of all nine grades. Now, rid of all

obscurations preventing liberation, we reach our goal of either shravaka or

prayekabuddha arhatship.

A Pathway Mind Needing No Further Training

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With a pathway mind needing no further training, we have reached the level of bodhi

that was our aim. Progressing through the five pathway minds as a Hinayana

practitioner, we become either a resultant abider shravaka arhat or a resultant

abider pratyekabuddha arhat, rid of the obscurations preventing liberation. If we

were to develop uncontrived bodhichitta and thus a Mahayana pathway mind at this

point,

* according to all presentations of the Chittamatra systems, the Gelug and

Karma Kagyu presentations of the Svatantrika-Madhyamaka systems in general, and

the Sakya and Nyingma presentations of the Madhyamaka systems in general, we

would start with a Mahayana building-up pathway mind, since we would need first to

gain shamatha focused conceptually on the voidness of all phenomena as defined

individually by these systems and apply that focus to all phenomena.


Madhyamaka system, we would start at the eighth bodhisattva bhumi.

If we have been progressing as bodhisattvas, we achieve enlightenment with a

Mahayana pathway mind needing no further training and become bodhisattva arhats

(Buddhas), rid of both the obscurations preventing liberation and the obscurations

preventing omniscience.

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Section Contents

Source of Inspiration Modern Adaptation of Buddhism Vows and

Commitments

Introduction to Buddhism Sutra Teachings Prayers and Tantra Practices

History of Buddhism and Bon Tantra Teachings Tibetan Astrology

Comparison of Buddhist Traditions Kalachakra e-Books

Buddhism in the World Today Dzogchen Bibliographies

Buddhism and Islam Mahamudra

Page Contents

List of the Five Pathway Minds

Progressing through Them as a Shravaka, Pratyekabuddha, or Bodhisattva

Reaching One of the Three Purified States as One of the Three Types of Arhat

The Building-up Pathway Mind

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The Applying Pathway Mind

The Seeing Pathway Mind Becoming an Arya

The Sixteen Phases of the Seeing Pathway Mind

The Accustoming Pathway Mind

The Ten Bodhisattva Bhumi Minds

Hinyana System of Stream-Enterer, Once-Returner, Non-Returner, and Arhat

A Pathway Mind Needing No Further Training

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