Chapter 2 - Study: Summary of the Ten Stages

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occurs at the beginning of almost all Sūtras. The abode of Vaśavarti
forms the location for the Daśabhūmika-Sūtra.
The principal characters
are a group of Bodhisattvas headed by Vajragarbha.
The time is the
second week after the Buddha's Enlightenment. By the power of the
Buddha, the Bodhisattva Vajragarbha entered into Bodhisattva-trance
called Mahāyānaprabhāsa.
Bodhisattvas, who reached the scene from their respective Buddha realms.
Those who are known by the same name of 'Vajragarbha,' gave reasons
for their appearance and wished that the doctrine capable of gaining
entrance into the light of doctrine may dawn upon
This was highly applauded by innumerable
Vajragarbha.
103 Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva Vajragarbha arose from the trance when his head was
touched by supernatural power of those divine Buddhas. He then
addressed the Bodhisattvas gathered there and praised the Bodhisattva
vows which enable an aspirant of Enlightenment to comprehend the fields
of knowledge of the Buddhas of past, present and future, and to grasp the
doctrine of the Ten Bodhisattva stages.
After referring to those
potentialities and names of the Ten bhūmis, Bodhisattva Vajragarbha
104 103 Da.bhu. p. 2, (21).
104 ibid. p.3: ...sāmutkarṣikoayam...bodhisattvānāṃ mahāsattvānāṃ bodhimārga-
pariśodhanadharmamukhālokaḥ yad idam daśabhūmiprabhedavyavasthānam.
acintyamidas
sthānam yad idam bhūmijñānam iti.