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14. ŚRĀVAKABHŪMI AND THE YOGĀCĀRABHUMIS
It is a well-established fact that the Mahāyāna is the outcome of the development of the Hināyāna beliefs and caryā which had developed into the form of the Mahāsāṁghika sect. It may be regarded as the preceding and the preliminary stage of the Mahayanic development in the domain of Indian Buddhism.
The concept of bhūmi as the stage of the spiritual career of a yogin has been in vogue since long. In the Pali works, different bhūmis of the career of a Srāvaka have been recognised where the meaning of plane, ground, stage, level and state of consciousness is obvious. The Dh. S. uses the word in the sense of planes and path. The Bodhi. seems to use this word in the sense of repeated practice of virtues in a particular plane or stage.
Various planes or stages of the career of a Yogin or Bodhisattva find mention in the Mahāyāna Sūtras. The SRS mentions Yoga-bhūmi of the jinas which is also called buddha-bhūmi and which is not attained by those not in the Yoga (ayukta-yogins).' This bhūmi is not attained by
1. See, R. Kimura (Hipayāna and Mabāyāna) in JDL, X, p. 69
sq.; Dutt, Aspects, Ch. I, II; EMB, Vol. II. 2. Cp. R. Kimura, ibid., pp. 111-113. 3. धम्मे देसियमाने यथा दिदठ यथाविदितं भूमि पञ्चवेक्खन्तस्स अनुपादाय आसवेहि
fað fagfez I, Mahāvagga, pp. 209-10; cf. P. Sm. II. 205 (PTS),
Vbh., p. 381 sq.; for more references vide PTSD, s. v. bbūmi. 4. See PTSD, s. v. bhūmi. 5. Dhs., p. 138, 279. 6. Bodhi., p. 105-6, 231 sq., 281 etc.
SRS, XVII. 104-107 : ज्ञानप्रतिष्ठा तथ योगभूमी योगीश्वरी बोधयि प्रस्थितानाम् । निषेवणा सत्पुरुषाण नित्यं इयं जिने ईदृश आनुशासनी ॥
