TANTRIC BUDDHISM (INCLUDING CHINA AND JAPAN)/qetra is the (third) stage Prabhakarl ('radiant').
upa/qetra is (the fourth stage) Arci:jmafi ('flaming') (22).
chandoha is (the sixth stage) Abhimukhi ('confronted').
upacchandoha is (the fifth stage) Sudurjayii ('invincible').
meliipaha is (the seventh stage) Diiraiigamii ('far-going').
upameliipaka is (the eighth stage) Acalii ('immovable') (23).
smasiina is (the ninth stage) Siidhumafi ('successful').
upasmasiina is (the tenth stage) Dharmamegha ('the cloud of truth').
I will speak of the purification of plthas and so on (, that is, the ten)
stages (of bodhisattva.1·) in due order (24).
By resorting to (the places of) plthas or upapltas, one can become
stainless. Wandering (amid these places) and observing (their) features,
he will become wise and be free from imaginary ideas (25)."^50In the correspondence of ten plthas and the ten stages of bodhisattvas
(~11+:!1!!), and especially in the last part of this passage (verses 22~25), we can
discern the original image of 'the theory of external plthas'. Practicers are imag-
ined to have done pilgrimage from one pltha to another with the consciousness
that they were walking through the Mahayanic process of purifying mind by
degrees, if symbolically. Pilgrimage itself was their aim. According to the
Mahayanic ideal, they hoped to be able to purify themselves through pilgrimage.
At the same time, according to the Tantric ideal, they hoped to be able to per-
sonally testify to the Tantric formula of attaining perfection (siddhi ~:!!!!)
quickly through the Mahayanic idea of performing difficult deeds. Thus, the
followers of the Samvarodaya-tantra came to be alternating practicers of both
pilgrimage and meditation.
However, this Mahayanic idea of going on pilgrimage to 'external plthas',
though already a deed symbolic of the Mahayanic performance of "difficult
deed" (du/:lkara IH'J) in its true sense of the word, was almost simultaneously
replace with the Tantric idea of 'internal plthas' as is shown in the following
passage found in chapter 7 of the same text:
athata/:1 samprava/qyami niidicakra yathakramam I
dviisaptatisahasravi naqi dehiinugii bhavet 11111
niiqikii upanaqzniim tasiim sathiinasamasritii/:11
vimsottatasatam nama niiqzpriidhiinyam ucyate I 121 I
naqzsthiinaii ca plthaii ca caturvimsatpramavata/:1 I
tesiim madhye trayo niiqya iisrayanti ca sarvagii/:1 11311
pulliramalaye sirasi nakhadantavahii sthitii I
jiilandharasikhiisthiine hesaromasamiivahii I 141 I
oqiyiine dak$ive han:ze naqz tvanmalaviihinl I
arbude pr:fthavamse tu niiqz pisitavahinl 11511
godiivarlvamakan:ze naqi snayuviihln! I
riimesvare bhruvo madhye asthi vahati sarvada 11611