The Berzin Archives

The Five Pathway Minds (Five Paths)

Alexander Berzin
May 2002,
extensively revised, December 2003

List of the Five Pathway Minds

In A Filigree of Realizations (mNgon-rtogs rgyan, Abhisamayalamkara), Maitreya

explains the stages of mind as we progress along the spiritual path to reach liberation
and enlightenment. For all practitioners, progress is in terms of the five paths,
referring to five levels of pathway minds we achieve, which lead to our goal:

1.

a building-up pathway mind (tshogs-lam, path of accumulation),

2.

an applying pathway mind (sbyor-lam, path of preparation),

3.

a seeing pathway mind (mthong-lam),

4.

an accustoming pathway mind (sgom-lam, path of meditation),

5.

a pathway mind needing no further training (mi-slob-lam, path of no more

learning).

Progressing through Them as a Shravaka, Pratyekabuddha, or Bodhisattva

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.

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 (bcosmed) 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

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 gragspa) 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,

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 (lhagmthong, 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.

The Applying Pathway Mind

When we achieve the joined pair of shamatha and vipashyana focused conceptually on
the sixteen characteristics of the four noble truths and thus gain the discriminating
awareness of the sixteen that arises from meditation (sgom-byung shes-rab), we have
achieved the second pathway mind. This is an applying pathway mind. We apply our
joined shamatha and vipashyana in meditation so that, progressing in stages, we
eventually gain joined shamatha and vipashyana focused nonconceptually on the
sixteen characteristics.

With an applying pathway mind, we have achieved a conceptual joined shamatha and
vipashyana focused on the sixteen characteristics that does not need to rely directly,
step by step, on a line of reasoning for generating its ascertainment of its object. In
this sense, our certitude in understanding the sixteen is uncontrived, although it
derives from a line of reasoning. With a building-up pathway mind, we needed to rely
directly on a line of reasoning to gain the same certitude.

The applying pathway mind has four stages:

1.

Heat (drod), with which we have joined shamatha and vipashyana on the sixteen

characteristics of the four noble truths while awake.

2.

Peak (rtse-mo), with which we have it even when dreaming,

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 (mnyambzhag, 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

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.

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).

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.

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:

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 (chosshes-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

Unpurified Bhumis (2-7)

Purified Bhumis (8-10)
Obscurations Preventing Liberation
Obscurations Preventing Omniscience
Obscurations Preventing Liberation
Obscurations Preventing Omniscience
*

Chittamatra

Gelug Sautrantika- Svatantrika

Karma Kagyu Svatantrika

Nyingma Madhyamaka

automatically arising
automatically arising
---------automatically arising
Gelug Yogachara-Svatantrika
automatically arising
automatically arising
automatically arising
automatically arising
Sakya Madhyamaka
---------automatically arising
---------automatically arising
*

Gelug Prasangika

Karma Kagyu Prasangika

automatically arising

------------------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.

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.

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

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.

According to the Sakya presentation of the Madhyamaka systems in general,

we progressively rid ourselves only of the automatically arising form of the

obscurations preventing omniscience.

The Ten Bodhisattva Bhumi Minds

The Mahayana seeing and accustoming pathway minds span ten bodhisattva bhumis
(sa-bcu), ten levels of arya bodhisattva minds achieved before Buddhahood. Each of
the ten has an uninterrupted pathway mind and a liberated pathway mind. The
Hinayana seeing and accustoming pathway minds are not divided into bhumi minds,
although they too are divided into phases when they progressively aim to rid
themselves of a portion of something to be rid of and then progressively are rid of it

The names of the ten bodhisattva bhumi minds are:

1.

extremely joyous (rab-dga-ba),

2.

stainless (dri-med),

3.

illuminating (od-byed-pa),

4.

sparkling light (od-phro-ba),

5.

difficult to cleanse, (sbyang dka-ba),

6.

forward facing (mngon-du phyogs-pa),

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 thirdlevel 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.

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.

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).

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

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.

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

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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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

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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