During the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China, there were two lineages of interpretation of the ten Bodhisattva stages, one based on Kumarajiva’s translation of the Sūtra of the Ten Stages 十住経, and the other based on Bodhiruci and Ratnamati’s translation of Vasubandhu’s Discourse on the Ten Stages 十地経論. This paper focuses on the ten stages and the severing of mental afflictions together with the Pure Land of both within and outside the three worlds, as explained in the Wuliangshoujing yiji 無量寿経義記 and the Jin’gangxian lun 金剛仙論.
First, in examining the Wuliangshoujing yiji we find a common understanding among the three Dharma Masters of Liang （Zhizang 智蔵, Sengmin 僧旻, Fayun 法雲）. They separated the ten stages into four groups: seeing the true path, contemplating the path, loving the Buddha’s merit, and severing ignorance and mental afflictions. Further, they placed Bodhisattvas’ birth into the western Pure Land in the seventh stage.
Next, in examining the Jin’gangxian lun we can confirm the explanation of two types of Pure Lands, one being a saṃskṛta-dharma Pure Land prior to the ten stages, the other an asaṃskṛta-dharma Pure Land outside of the three worlds, placed above the first stage. Bodhisattvas prior to entering the ten stages practice to overcome the mental afflictions, and the ten stages are separated into three groups.
In conclusion, based on this comparison we can clearly see a change in explanation before and after the translation of the Discourse on the Ten Stages.
