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Mystic Lotus Pramudita Bhumi

The first stage is called Great Delight, because the Bodhisattva realizes and becomes aware of one’s attainment of perfecting their work in giving (dana paramita). This is one of the six perfections that is often referred to in Mahayana Buddhism. The Bodhisattva realizes the emptiness of the individual self (pudgala nairatmya) as well as the emptiness of all mundane entities and objects (dharma nairatmya).

To have Great Delight is considered to be great, because it is not a selfish affair. It means to have joy and be pleased not only for oneself, but also for the benefit of all sentient beings. The satisfaction of this stage goes beyond ordinary mundane delight that one might experience momentarily from desire or sensual pleasure. The Great Delight is a permanent form of delight that might be more subtle, at first, but stays with you everlasting.

The Bodhisattva, after having completed the preliminary stage of the path, goes beyond the stage of worldly existence and becomes a Mahayana initiate of the bodhisattva-clan. The Bodhisattva is now regarded as being a member of the spiritual followers of the Buddha and is no longer affected by the defilement of birth and becoming. The transcendental path (lokottara) is now entered and to be followed, and the Bodhisattva fully understands the sameness-nature of all Dharmas. One has become devoid of false-pride, devoid of wrong-doing, and devoid of anger.

The Great Delight is from the fact of remembering [literally: recollecting] the previous Buddhas, their wonderful teachings, the various practices of previous Bodhisattvas, as well as the value of the Bodhisattva perfection practices (paramita). Furthermore, the pleasure and joy of realizing that they are no longer bound by the worldly attachments to existence in suffering. They can no longer transgress to lower levels of rebirth, and realize that their new purpose is to be the refuge for help to all sentient beings.

The charity aspect of the first stage is typified by the idea of true giving, in the sense that one gives [offers services of helping others towards the path] freely and do not expect any help from others in return. The helping of others is being done with great aspiration and great compassion for all sentient beings.

As the Bodhisattva continues the development on the path in the first stage, they take on and strengthen 10 practices that will help them along the Mahayana path:

1. Venerate all previous Buddhas with devotion and great energy.
   
   
2. Preserve and defend the Buddhist teachings from inaccuracies and misinterpretations.
   
   
3. Keep in mind and venerate all previous Bodhisattvas and their completion of the stages on the Mahayana path to Enlightenment.
   
   
4. Practice and develop the required qualities for all stages in conjunction with the practices and development of the perfections (paramita).
   
   
5. Aid all beings and help them in attaining the qualifications along the stages of the Mahayana path.
   
   
6. Purify all Buddha fields by visiting them.
   
   
7. Clearly comprehend the variations and distinctions of all that exists in all world systems.
   
   
8. Persuade all Bodhisattvas to aim for the highest aspiration and accumulation of the highest merit.
   
   
9. Execute all Bodhisattva tasks, including wholesome actions, speech, and thought.
   
   
10. Be mindful to not stray from the Mahayana Bodhisattva path by even an inch, and continue the motions of the Wheel of Dhamma and attain final Enlightenment.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    The development of loving kindness and great compassion help with the perfection of giving, even when applied to oneself in giving up attachment to materialistic notions of possession of acquired wealth, fame, and fortune. Those are to be transcended as such, and the Bodhisattva develops the acquisition of transcendental qualities through the study of the Mahayana teachings and practices.
    
    

    Out of the development of the ten perfections (paramita) that are incorporated as practices in the stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva path, their perfection of giving (dana paramita) is considered to be excellent at this stage.
    
    
    

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    The Sutralamkara mentions that this first stage is still endowed with signs (nimitta), because the Bodhisattva still develops qualities that lead up to the full understanding of dependent origination and the true-nature of of all formations being empty of real identification (signs).
    
    

    The bodhisattva feels great joy on seeing the approach towards Awakening to be one step closer, and the possibility of helping other sentient beings and lead them to Enlightenment.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Bodhisattva