五種性

The five germ-natures, or roots of bodhisattva development:

(1) 習種性 the germ nature of study of the 空 void (or immaterial), which corrects all illusions of time and space; it corresponds to the 十住 stage;

(2) 性種性 that of ability to discriminate all the 性 natures of phenomena and transform the living; the 十行 stage;

(3) 道種性(the middle-) way germ-nature, which attains insight into Buddha-laws; the 十廻向;

(4) 聖種性 the saint germ-nature which produces holiness by destroying ignorance; the 十廻向 which the bodhisattva leaves the ranks of the 賢 and becomes 聖;

(5) 等覺種性 the bodhi-rank germ-nature which produces Buddhahood, i. e. 等覺.