acalā-bhūmi

(Sanskrit). The eighth of the Bodhisattva Levels (bhūmi), ‘the Unshakeable One’, according to the Daśabhūmika Sūtra. Here the Bodhisattva engages in the Perfection of Aspiration (praṇidhāna) through which he aspires to attain what remains to be accomplished. This stage (or sometimes the preceding one) is characterized as ‘avaivartika’ (Sanskrit, no turning back) since once a Bodhisattva reaches this stage he cannot backslide in his progress and his attainment of perfect enlightenment (saṃbodhi) is guaranteed. See also pāramitā.