Dictionary Definition:
Bhūmi (f.) [cp. Vedic bhūmi, Av. būmiš soil, ground, to bhū, as in bhavati, cp. Gr. fu/sis etc. See bhavati] 1. (lit.) ground, soil, earth Vin ii.175; Sn 418 (yāna˚ carriage road); Pv i.1014≈; SnA 353 (heṭṭhā -- bhūmiyaŋ under the earth); DhA i.414 (id., opp. upari -- bhūmiyaŋ). -- 2. place, quarter, district, region M i.145 (jāti˚ district of one's birth); Sn 830 (vighāta˚); Nd2 475 (danta˚); DhA i.213 (āpāna˚); PvA 80 (susāna˚). -- uyyāna˚ garden ( -- place or locality) Vv 6419; Pv ii.129; J i.58. -- 3. (fig.) ground, plane, stage, level; state of consciousness, Vin. i.17; Vbh 322 sq.; Vism 126, 442 (with ref. to the 4 Paṭisambhidā, as sekha -- bhūmi & asekha -- bhūmi), 517 (paññā˚ -- niddesa). Usually -- ˚: indriya˚ Nett 192; dassana˚ plane of insight Nett 8, 14, 50; sukha˚ ground for happiness Dhs 984 (cp. DhsA 214). -- bhūmi -- ttaya the 3 stages, viz. kāmâvacara, rūpâvacara, lokuttara Vism 493. -- pl. bhūmiyo Ps ii.205=Vism 384 (appld to the 4 jhānas); purisa˚ (aṭṭha p. bh. eight stages of the individual; viz. manda -- bhūmi, khiḍḍā˚, vīmaŋsana˚, ujugata˚, sekha˚, samaṇa˚, jina˚, panna˚, or as trsld by Rh. D. in Dial. i.72, under "eight stages of a prophet's existence"; babyhood, playtime, trial time, erect time, learning time, ascetic time, prophet time & prostrate time. Cp. the 10 decades of man's life, as given by Bdhgh at Vism 619). -- Bdhgh, when defining the 2 meanings of bhūmi as "mahā -- paṭhavī" and as "cittuppāda" (rise of thought) had in view the distinction between its literal & figurative meaning. But this def. (at DhsA 214) is vague & only popular. -- An old loc. of bhūmi is bhumyā, e. g. J i.507; v.84. Another form of bhūmi at end of cpds. is bhūma (q. v.).
-- kampa shaking of the ground, earthquake Miln 178. -- gata "gone into the soil," i. e. hiding, stored away J i.375. -- ghana thick soil SnA 149, cp. paṭhavi -- ghana ibid. 146. -- tala ground ( -- surface) PvA 186. -- padesa place or region upon the earth J vi.95. -- pappaṭaka outgrowths in the soil Diii.87=Vism 418. -- pothana beating the ground DhA i.171. -- bhāga division of the earth, district J i.109; v.200; VvA 125; PvA 29, 154. -- laddh'(uppanna) acquired on a certain stage of existence SnA 4. -- saya lying or sleeping on the ground DhA ii.61.