Pāramitā

''Pāramitā'' (Sanskrit, Pali: पारमिता) or ''pāramī'' (Pāli: पारमी), is a Buddhist term often translated as "perfection". It is described in Buddhist commentaries as noble character qualities generally associated with enlightened beings. ''Pāramī'' and ''pāramitā'' are both terms in Pali but Pali literature makes greater reference to ''pāramī,'' while Mahayana texts generally use the Sanskrit ''pāramitā.''

Etymology

Donald S. Lopez, Jr. describes the etymology of the term:

Theravāda Buddhism

Theravada teachings on the ''pāramīs'' can be found in late canonical books and post-canonical commentaries. Theravada commentator Dhammapala describes them as noble qualities usually associated with bodhisattas. American scholar-monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu describes them as perfections ''(paramī)'' of character necessary to achieve enlightenment as one of the three enlightened beings, a '' samma sambuddha'' a '' pacceka-buddha'' or an '' arahant''.

Canonical sources

In the Pāli Canon, the '' Buddhavaṃsa'' of the ''Khuddaka Nikāya'' lists the ten perfections (''dasa pāramiyo'') as:

# ''Dāna pāramī'': generosity, giving of oneself
# '' Sīla pāramī'': virtue, morality, proper conduct
# '' Nekkhamma pāramī'': renunciation
# '' Paññā pāramī'': wisdom, discernment
# '' Viriya pāramī'': energy, diligence, vigour, effort
# '' Khanti pāramī'': patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, endurance
# '' Sacca pāramī'': truthfulness, honesty
# ''Adhiṭṭhāna pāramī'': determination, resolution
# '' Mettā pāramī'': goodwill, friendliness, loving-kindness
# '' Upekkhā pāramī'': equanimity, serenity

Two of the above virtues, ''mettā'' and ''upekkhā'', also are brahmavihāras, and two – ''vīrya'' and ''upekkha'' are factors of awakening.

Historicity

The Theravāda teachings on the pāramīs can be found in canonical books ('' Jataka tales'', '' Apadāna'', '' Buddhavaṃsa'', '' Cariyāpiṭaka'') and post-canonical commentaries written to supplement the Pāli Canon at a later time, and thus might not be an original part of the Theravāda teachings. The oldest parts of the '' Sutta Piṭaka'' (for example, '' Majjhima Nikāya'', ''Digha Nikāya'', '' Saṃyutta Nikāya'' and the '' Aṅguttara Nikāya'') do not have any mention of the pāramīs as a category (though they are all mentioned individually).

Some scholars even refer to the teachings of the pāramīs as a semi-Mahāyāna teaching added to the scriptures at a later time in order to appeal to the interests and needs of the lay community and to popularize their religion. However, these views rely on the early scholarly presumption of Mahāyāna originating with religious devotion and appeal to laity. More recently, scholars have started to open up early Mahāyāna literature, which is very ascetic and expounds the ideal of the monk's life in the forest. Therefore, the practice of the pāramitās in Mahāyāna Buddhism may have been close to the ideals of the ascetic tradition of the śramaṇa.

Traditional practice

Bhikkhu Bodhi maintains that, in the earliest Buddhist texts (which he identifies as the first four '' nikāyas''), those seeking the extinction of suffering (''nibbana'') pursued the noble eightfold path. As time went on, a backstory was provided for the multi-life development of the Buddha; as a result, the ten perfections were identified as part of the path for the bodhisattva (Pāli: ''bodhisatta''). Over subsequent centuries, the ''pāramīs'' were seen as being significant for aspirants to both Buddhahood and arahantship. Bhikkhu Bodhi summarizes:

Mahāyāna Buddhism

Religious studies scholar Dale S. Wright states that Mahāyāna texts refer to the ''pāramitās'' as "bases of training" for those looking to achieve enlightenment. Wright describes the Buddhist ''pāramitās'' as a set of character ideals that guide self-cultivation and provide a concrete image of the Buddhist ideal.

The Prajñapāramitā sūtras (प्रज्ञापारमिता सूत्र), and a large number of other Mahāyāna texts list six perfections:

# ''Dāna pāramitā'' (दान पारमिता): generosity, giving of oneself (in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, 布施波羅蜜; in Tibetan, སྦྱིན་པ ''sbyin-pa'')
# '' Śīla pāramitā'' (शील पारमिता): virtue, morality, discipline, proper conduct (持戒波羅蜜; ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས ''tshul-khrims'')
# '' pāramitā'' (क्षांति पारमिता): patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, endurance (忍辱波羅蜜; བཟོད་པ ''bzod-pa'')
# ''Vīrya pāramitā'' (वीर्य पारमिता): energy, diligence, vigour, effort (精進波羅蜜; བརྩོན་འགྲུས ''brtson-’grus'')
# '' Dhyāna pāramitā'' (ध्यान पारमिता): one-pointed concentration, contemplation (禪定波羅蜜, བསམ་གཏན ''bsam-gtan'')
# '' Prajñā pāramitā'' (प्रज्ञा पारमिता): wisdom, insight (般若波羅蜜; ཤེས་རབ ''shes-rab'')

This list is also mentioned by the Theravāda commentator Dhammapala, who describes it as a categorization of the same ten perfections of Theravada Buddhism. According to Dhammapala, ''Sacca'' is classified as both ''Śīla'' and ''Prajñā'', ''Mettā'' and ''Upekkhā'' are classified as ''Dhyāna'', and ''Adhiṭṭhāna'' falls under all six. Bhikkhu Bodhi states that the correlations between the two sets shows there was a shared core before the Theravada and Mahayana schools split.

In the '' Ten Stages Sutra'', four more pāramitās are listed:

:7. ''Upāya pāramitā'' (उपाय पारमिता): skillful means (方便波羅蜜）
:8. '' Praṇidhāna pāramitā'' (प्राणिधान पारमिता): vow, resolution, aspiration, determination (願波羅蜜）
:9. ''Bala pāramitā'' (बल पारमिता): spiritual power (力波羅蜜）
:10. '' Jñāna pāramitā'' (ज्ञान पारमिता): knowledge (智波羅蜜）

The '' Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra'' (''महारत्नकूट सूत्र, the Sutra of the Heap of Jewels'') also includes these additional four pāramitās with number 8 and 9 switched.

Tibetan Buddhism

According to the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism, Mahāyāna practitioners have the choice of two practice paths: the path of perfection (Sanskrit: ''pāramitāyāna'') or the path of tantra (Sanskrit: ''tantrayāna''), which is the Vajrayāna.

Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche renders "pāramitā" into English as "transcendent action" and then frames and qualifies it:

The pure illusory body is said to be endowed with the six perfections (Sanskrit: ''ṣatpāramitā'').

The first four perfections are skillful means practice while the last two are wisdom practice. These contain all the methods and skills required for eliminating delusion and fulfilling other's needs. Also, leading from happy to happier states.

See also

* – "Five Perfections" in Jainism

References

Citations

Works cited

* Apte, Vaman Shivaram (1957–59). ''Revised and enlarged edition of Prin. V. S. Apte'
The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary
'. Poona: Prasad Prakashan.
* Bodhi, Bhikkhu (1978). ''The All-Embracing Net of Views''. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society.
* Bodhi, Bhikkhu (ed.) (1978, 2005)
A Treatise on the Paramis: From the Commentary to the Cariyapitaka
''A Treatise on the Paramis]: From the Commentary to the Cariyapitaka by Acariya Dhammapala'' (The Wheel, No. 409/411). Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society.
* Isaline Blew Horner, Horner, I.B. (trans.) (1975; reprinted 2000). ''The Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon (Part III): 'Chronicle of Buddhas' (Buddhavamsa) and 'Basket of Conduct' (Cariyapitaka)''. Oxford: Pali Text Society. .
*
* Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5)
''The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary''
Chipstead: Pali Text Society.

External links

Renunciation by T. Prince
a free distribution article on the Buddhist conception of renunciation



A Zen view of the Six Perfections

Six paramitas, Chinese Buddhist website

Theravada Buddhist Dhamma Talk Album: "Ten Paramitas (Suc 06)", By Ajahn SucittoWhat are the paramitas?Buddhism for Beginners

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Buddhist philosophical concepts
Virtue