The Six Paramitas: A beneficial weapon against afflictions, dismantling self-attachment and self-love, and establishing new ways of thinking.

The Sanskrit word 'paramita' means 'having reached the other shore'. It also means "transcendence' or 'perfection'. If we are now on the shore of suffering, reaching the other shore would mean leaving suffering behind and becoming enlightened. Hence, transcendence means to be free from mental afflictions, which are the causes of suffering, and from suffering itself. The true practice of the paramitas is to be free from self-attachment and self-cherishing. According to this principle, all Buddhist practices can be viewed as paramitas.

What then are the Six Paramitas? They are generosity (dana), morality (sila), patience (ksanti), diligence (virya), meditation (dhyana), and wisdom (prajna). Their purpose is to eradicate self-attachment, and to transcend the ocean of suffering.

Master Sheng Yen eloquently explains the meaning of the Six Perfections and how to practice them, as well as the differences between Mahayana and Hinayana practices in daily life. He also delves into breaking the attachment to the self, contemplation on emptiness, and the levels of meditation. The Mahayana meditation does not cling to life and death, nor does it fear them, embodying the spirit of compassion by returning to the world to help sentient beings. This article, written in clear and accessible language, serves as a simple gateway for understanding Buddhist teachings.

The Six Perfections

The brief explanation of the Six Perfections.

The core idea of the Six Perfections in Buddhism revolves around the cultivation of virtues and practices essential for attaining enlightenment and benefiting others. The six perfections are generosity, ethics , patience , diligence , concentration, and wisdom .

Generosity emphasizes selflessness and the willingness to give without expecting anything in return. Ethics focuses on living a morally upright life and following the precepts. Patience encourages tolerance and endurance in the face of adversity. Diligence underscores the importance of earnest effort and perseverance in spiritual practice. Concentration involves training the mind to achieve deep states of meditative absorption. Lastly, wisdom involves the development of insight into the true nature of reality and the interconnectedness of all things.

The other five perfections are like blind people, and wisdom is the guide. Without wisdom, the other five perfections cannot be considered as perfections.

Prajna is the breaking of self-attachment

The central teaching of general prajna is that there is no self.As long as you can put down attachment to one’s body and mind, it is already liberation.

Transcendence means to become free from mental afflictions (the causes of suffering) and from suffering itself; The true practice of the paramitas is to be free from self-attachment and self-cherishing

Prajna is the mother of all Buddhas

Prajna is an essential part of Buddhadharma. Shakymuni Buddha said that even if one practices all the principles of enlightenment, without the guidance of prajna, one is really not practicing Buddhadharma.

Prajna and dhyana are the same. Where there is prajna, there is driyana; where there is dhyana, there is prajna.

Meditation opens the wisdom, and wisdom serves life

· The central teaching of general prajna is that there is no self.

· In absolute contemplation, without imposing one’s preference.

· Absolute contemplation is madhyamika-realizing emptiness to achieve liberation.

· The paramitas are antidotes for mental afflictions.

· The cure for greed and miserliness is generosity

· When you think in terms of real and false, dropping and seeking, you are discriminating.

· When greed, aversion, and ignorance disappear, afflictions also disappear.

· Where there is prajna, there is driyana; where there is dhyana, there is prajna.