- Giving
- Integrity
- Patience
- Diligence
- Meditation
- Wisdom
Cultivation of these 6 paramitas (perfections) is suitable training for any being willing to undertake it, from the curious dabbler to the serious practitioner on the path to full liberation. As a simple and transformative life practice, moment to moment, act from one or more of these six as often as possible. As cultivation grows deeper in the perfection of wisdom, these trainings manifest as a natural outpouring of the direct realization of emptiness and non-discrimination.
For those that have directly realized emptiness, practice these as often as possible with the mind of non-discrimination, the results speak for themselves.
All those sentient beings
The Lotus Sutra
Who encountered and heard the teaching
Of the buddhas of the past,
And who accumulated various merits
Through acts of giving (dāna), integrity (śīla), perseverance (kṣānti),
Diligence (vīrya), meditation (dhyāna), and wisdom (prajñā)
Have certainly attained the path of the buddhas.
Sakra: Does a Bodhisattva course only in the perfection of wisdom, and not in the other perfections?
The Perfection of Wisdom in 8000 Lines Sutra
The Buddha: One such as this courses in all these six perfections. But it is just this perfection of wisdom which controls the Bodhisattva as one gives a gift, or guards morality, or perfects oneself in patience, or exerts vigour, or enters into meditative trance, or has insight into Dharmas. One cannot attain to any distinction or difference between these six perfections, all being upheld by skill in means and dedicated to perfection of wisdom, dedicated to all-knowledge. Just as no distinction or difference is conceived between shadows cast by different trees in Jambudvipa, -though their colors may differ, and their shapes, and their leaves, flowers and fruits, and their height and circumference, but these are all just called-shadows – even so one can neither attain nor ascribe to any distinction or difference between these six perfections
Buddha appears in the world
The Flower Adornment Sutra
Removing the darkness of ignorance;
Such a lamp of the world
Is rare and hard to get to behold.
Having cultivated giving, self-control, and patience,
Diligence and meditation,
And ultimate transcendent wisdom,
With them he lights the world .
Without depending on the teaching of another, they spontaneously practice the six transcendent ways: they always gladly give generously and are not mean; they always keep pure precepts, without transgression; they are full of patience and forbearance, their minds imperturbable; they have great energy, never backsliding; they skillfully enter the various meditations, never distracted; they skillfully cultivate wisdom, getting rid of all wrong views. This is their first unique quality, practicing the six transcendent ways according to the path of transcendence without being taught by
The Flower Adornment Sutra
another.
What are the six páramitás of enlightenment?
The Fortunate Aeon Sutra
This páramitá of giving is the giving of one who, for the sake of enlightenment, has patient conviction in the non-arising of all constituents of reality.
This páramitá of morality is the morality of those who do not focus on their own body or mind.
This páramitá of patience is the patience of receptivity to the truth concerning existence.
This páramitá of effort is the effort of perseverance in not focusing on body or mind.
This páramitá of meditation is the mind of integral sameness concerning all things.
This páramitá of wisdom is the total knowledge of the nature of all constituents of reality.
What are the six paramitas of the truly pure path?
The Fortunate Aeon Sutra
The paramita of giving of the truly pure path’ is the transformation of one who, in entering the right view of reality, is not necessarily involved with the giving that abandons virtuous signs and omens. The paramita of morality ‘of the truly pure path’ is the moral practice of one who is endowed with right speech, right livelihood, and right conduct. The paramita of patience ‘of the truly pure path’ is the patience of one who never loses patient conviction in the non-arising of all things. The paramita of effort ‘of the truly pure path’ is the effort of those who do not focus on their own body and mind. The paramita of meditation ‘of the truly pure path’ is the meditation of one who is unswerving in the samadhi that has no referential focus. The paramita of wisdom ‘of the truly pure path’ is the wisdom of one who, not grasping after characteristics, has gained the wisdom of right view, and through generating true mindfulness, perseveres for the sake of attaining irreversibility and in order to reach the end result of perfect enlightenment. These are the six paramitas of the truly pure path.