What is Buddhism? Applications 7 - The Six Perfections

     The Six Perfections can be said to be the practice themes that Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism should master.

The term "Perfection" in the Six Perfections comes from the Pāramitā in Sanskrit (ancient Indian language), meaning completion, perfection, and reaching the other shore. So what are the "six pāramitā " that refer to the perfection of six deeds or mental states?

1. Dāna pāramitā = Perfection of Giving, sharing, not being attached to possessions.

2. Śīla pāramitā = Perfection of Self-discipline.

3. Kṣānti pāramitā = Perfection of Not minding, being transcendent.

4. Vīrya pāramitā = Perfection of Making effort.

5. Dhyāna pāramitā = Perfection of Focusing.

6. Prajñā pāramitā = Perfection of Wisdom (Seeing things as they are from the Middle way.)

However, it may be difficult to understand what is actually meant by the words "perfection" or "reaching the other shore," but since Mahayana Buddhism is based on the teachings of the Buddha, it will be easier to understand if we recall the basic teachings of the Buddha.

In fact, Nagarjuna, who elaborated the theory of emptiness, wrote his main book not on "emptiness" but on "the Middle Way." In other words, he reiterated the conclusions drawn from the Buddha's teaching on the Middle Way, using the term "emptiness."

Therefore, we can also reinterpret the term "Perfection" as reaching the state of the Middle Way. As I mentioned in the section on the Middle Way, it means reaching a state beyond the binary oppositions such as self and others, overcoming the dichotomy of subject and object.

If one can truly transcend the dichotomy of self and others, one can become a state of sharing everything with others in the true sense, without being attached to oneself or one's belongings. That is Dāna pāramitā which means the Perfection of Giving, sharing, not being attached to possessions. If one's attachment to oneself disappears, one will not be swayed by one's desires in the true sense. That is Śīla pāramitā which means Perfection of Self-discipline. If one's attachment to oneself disappears, one can remain transcendent in any situation. That is Kṣānt pāramitā which means Perfection of Not minding, being transcendent. If one's attachment to oneself disappears, one will not even think of being lazy. That is Vīrya pāramitā which means Perfection of Making effort. If one's attachment to oneself and the desires arising from it disappear, the cause of mental disturbance disappears, and perfect concentration becomes possible naturally. That is Dhyāna pāramitā which means the Perfection of Focusing. If one can reach the state of the perfect Middle Way, beyond the dichotomy of self and others, one naturally possesses the wisdom to see things as they are. That is Prajñā pāramitā which means the Perfection of Wisdom (Seeing things as they are from the Middle way.)

Ultimately, if one can reach the state of the perfect Middle Way beyond the dichotomy of self and others, then naturally, the wisdom to see things as they are is acquired and the perfection of wisdom is achieved. At the same time, the other five perfections are also achieved simultaneously.

Therefore, the Six Perfections are not something that can be achieved one by one in order. If one cannot reach the state of the perfect Middle Way beyond the dichotomy of self and others, none of the perfections can be achieved. Conversely, if one can reach the state of the perfect Middle Way, then all six perfections will be achieved simultaneously.

In addition, in order to attain such a perfect state of the Middle Way, if one can go beyond such a state of separation of self and others and attain the perfect state of the Middle Way in the process of mastering any one of the six paramitas, then the other five paramitas can also be attained at one stroke.

In this sense, the Six Perfections are assumed to lead to the state of the perfect Middle Way, which overlaps with the Eightfold Path introduced earlier in this series.

Among the Eightfold Path, Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood correspond to Perfection of Self-discipline. Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration correspond to the Perfection of Focusing. Right View and Right Thought correspond to Perfection of Wisdom (Seeing things as they are from the Middle Way). Right Effort corresponds to Perfection of Making effort. Adding the Perfection of Giving, Sharing, and Not Being Attached to Possessions and the Perfection of Not Minding and Being Transcendent, we have the Six Perfections.

Initially, the Eightfold Path was essential for becoming an Arhat, but for Bodhisattvas who seek to walk the path of Buddhahood along with others in society, attitudes of Giving, Sharing, and Not Being Attached to Possessions become crucial in their relationships with themselves and others. It also becomes indispensable for a Bodhisattva to develop a mindset of Not Minding and Being Transcendent in any kind of defamation or slander in society.

In this way, the Six Perfections seem to have begun to be emphasized along with the ideal of Bodhisattva practice in Mahayana Buddhism.

It is said that a sutra older than the Prajnaparamita Sutra, called the Six Perfections Sutra, existed around 150 B.C..

It can be said that the Prajnaparamita Sutras are scriptures that emphasize the importance of Prajnaparamita in particular out of the six paramitas that were initially taught in parallel. This means that by the time the Prajnaparamita Sutras were compiled, the concept of the six paramitas had already spread to some extent, and it seems that the emphasis on prajnaparamita was based on this premise.

However, when the Lotus Sutra appeared, within it, there are descriptions that those who expound the Lotus Sutra naturally fulfill the Six Perfections.

In short, as I mentioned earlier, those who are trying to walk the path of enlightenment with others through the Lotus Sutra will come to wish for the happiness, awareness, and enlightenment of others as if they were themselves, and they will naturally come to a state of mind that transcends the distinction between self and others, in other words, a state of mind like the Middle Way itself. And when they realize this, the six paramitas will be fulfilled naturally.

However, ordinarily, such a mindset lasts only for a moment, and in the next moment, one returns to a mindset of self-centeredness. That is what distinguishes ordinary beings from those who have completely achieved such a mindset. In other words, the difference between a Buddha and a Bodhisattva on the path is that while the Buddha's realization is complete, the Bodhisattva's realization is temporary. However, even for such a Bodhisattva on the path, if one can reach a mindset where the dichotomy of self and others is forgotten many times, it is certain that one will gradually become closer to the mindset of a Buddha.

Perhaps therein lies the meaning of continuing the practice of the Bodhisattva.


#SixPerfections #Dāna-pāramitā #Śīla-pāramitā #Kṣānti-pāramitā

#Vīrya-pāramitā #Dhyāna-pāramitā #Prajñā-pāramitā #LotusSutra

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