To interact successfully with others, the Buddha taught us the
Six Paramitas. The fourth of the Five Guidelines, the paramitas are
the practices of bodhisattvas, awakened beings who are dedicated to
helping all other beings. The Six Paramitas are:
Giving (dana)
Precept observation (shila)
Patience (kshanti)
Diligence (virya)
Meditative concentration (dhyana)
Wisdom (prajna)
The first paramita is giving. Giving counters greed, and ensures
that in the future we will have ample resources to continue helping
others. The underlying meaning of giving is letting go.
There are three major kinds of giving. The first is the giving of
wealth, be it material resources or our time and energy. When our
giving becomes increasingly unconditional, we will begin to feel
more liberated spiritually. The more we give away, the fewer
possessions we have to worry about. Soon we will realize that we
need very little to be truly content.
Second is the giving of teaching. By teaching others, we are
helping them to learn how to rely more on themselves. We give
material resources to try to solve immediate needs. But, if we want
to solve needs that are more far-reaching, we teach. It is not
necessary to have exceptional skills. Simply teach whatever we are
good at and what others are not. The highest form of teaching is
the Dharma, which can help people find lasting happiness and
liberation.
And third is the giving of fearlessness. It is to remove the
insecurities, worries, and fears of others, whether the "other" is
human or non-human. This giving can be the sharing of a kind word,
the giving of our strength and stability, or our understanding.
When we relieve the worries and fears of others, and help them to
feel more secure, they will be able to find peace and
self-respect.
The second paramita is moral discipline, which counters worries
and unhappiness, and enables us to continue on our way to
awakening. In a more literal sense, it means abiding by the
precepts. In a broader sense, the second perfection means ethical
behavior, as we follow the customs and laws of wherever we are.
Initially, as we begin our practice of discipline, we can focus on
refraining from harming others. Gradually, we begin to develop and
increase our virtue. The ultimate form of this practice is to
benefit others.
The third paramita is patience, which counters anger and hatred,
and helps us to avoid arguments and to achieve our goals. We need
patience in almost everything we do. If we are in school, we need
patience to persevere in our study. At work, patience helps us to
properly accomplish our tasks. At home, patience is the foundation
for interacting well with family members. Patience enables us to
get along more harmoniously with those around us. For ourselves,
patience allows us to recognize our bad habits and to improve
ourselves by changing those habits.
The fourth paramita is diligence, or enthusiastic effort. It is the
joy that we bring to our practice and to all that is worthwhile in
our lives. It is the true delight that arises from deep within us
when we are doing what is wholesome. It enables us to keep going
when we feel tired or overwhelmed. It is refreshing and inspiring.
Cultivating enthusiastic effort counters laziness, and brings joy
to our lives as we feel a sense of accomplishment in finishing what
we have started.
The fifth perfection is meditative concentration. Our practice
and training in discipline and not harming others will reduce and
gradually eliminate our harmful verbal and physical behaviors. Our
minds will become calmer and less agitated. When our minds are thus
settled, we will be better able to concentrate. Our concentration
will initially reduce and, then, gradually eliminate our disturbing
thoughts and emotional behavior. We will then gain meditative
concentration, which will enable us to uncover our innate wisdom.
Thus, discipline, meditative concentration, and wisdom work
together, and are complementary.
The sixth paramita is wisdom. Wisdom counters ignorance, and
enables us to know how best to help others and to improve
ourselves, including our ability to get along well with others.
This wisdom is not that which is gained through intense study and
analysis of many diverse subjects. That would be seeking wisdom
from external sources. It is our innate, all-knowing wisdom.
If we begin to practice these six perfections in even just some
small measure every day, starting with today, gradually, we will
begin to look in the right direction, and gradually we will awaken
to the perfect goodness, perfect contentment, and perfect joy that
are already within our true nature, our Buddha-nature.