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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