The Chinese Paramitas

In construction

波罗蜜多

THE PARAMITAS    

波       bō            Surge  

罗       luó           Collect

蜜       mì            Honey  

多       duō          Much

Collectively they appear as an equivalent phonetic series.

The paraamitas have no pertinence to original Theravada and were a later Dharma addition found mainly in the Buddhavamsa, the Jatakas and the Avadanas. In fact, the most antique Dharma texts Majjhima Nikaya, Digha Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya and the Anguttara Nikaya do not mention them at all.

The Buddhavamsa sutra, which is a short historical account of Gotama Buddha and of the twenty-four previous Buddhas, mentions the ten as:

1. Dāna parami:                   generosity

2. Sīla parami:                      virtue, morality, honesty

3. Nekkhamma parami:       renouncement

4. Prajñā parami:                 wisdom

5. Viriya parami:                  energy

6. Kshanti parami:               tolerance and openness of the mind

7. Sacca parami:                  sincerity

8. Adhitthana parami:         determinatión, resolution

9. Mettā parami:                  friendship or Benevolent affect

10. Upekkhā parami:             serenity

They were considered as universal qualities to be developed by all, including Bodhisattvas.

In the Mahayana system only six are considered:

1 Dāna:        Benevolence

2 Sīla             Virtue, morality, honesty, Correct conduct

3 Kshanti       Patience, tolerance, receptivity

4 Vīrya           Energy, force

5 Dhyāna:      Concentration, contemplation

6 Prajñā         Wisdom