Pāramitā
Buddhist perfections cultivated for enlightenment.
Pāramitā (Sanskrit, Pali: पारमिता) or pāramī (Pāli: पारमी) is a Buddhist term often translated as 'perfection'. It is described in Buddhist commentaries as a noble character quality generally associated with enlightened beings. Pāramī and pāramitā are both terms in Pali but Pali literature makes greater reference to pāramī, while Mahayana texts generally use the Sanskrit pāramitā.
- field
- Buddhist philosophy and practice
- known_for
- Noble qualities cultivated on the path to enlightenment, especially by bodhisattvas
- traditions
- Theravāda, Sarvāstivāda, Mahāyāna
Lore & Background
The term pāramitā has two etymologies. The first derives it from parama, meaning 'highest', 'most distant', hence 'chief', 'primary', 'most excellent'. The second divides pāramitā into pāra ('beyond', 'the further bank') and mita ('that which has arrived') or ita ('that which goes'), yielding 'that which has gone beyond' or 'transcendent'. This reading is reflected in the Tibetan translation pha rol tu phyin pa ('gone to the other side'). In Theravāda Buddhism, the ten perfections (dasa pāramiyo) are listed in the Buddhavamsa of the Khuddaka Nikāya: dāna (generosity), sīla (virtue), nekkhamma (renunciation), paññā (wisdom), viriya (energy), khanti (patience), sacca (truthfulness), adhiṭṭhāna (determination), mettā (loving-kindness), and upekkhā (equanimity). Theravada commentator Dhammapala describes them as noble qualities usually associated with bodhisattvas. American scholar-monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu describes them as perfections of character necessary to achieve enlightenment as one of the three enlightened beings: a samma sambuddha, a pacceka-buddha, or an arahant. Mahāyāna texts refer to the pāramitās as 'bases of training' used for self-cultivation on the bodhisattva path to Buddhahood. The Prajñapāramitā sūtras and many other Mahāyāna texts list six perfections: giving, ethical discipline, patience, vigorous effort, meditation, and wisdom (prajñā). The Sarvāstivāda Vaibhāṣika school's Mahāvibhāṣā teaches a system of four pāramitās: generosity, discipline, energy, and wisdom, while also mentioning the six-pāramitā system.
Reader's Guide
The pāramitās are central to Buddhist soteriology, representing the qualities that must be cultivated to achieve enlightenment. In Theravāda tradition, they are not regarded as a discipline peculiar to candidates for Buddhahood alone but as practices which must be fulfilled by all aspirants to enlightenment and deliverance, whether as Buddhas, paccekabuddhas, or disciples. What distinguishes the supreme bodhisattva from aspirants in the other two vehicles is the degree to which the pāramīs must be cultivated and the length of time they must be pursued. The cultivation of pāramīs is closely linked with Buddhist kingship, and the Burmese and Thai sociological concepts of hpone and barami respectively. Some scholars refer to the pāramīs as a semi-Mahāyāna teaching added to the scriptures at a later time, but more recently scholars have opened up early Mahāyāna literature, which is very ascetic and expounds the ideal of the monk's life in the forest. The practice of the pāramitās in Mahāyāna Buddhism may have been close to the ideals of the ascetic tradition of the śramaṇa.
Did You Know?
- The Theravāda list of ten perfections includes mettā (loving-kindness) and upekkhā (equanimity), which are also brahmavihāras.
- The Mahāvibhāṣā of the Sarvāstivāda Vaibhāṣika school teaches a system of four pāramitās: generosity, discipline, energy, and wisdom.
- The Tibetan translation of pāramitā is pha rol tu phyin pa, meaning 'gone to the other side'.
- The oldest parts of the Sutta Piṭaka do not mention the pāramīs as a category, though they are all mentioned individually.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Pāramitā mean in Buddhism?
Pāramitā is a Sanskrit term (Pali: pāramī) commonly rendered as 'perfection' in English. It refers to a noble quality of character that practitioners cultivate as part of the path toward full awakening.
What are the six Pāramitās?
The most widely cited set includes generosity, ethical discipline, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom. These six perfections serve as the core practices a bodhisattva develops to benefit all sentient beings and ultimately attain Buddhahood.
Who is most closely associated with cultivating Pāramitā?
While any practitioner can develop these qualities, the concept is most tightly linked to bodhisattvas in Mahāyāna, who vow to perfect them across countless lifetimes. In Theravāda, the term pāramī appears in the Jātaka tales describing the Buddha's past lives before his final awakening.
How do Theravāda and Mahāyāna traditions treat Pāramitā differently?
Pali-language Theravāda texts predominantly use the word pāramī and often enumerate ten perfections, whereas Sanskrit Mahāyāna sūtras favor pāramitā and typically emphasize six. Both traditions, however, agree that these qualities are essential noble traits on the path to enlightenment.
Why is Pāramitā important in Buddhist practice?
The perfections function as the practical framework through which a practitioner transforms selfish tendencies into boundless compassion and insight. Without cultivating these qualities, the commentarial traditions hold, one cannot genuinely realize the ultimate goal of liberation or Buddhahood.
More in Buddhist Traditions And Concepts 1-19
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