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|definition=A class of Mahāyāna sūtras which represents some of the earliest known literature of this genre of Buddhism. The term itself references a type of intelligence, discernment, or knowledge that embodies the insight which transcends the notions of the three spheres of agent, object, and action. | |definition=A class of Mahāyāna sūtras which represents some of the earliest known literature of this genre of Buddhism. The term itself references a type of intelligence, discernment, or knowledge that embodies the insight which transcends the notions of the three spheres of agent, object, and action. | ||
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The six perfections, in the order they are most commonly presented, are generosity (''dāna'' or ''sbyin pa''), discipline (''śīla'' or ''tshul khrims''), patience (''kṣānti'' or ''bzod pa''), diligence (''vīrya'' or ''brtson 'grus''), meditative concentration (''dhyāna'' or ''bsam gtan''), and wisdom (''prajñā'' or ''shes rab''). These | The six perfections, in the order they are most commonly presented, are generosity (''dāna'' or ''sbyin pa''), discipline (''śīla'' or ''tshul khrims''), patience (''kṣānti'' or ''bzod pa''), diligence (''vīrya'' or ''brtson 'grus''), meditative concentration (''dhyāna'' or ''bsam gtan''), and wisdom (''prajñā'' or ''shes rab''). These can be divided into groups that separate the first five perfections from the sixth. In these cases, the first group can represent either skillful means or the accumulation of merit, both of which are commonly paired with wisdom. They can also be presented in accordance with the three trainings (''triśikṣā''), which are discipline, meditative absorption (''samādhi''), and wisdom. In this case, the first three perfections, generosity, discipline, and patience, are categorized under the training of discipline and the last two perfections are categorized under meditation and wisdom, respectively. Diligence is categorized under all three of the trainings, as it is a crucial component of all of them. | ||
Furthermore, the perfections are described as being endowed with four special features (''khyad chos bzhi ldan'') that distinguish them from their mundane counterparts. These four are | Furthermore, the perfections are described as being endowed with four special features (''khyad chos bzhi ldan'') that distinguish them from their mundane counterparts. These four are presented in a series of verses in the ''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkārakārikā'', in which only the name of the perfection changes from verse to verse. The first of these stating, | ||
{{QuoteCite | {{QuoteCite | ||
|quote-text= | |quote-text= | ||
Generosity | Generosity counters its opposite, | ||
Is endowed with nonconceptual gnosis, | |||
Fulfills all wishes, | |||
And | And ripens beings in three ways. | ||
|source-wiki-page= | |source-wiki-page=A Feast of the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle | ||
|page-number=78 | |||
}} | }} | ||
In the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' Śāntideva alludes to the hierarchical relationship between the earlier and later perfections, stating, | The same text goes one to explain the reason for the order in which the perfections are presented, stating, | ||
{{QuoteCite | |||
|quote-text= | |||
Because the next one arises in dependence on the preceding one, | |||
And each is superior to the former one, | |||
And because each is more subtle than the former one, | |||
They are taught one after the other. | |||
|source-wiki-page=A Feast of the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle | |||
|page-number=79 | |||
}} | |||
In the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' Śāntideva, likewise, alludes to the hierarchical relationship between the earlier and later perfections, stating, | |||
{{PullBcaVerses|5.83|73}} | {{PullBcaVerses|5.83|73}} | ||
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