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|term= | |term=Prajñāpāramitā | ||
|definition= | |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 Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit term ''pāramitā'' as ''pha rol tu phyin pa'', literally "gone to the other side", also functions as a basic definition and is often expressed figuratively as having arrived upon the far shore of a body of water. Hence, ''pāramitā'' is alternatively translated as transcendent perfections, transcendental or transcending actions, and even quite literally as "far-reaching attitudes." The term is deeply rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā literature, and the perfections themselves are so fundamental to the bodhisattva path, as it is practiced at the sūtra level of the Mahāyāna, that this tradition is often referred to as the ''pāramitāyāna'', a term used interchangeably with the ''bodhisattvayāna''. | The Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit term ''pāramitā'' as ''pha rol tu phyin pa'', literally "gone to the other side", also functions as a basic definition and is often expressed figuratively as having arrived upon the far shore of a body of water. Hence, ''pāramitā'' is alternatively translated as transcendent perfections, transcendental or transcending actions, and even quite literally as "far-reaching attitudes." The term is deeply rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā literature, and the perfections themselves are so fundamental to the bodhisattva path, as it is practiced at the sūtra level of the Mahāyāna, that this tradition is often referred to as the ''pāramitāyāna'', a term used interchangeably with the ''bodhisattvayāna''. | ||
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|definition= | |definition=The six or ten types of practices which lead an individual to Buddhahood. The practice of perfections is particularly important in Mahāyāna Buddhism in which the entire path of the Bodhisattva to reach full enlightenment is included in the six or ten perfections. | ||
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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 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. | 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. | ||
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