Ten Pāramitās

A Bodhisatta must practice the ten pāramitās. The word pāramitā is translated as „ten perfections,“ „transcendental virtue“ and „perfect virtue.“ In Pāli nikāya the forms pāramī and pāramitā occur in the Suttanipāta, the Jāṭaka, the Nettippakarana and other treatises. According to the bodhisutra bhumi in Sanskrit text, the pāramitā are so called, because they are acquired during a long period of time and are supremely pure in the nature. They also transcend the virtues or qualities of the Sravakas and the Pacceka Buddhas, and lead to highest result. Six pāramitās are really the chief factors in the bodhisattas discipline and the four additional pāramitās are morally supplementary in character. The six pāramitās are mentioned and discussed in many passages of Buddhist Sanskrit literature, whereas the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth pāramita are mentioned only in a few passages and are not explained in a great length. The bodhisatta bhūmi classifies each of the six chief pāramitās under nine separated headings. The dasa bhūmi sūtra definitely increases the number of the pāramitās to ten, as it teaches that bodhisatta practices one of the pāramitās in each of the ten bhūmis of his career. This alternation may have been due to the rivalry with the Hīnayāna, which had devised the Pāli formula of the ten pāramitās. Hīnayāna (= Theravāda) pāramitās are:

1. Dāna - Generosity

2. Sīla - Morality

3. Nekkhamma - Renunciation

4. Paññā - Wisdom

5. Vīriya - Energy

6. Khanti - Forbearance

7. Sacca - Truthfulness

8. Adhiṭṭhāna - Resolution

9. Mettā - Loving-kindness

10. Upekkhā - Equanimity

In Mahāyāna there are these pāramitās:

1. Dāna - Generosity

2. Sīla - Morality

3. Khanti - Forbearance

4. Viriya - Energy

5. Jhāna - Rapture musing

6. Paññā - Wisdom

According to the Buddhist Sanskrit literature there are ten pāramitās and the first six were the first edition.

7. Upāya - Skillfulness (Upāya kaushalya)

8. Pranidhāma - Resolution

9. Bala - Strength

10. Ñāna - Knowledge