The Six Paramitas - Virya Paramitas (4/6)

 

Paramita means perfection the noblest, most excellent, highest qualities. 

It symbolises the crossing from the shore of confusion and suffering to the shore of liberation and enlightenment. It groups the six actions to be performed to reach a state of realisation.

The six paramitas, or transcendent perfections, are an essential concept in the practice of Mahayana Buddhism. They are so fundamental, in fact, that the “Vehicle of the Perfections” is a synonym for Mahayana itself. The Pali or Theravada tradition also includes perfections, referred to as paramis, but a discussion of these is out of the scope of this article.

“If we want to obtain enlightenment by becoming a Bodhisattva, it is necessary to actualize wisdom and compassion. This is done through the practice of what are called the six paramitas, or 'transcendental actions. 

What are the six Paramitas of Buddhism?

The six are generally translated as: 

1. Generosity, 
2. Discipline, 
3. Patience, 
4. Diligence, 
5. Meditative concentration,  
6. Wisdom.   

Some lists enumerate ten paramitas, the last four of which are aspects of the wisdom paramita and are skillful means, strength, aspiration, and primordial wisdom. These align with the ten stages of the Bodhisattva path. 

It symbolises the crossing from the shore of confusion and suffering to the shore of liberation and enlightenment. It groups the six actions to be performed to reach a state of realisation.

The six paramitas, or transcendent perfections, are an essential concept in the practice of Mahayana Buddhism. They are so fundamental, in fact, that the “Vehicle of the Perfections” is a synonym for Mahayana itself. The Pali or Theravada tradition also includes perfections, referred to as paramis, but a discussion of these is out of the scope of this article. 

“If we want to obtain enlightenment by becoming a Bodhisattva, it is necessary to actualize wisdom and compassion. This is done through the practice of what are called the six paramitas, or 'transcendental actions.'  

Para in Sanskrit literally means the 'other shore.' Here, it means going beyond our own notion of the self. From the Buddhist point of view in general and from the Mahayana point of view in particular, if we want to progress properly on the path, we need to go beyond our conventional understanding of the self. 

When we say that paramita means 'transcendental action,' we mean it in the sense that actions or attitudes are performed in a non-egocentric manner. 'Transcendental' does not refer to some external reality but rather to the way in which we conduct our lives and perceive the world—either in an egocentric or a non-egocentric way. The six paramitas are concerned with the effort to step out of the egocentric mentality.”

What are the six paramitas in Buddhism? The six perfections are : 

4) Diligence ( Virya ) - Virya is a Buddhist term commonly translated as "energy", "diligence", "enthusiasm", or "effort". It can be defined as an attitude of gladly engaging in wholesome activities, and it functions to cause one to accomplish wholesome or virtuous actions.

Virya In Buddhism, virya refers to a practitioner's "energy, "persistence, "persevering, "vigour", "effort", "diligence, or "exertion", and is repeatedly identified as a necessary prerequisite for achieving liberation.  

Mental factor

Within the Buddhist *Abhidharma teachings, virya is identified as:

• One of the six occasional mental factors within the Theravada Abhidharma

• One of the eleven virtuous mental factors within the Mahayana Abhidharma

In this context, virya is defined as the attitude of gladly engaging in what is wholesome; its function is to cause one to accomplish wholesome actions.

*Abhidharma - The Abhidharma are ancient (third century BCE and later) Buddhist texts that contain detailed scholastic presentations of doctrinal material appearing in the Buddhist sutras. It also refers to the scholastic method itself as well as the field of knowledge that this method is said to study. Translations of Abhidhamma.

The Abhidharma-samuccaya states:

What is virya? It is the mind intent on being ever active, devoted, unshaken, not turning back, and being indefatigable. It perfects and realises what is conducive to the positive. In the context of the Mahayana Abhidharma, virya is commonly translated as diligence. 

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

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