What are the Paramis?

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The answer to this question is, the noble qualities such as generosity, morality, etc, etc, not spoiled by craving, pride or wrong view, but founded on great compassion and wisdom which is skill in seeking merit, are to be named Parami.

Further explanation, when giving dana, if it is tainted with craving, thinking "this is my dana", if it is tainted with pride, thinking, "this dana is mine", if it is tainted with wrong view, thinking, "this dana is for myself", such dana is said to be spoiled by craving, pride and wrong view.

It is only the kind of dana not spoiled by craving, pride or wrong view which could be termed Perfection (the same applies to observance of morality, etc).

To be qualified as a Parami, acts of merit such as dana, sila, etc should not only be free from taints of craving, pride or wrong view, but should be founded on Great Compassion (Maha-karuna) and wisdom which is skill-in seeking merit (Upaya-kosalla Nana).

Mahakaruna: A Bodhisatta should be able to develop immense sympathy for all beings, close or distant, as if they were all his own children. Without discriminating between friend and foe, he should look upon all sentient beings as poor sufferers in samsara where they are burning with fires or craving, hatred and bewildernent, with fires of birth, ageing, death, grief, lamentations, pain, distress and despair.

Contemplating thus, he should develop vigorous compassion for them. His compassion should be so great as to enable him to go to the rescue of all beings from samsara even to the extend of sacrificing his life. Such compassion is call, the Great Compassion which forms the basis of all Perfections.

The Bodhisatta in his life as Sumedha the Hermit was so accomplished in spiritual attainments at the time he met Buddha Dipankara that he could achieve his own liberation, should he so desire. But as a Great Being endowed with supreme compassion, he bore personal, suffering in samsara for a long duration of four asankhyeyya and a hundred thousands aeons to fulfill the Perfections in order to liberate suffering beings.

Upaya-kosalla Nana: It is the wisdom which is skill in doing deeds of merits such as dana, sila, etc, so that they become basic means and support for attainment of Omniscience. A man of good family who aspires to Buddhahood should engage in meritorious deeds of dana, sila, etc with the sole aim of attainment Omniscience (He should not wish for benefits that really lead to suffering in samsara)

The wisdom that enables him to aim at and wish for Omniscience as the only fruit of his good deeds is called Upaya-kosalla Nana.

The aforesaid Mahakaruna and Upaka-kosalla Nana are the fundamentals for attainment Buddhahood and for practice of Perfections. One who aspires to Buddhahood should first of all endeavour o become accomplished in these two fundamentals.

Only the qualities such as dana, sila, etc, developed on the basis of these two principles can become true Perfections.

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