Paramita, aka: Pāramitā, Pāramita; 12 Definition(s)
Introduction
Paramita means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Perfection of the character. A group of ten qualities developed over many lifetimes by a bodhisatta, which appear as a group in the Pali canon only in the Jataka ("Birth Stories"): generosity (dana), virtue (sila), renunciation (nekkhamma), discernment (panna), energy/persistence (viriya), patience/forbearance (khanti), truthfulness (sacca), determination (adhitthana), good will (metta), equanimity (upekkha).Source: Access to Insight: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist TermsF (Noble practice, noble accomplishment). Positive action by means of the body, speech or the mind, which is motivated by a will to progress on the path to perfection, the path of dhamma.
Only when the development of the paramis reaches the peak of its maturity can nibbana be experienced. There are 10 paramis:
- dana parami: Forsaking ones goods and possessions (animals or non living objects) by making gifts.
- sila parami: Control of ones actions and speeches in order to refrain from evil actions.
- nekkhamma parami: Renouncement of the life of the laity to the sake of a solitary life (bhikkhu, ermite).
- panna parami: Development of knowledge and understanding through study and analytical reflection. Imparting knowledge to others. Making use of ones wisdom so as to take the highest benefits from it.
- viriya parami: Effort to do good to others as much as possible and to the peril ones life.
- khanti parami: Establishment of an always perfect tolerance, whatever, on others behalf, performed actions and uttered speeches might be.
- sacca parami: Truthfulness (to tell only what is fair).
- adhitthana parami: Decision to solely perform beneficial actions and to stick to them.
- metta parami: Cultivation of a state of mind turned towards others happiness, to practice love towards all beings.
- upekkha parami: Rejection of hatred and adoration. Not to stick to an idea in particular. Keeping ones mind even minded.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
General definition (in Buddhism)
The Six Paramita or means of so doings are (1) dana - charity/giving (2) sila - moral/conduct/taking precepts (3) ksanti - patience (4) virya - vigor/devotion/energy (5) dhyana - contemplation/meditation (6) prajna - wisdom. The Ten Paramita are the above plus (7) upaya - use of expedient or proper means (8) pranidhana - vow of bodhi and helpfulness (9) bala - strength (10) intelligence Childers gives the list of ten as the perfect exercise of * charity/almsgiving, * morality, * renunciation, * wisdom, * energy/effort, * patience, * truth, * resolution/determination, * kindness/universal love and * resignation/equanimity. Each of the ten is divided into ordinary, superior and unlimited perfection, making up to thirty in total. Source: Buddhist Door: GlossaryPāramitā Skt., lit., “that which has reached the other shore,” the transcendental. The pāramitās, generally translated as “the perfections,” are the virtues perfected by a bodhisattva in the course of his or her development. There are six of these: (1) dāna-pāramitā (generosity), (2) shīla-pāramitā (discipline), (3) kshānti-pāramitā (patience), (4) vīrya-pāramitā (energy of exertion), (5) dhyāna-pāramitā (meditation), (6) prajñā-pāramitā (wisdom). Frequently four further virtues are added, which were accepted into the canon later: (7) upāya-kaushala-pāramitā (right method or means), (8) pranidhāna-pāramitā (vow), (9) bala-pāramitā (manifestation of the ten powers, dashabala), (10) jñāna-pāramitā (knowledge of the true definitions of all dharmas).
Source: Shambala Publications: Generalpāramitā, (pārami or pāramī [pārami, pāramī, pāramitā]) transcendental virtues or perfections. Pāram means beyond. It means to go, to go to the other shore, that is, to go beyond the realm of saṃsāra. The term pārami is used to denote the virtues to be practised by a Bodhisattva in order to attain the Buddhahood. The following virtues are known as ṣaṭ pāramitā-s, or six virtues. They are explained by the Buddha in the Vajracchedikā Prajñā Pāramitā Sūtra, to Subhūti and the other monks in an assembly.
- charity (dāna),
- morality (śīla),
- forbearance (kṣānti),
- energy (vīrya),
- meditation (dhyāna), and
- wisdom (prajñā).
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
pāramitā : (f.) completeness; perfection.
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English DictionaryPāramitā, (f.) (pāramī+tā)=pāramī Nett 87. (Page 454)
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
paramīta (परमीत).—f n (Corr. from parimiti) Measure, magnitude, determined quantity.
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryparamīta (परमीत).—f n Measure, magnitude.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-EnglishMarathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit-English dictionary
Pāramita (पारमित).—a.
1) Gone to the opposite bank or side.
2) Crossed, traversed.
3) Transcendent.
-tā 1 Complete attainment, perfection. Ks.-Taraṅga 72.362 illustrates six Pāramitas दान, शील, क्षमा, धैर्य, ध्यान (dāna, śīla, kṣamā, dhairya, dhyāna) and प्रज्ञा (prajñā) by suitable stories; Bṛ. Kath.9.1.496; cf. दानपारमिता (dānapāramitā) 'perfection in charity' दानपारमितयैव वदान्यान् (dānapāramitayaiva vadānyān) N.5.11; नूनमेवं बुद्धेनापि दानपारमिता पूरिता (nūnamevaṃ buddhenāpi dānapāramitā pūritā) (mattavilāsa prahasana).
2) Transcendental virtue.
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryPāramitā (पारमिता).—(= Pali id., to prec. plus -tā; in Pali synonym of pāramī or °mi in all respects), (1) = prec., mastcry, supremacy, perfection, in general sense, cpd. with preceding attribute indicating the field of mastery: garbhāvakrānti-°tā Mv i.214.12 = ii.17.11, supremacy (supremeness, perfection) as regards entry into the womb; sarvakuśaladharma-vaśibhāva-°tāṃ Mv ii.261.7; jina-°tāve 402.22 (of the Jinas); uttama-damatha-śamatha-°tā-prāpta Mv iii.64.6 (compare i.237.12 s.v. pārami); sarvacetovaśi-(see vaśin)-parama-°tā-prāpta LV 425.22 (prose); in LV 376.18 (verse), read probably daśabalaguṇa-pāramita-(m.c. for °tā, which all mss. read; Lefm. em. °mi-)-prāptaṃ; possibly to be classed with (2) below are mahopāyakauśalya- jñāna-(29.10 adds darśana-)-parama-°tā-prāpta SP 29.10; 77.8 (both prose); (2) one or more of a technical list of (usually six, sometimes ten, rarely five or seven) supreme virtues, of Buddhas, or (to be cultivated by) Bodhisattvas; usually rendered perfection; Burnouf, Lotus 544 (App. VII deals with this category) vertu transcendante; the lit. meaning was surely supremacy: (five) SP 334.2 °tāḥ pañca (and pañca is v.l. for ṣaṭ ca SP 142.7); pañcasu °tāsu SP 332.10 (prose), listed in the foll. as dāna, śīla, kṣānti, vīrya, dhyāna; but a sixth, prajñā-p°, is separately mentioned after the list in 333.1; (six) listed, as just cited from SP 332.10 ff., Dharmas 17 (compare 18 cited below); Mv iii.226.2 ff.; Divy 476.2 ff.; Bbh 4.13 ff.; 58.16 f.; Laṅk 237.6; Sūtrāl. xvi.2 and 3, comm.; described in brief statements Śikṣ 187.5—15; in Kv 50.16 ff. with substitution of dhairya for vīrya; without listing, but with number 6, SP 17.15; 142.7 (v.l. pañca, above); 256.10; 259.3; 262.1; 264.10; Divy 95.19; 265.2; 490.16, [Page342-a+ 71] 18 Av i.7.4; 16.13; Suv 37.13; 42.7; RP 21.7; (seven) the above six plus upayakauśalya-(LV mahopā° and adds parama-)-paramitā SP 457.11—12; LV 8.2—3; also LV 34.20 ff. (with upāyakauśalaṃ); (ten,) the above seven (with upāya for upāyakauśalya in Mvy, Dharmas [upāyaṃ, nom.!], Gv) plus praṇidhāna (Dharmas praṇidhi), bala, jñāna, Mvy 913—923; Dharmas 18 (immediately after 17 which lists the six); Bbh 371 5 ff.; and in Gv 295.10—25 where, curiously, the same list is given but called mahā- vitānadharma, q.v., instead of pāramitā; in Pali, be it noted, the list is (so far as has been recorded) always ten in number, but not quite the same as in BHS: dāna, sīla, nekkhamma, paññā, viriya, khanti, sacca, adhiṭṭhāna, mettā (or metti, Childers), upe(k)khā; in Pali they are called pāramī as well as °mitā; note further a list of ten jñāna-pāramitā-vihāra in Gv 537.11 ff., not noted else- where, seemingly a nonce-elaboration of the tenth (jñāna) pāramitā; pāramitā without indication of number, LV 274.21 (sarva-°tāsu pāraṃgataḥ); Bhad 19; individual members of the category, dhyāna-p° SP 335.10; dāna-p° Mv i.102.5; esp. frequent is prajñā-p°, q.v., Mv iii.67.4; LV 179.14—15; 427.17; and passim in ŚsP, AsP, and other works of this school which makes prajñā-p° its central point; the word is rendered in Tibetan pha rol tu phyin pa, going to the other shore, a fantastic etymological rendering, as if from pāram plus a form of root i; often forms of (pari-) pūrayati, and noun or adj. derivs., are used governing pāramitā, e.g. SP 256.10 (°tānāṃ paripūryai); Kv 50.16 ff. (each °tā paripūrayitavyā)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryPāramita (पारमित).—mfn.
(-taḥ-tā-taṃ) 1. Crossed, traversed. 2. Transcendant, (as spiritual knowledge.) E. pāram across, and ita gone.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionarySanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family. Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Relevant definitions
Search found 63 related definition(s) that might help you understand this better. Below you will find the 15 most relevant articles:
| Prajnaparamita | Prajñāpāramitā (प्रज्ञापारमिता).—(see pāramitā 2), as n. of a work or class of works, extant in... | |
| Danaparamita | Dānapāramitā (दानपारमिता).—perfection of liberality. Dānapāramitā is a Sanskrit compound consis... | |
| Kshantiparamita | Kṣāntipāramitā (क्षान्तिपारमिता) or simply kṣānti refers to the “perfection of patience” and re... | |
| Dhyanaparamita | Dhyānapāramitā (ध्यानपारमिता) or simply dhyāna refers to the “perfection of meditation” and rep... | |
| Shilaparamita | Śīlapāramitā (शीलपारमिता) or simply śīla refers to the “perfection of virtue” and represents th... | |
| Viryaparamita | Vīryapāramitā (वीर्यपारमिता) or simply vīrya refers to the “perfection of energy” and represent... | |
| Dashaparamita | Daśapāramitā (दशपारमिता) refers to the “ten perferctions” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (se... | |
| Shatparamita | Ṣaṭpāramitā (षट्पारमिता) refers to the “six perferctions” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (se... | |
| Upayaparamita | Upāyapāramitā (उपायपारमिता) or simply upāya refers to the “perfection of skilful means” and rep... | |
| Pranidhiparamita | Praṇidhipāramitā (प्रणिधिपारमिता) or simply praṇidhi refers to the “perfection of aspiration” a... | |
| Balaparamita | Balapāramitā (बलपारमिता) or simply bala refers to the “perfection of strength” and represents t... | |
| Jnanaparamita | Jñānapāramitā (ज्ञानपारमिता) or simply jñāna refers to the “perfection of knowledge” and repres... | |
| Prajnaparamitasutra |
Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra also Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra, Skt., lit., “[Great] Sūtra of the W... | |
| Six Paramita | See Paramita. | |
| Ten Paramita | see Paramita. |
Relevant text
Search found 42 books and stories containing Paramita, Pāramitā, Paramīta, Pāramita; (plurals include: Paramitas, Pāramitās, Paramītas, Pāramitas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Indian Buddhist Iconography (by Benoytosh Bhattachacharyya)
Figure 219 - Twelve Pāramitās: Dhyānapāramitā
Figure 220 - Twelve Pāramitās: Praṇidhānapāramitā
Figure 180-183 - Emanations of Ratnasambhava: Vajratārā and Puṣpatārā
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Part 1 - Definition of mahā in mahāprajñāpāramitā < [Chapter XXX - The Characteristics of Prajñā]
Part 5 - Conclusion (2): Final Note < [Chapter LII - Elimination of the Triple Poison]
Appendix 2 - The great armour (mahāsaṃnaha) < [Chapter XLIII - The Pursuit of the Six superknowledges]
Vimalakirti Sutra (by Burton Watson)
The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra (by Charles Luk)
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva fundamental vow sutra (by Johnny Yu)