Paramita Practice

Review the list of the six paramitas and create one of your own to post in your home. Reflect through meditation and journaling how you work with/manifest each in intention and action in your life. Set aside a few minutes each day for this reflection or intentional practice each of the paramitas in your life for a given period, perhaps for a week.

Norman Fischer’s book The World Could be Otherwise is an excellent resource for this.

These paramitas or perfections are:

• Dana. The perfection of generosity. Opening our hearts to ourselves, to others and to the abundance of life.

• Sila. The perfection of ethical conduct.  Paying attention to our thoughts, words and deeds, turning the away from self-centeredness and toward love and the benefit of others.

• Ksanti. The perfection of patience.  Fully facing difficulties and transforming them into the path

• Virya. The perfection of joyful effort. Rousing ourselves to hopefulness and joy so we can keep our practice commitments with a bright spirit.

• Dhyana. The perfection of meditation. Focused, regular sitting and walking practice to refresh and slow down our heart and minds, so that our days and nights can be firm and calm.

• Prajna. The perfection of understanding. Recognizing that nothing is as we think it is; that there is no separation, no tragedy; that nothing is fixed or solid; that there is only love and endless hopefulness beyond and within what happens and doesn’t happen. The perfection of understanding pervades the other five perfections. It is the great gift of Mahayana Buddhist thought, the source and fruit of imagination.