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The first paramita is giving. Giving counters
greed, and ensures that in the future we will
have ample resources to continue helping others.
The underlying meaning of giving is letting go.
There are three major kinds of giving. The first
is the giving of wealth, be it material
resources or our time and energy. When our
giving becomes increasingly unconditional, we
will begin to feel more liberated spiritually.
The more we give away, the fewer possessions we
have to worry about. Soon we will realize that
we need very little to be truly content.
Second is the giving of teaching. By teaching
others, we are helping them to learn how to rely
more on themselves. We give material resources
to try to solve immediate needs. But, if we want
to solve needs that are more far-reaching, we
teach. It is not necessary to have exceptional
skills. Simply teach whatever we are good at and
what others are not. The highest form of
teaching is the Dharma, which can help people
find lasting happiness and liberation.
And third is the giving of fearlessness. It is
to remove the insecurities, worries, and fears
of others, whether the "other" is human or
non-human. This giving can be the sharing of a
kind word, the giving of our strength and
stability, or our understanding. When we relieve
the worries and fears of others, and help them
to feel more secure, they will be able to find
peace and self-respect.
The second paramita is moral discipline, which
counters worries and unhappiness, and enables us
to continue on our way to awakening. In a more
literal sense, it means abiding by the precepts.
In a broader sense, the second perfection means
ethical behavior, as we follow the customs and
laws of wherever we are. Initially, as we begin
our practice of discipline, we can focus on
refraining from harming others. Gradually, we
begin to develop and increase our virtue. The
ultimate form of this practice is to benefit
others.
The third paramita is patience, which counters anger and
hatred, and helps us to avoid arguments and to
achieve our goals. We need patience in almost
everything we do. If we are in school, we need
patience to persevere in our study. At work,
patience helps us to properly accomplish our
tasks. At home, patience is the foundation for
interacting well with family members. Patience
enables us to get along more harmoniously with
those around us. For ourselves, patience allows
us to recognize our bad habits and to improve
ourselves by changing those habits.
The fourth paramita is diligence, or enthusiastic effort. It is
the joy that we bring to our practice and to all
that is worthwhile in our lives. It is the true
delight that arises from deep within us when we
are doing what is wholesome. It enables us to
keep going when we feel tired or overwhelmed. It
is refreshing and inspiring. Cultivating
enthusiastic effort counters laziness, and
brings joy to our lives as we feel a sense of
accomplishment in finishing what we have
started.
The fifth perfection is meditative concentration. Our
practice and training in discipline and not
harming others will reduce and gradually
eliminate our harmful verbal and physical
behaviors. Our minds will become calmer and less
agitated. When our minds are thus settled, we
will be better able to concentrate.
Our concentration will initially reduce and,
then, gradually eliminate our disturbing
thoughts and emotional behavior. We will then
gain meditative concentration, which will enable
us to uncover our innate wisdom. Thus,
discipline, meditative concentration, and wisdom
work together, and are complementary.
The sixth paramita is wisdom. Wisdom counters
ignorance, and enables us to know how best to
help others and to improve ourselves, including
our ability to get along well with others. This
wisdom is not that which is gained through
intense study and analysis of many diverse
subjects. That would be seeking wisdom from
external sources. It is our innate, all-knowing
wisdom.
If we begin to practice these six perfections in
even just some small measure every day, starting
with today, gradually, we will begin to look in
the right direction, and gradually we will
awaken to the perfect goodness, perfect
contentment, and perfect joy that are already
within our true nature, our Buddha-nature.
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