New Paramita practice section!

From the inspiration of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche's general advice to many students, we have decided to have an ongoing monthly Paramita practice section which will serve as a reminder and guide for selected posts each month. Paramita is a sanskrit (or Pali; 'paramis') word meaning 'perfection', and it is taught that by practising the paramita's, dharma practitioners are able to realise their intention to liberate themselves and others from suffering.

Beginning in July, each of the 6 Paramita's (Generosity, ethics, patience, joyous effort, concentration, wisdom) will be the focus theme of many of the blog posts, starting with "Generosity" in July, followed by "Ethics" in August and so on.

This page will be the reference to remind us of the Paramita theme, which itself is an invitation to focus ones own practice around that particular paramita for that month. We hope this will also serve as a reminder of all Buddhist traditions shared practice values and how we can learn from each others distinct approaches to these profound practices. 

Any posts made about the Paramita's will be labelled by the blogger (i.e. "Generosity paramita") and this will make it available to view in the paramita section. Although a little cumbersome, we hope this will make it possible for other blog topics to be posted anytime, while keeping the paramita theme available for others to follow if they wish. Any blogger who wishes to do this will simply need to fill in the small box at the bottom of each post marked "label" with the appropriate monthly theme.

The Paramita's are universally acknowledged by all Buddhist lineages. In the Theravada tradition there is more focus on the idea of 10 paramita's, however it is generally accepted that the 6 paramita's serve as a valid representative of paramita practice in the Theravada also. To give some idea of this context Bikkhu Bodhi (2005) summarizes:

"It should be noted that in established Theravāda tradition the pāramīs are not regarded as a discipline peculiar to candidates for Buddhahood alone but as practices which must be fulfilled by all aspirants to enlightenment and deliverance, whether as Buddhas, paccekabuddhas, or disciples. What distinguishes the supreme bodhisattva from aspirants in the other two vehicles is the degree to which the pāramīs must be cultivated and the length of time they must be pursued. But the qualities themselves are universal requisites for deliverance, which all must fulfill to at least a minimal degree to merit the fruits of the liberating path."