The Six Transcendent Perfections...
May all beings be happy. May they live in safety and joy.... As a mother watches over her child, willing to risk her own life to protect her only child, so with a boundless heart... cherish all living beings, suffusing the whole world with unobstructed loving kindness... During all your waking hours, may you remain mindful of this heart and this way of living that is the best in the world. - Shakyamuni Buddha In Mahayana Buddhism, the bodhisattva practices the six paramitas , or transcendent perfections. These are a path to enlightenment, the fruition of the bodhisattva way, and a means to benefit sentient beings. They are transcendent because the subject, object, and practice of the perfections are all free of self, which is known as the threefold purity. 1. Generosity ( dana ) You give without expecting anything in return, the essence of nonattachment. 2. Discipline ( sila ) You joyfully practice the dharma in everything you do. 3. Patience ( ksa...