pāramitā (9425)

pāramitā
Entry 9425, Page 341, Col. 2

(pAramitA, pAramitA)
pāramitā¦ (= 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 (cf. i.237.12 s.v. pārami); sarvacetovaśi-(see vaśin)-parama-°tā-prāpta LV 425.22 (prose); in LV 376.18 (vs), 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. mg. 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 (cf. 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 Tib. 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)