Part 6 - Concept of the Pāramitās in Buddhism

The mention of the Ṣaṭ-pāramitā, the fulfillment of which is compulsory for the Bodhisattvas, is frequently found in the works of both the Sarvāstivādins and the Mahāsāṅghikas, and both are responsible for the growth of the large mass of Avadāna literature, the central theme of which is the fulfillment of the Pāramitās.

Like other Buddhist Sanskrit works, the Avadāna literature also has attached “the greatest importance to the Pāramitās, which distinguish the Bodhisattvas from the inferior arhats and Pratyeka Buddhas. These latter are regarded as representative of merely negative ethical ideals, while the Pāramitās are put forward as a scheme of positive moral development”. In this formula of Pāramitās the latter Buddhists had combined “the social virtues of a righteous layman householder with the ascetic ideals of meditative monks”. Thus they provided a bridge in the form of these Pāramitās between the two i.e. popular and monastic Buddhism. It was “not only to inspire faith, but also to encourage people in the performance of Dāna, Śīla, Kṣānti, Vīrya, Dhyāna and Prajñā that they invented story after story and associated them not only with the life of Buddha but also with the lives of persons who attained prominence in the history of the Buddhist faith”. A number of instances can be quoted from the pages of the Avadāna literature which, directly or indirectly, reveal their stress upon the performance of the six Pāramitās.

Dāna

The word ‘Dāna’ means ‘the act of giving’. The Avadāna literature abounds in stories where the heroes and heroines “give away wealth, limbs, life, wives and children in a spirit of exaggerated and fantastic philanthropy. The Avadāna-Śataka records a story of some king Śibi of Śibighoṣa, who used to excessively indulge in the acts of giving food, cloth etc. to those in need. So much so that he, in order to satisfy the small insects, inflicted many wounds on his body and willingly gave his flesh and even eyes to Śakra, who, in the guise of a vulture and Brāhmaṇa respectively, had appeared twice before him to test the genuineness of his virtue of giving.

The Avadāna-Kalpalatā also states a somewhat similar story of king Śibi who, in order to listen to the recitation of a few good verses from an Rākṣasa, did feed him with his own flesh and blood. The Divyāvadāna mentions a story of some girl Rūpavatī who, in order to save the lives of a starving woman and her young once, did cut off her breasts and feed that famished woman. A similar reference of a Bodhisattva, who offered his body to feed a hungry tigress and thus save the lives of her young ones, whom she would have devoured if the Bodhisattva had not given his body, is found in the Avadāna-Kalpalatā also. One here threw himself into the fire and offered his own roasted meat to a sage, who, for want of edibles, was to leave the forest where they both lived, to eat and to continue living in the same forest.

Śīla

Śīla as a Pāramitā has been identified with virtue. A good many references, stressing the importance of Śīla-Pāramitā, are found in the Avadāna literature. The Divyāvadāna refers to a story relating how prince Kuṇāla’s eyes were plucked out as a punishment for his act of inflicting similar injury on some animals in one of his previous birth. Thus by this story the abstention from killing living beings is stressed. Use of harsh words, too, is decried in the Avadāna literature. The Divyāvadāna also records the story of Pūraṇa, who, as a consequence of using harsh language in one of his previous existences, was reborn as a slave gill’s son. Not including in sensual pleasures also comes in the domain of Śīla. The Divyāvadāna mentions the incident of Upagupta’s rejecting the advances of the courtesan Vāsavadattā. The story of Prince Kuṇāla, who did not accept the amorous invitations of his step-mother Tiṣyā, who had fallen in love with him, is also found in the Divyāvadāna^.

Kṣānti

Freedom from anger and excitement come in the domain of Kṣānti. We find really wonderful characters, sketched in the Avadāna literature, who were ready to endure and did readily endure so many insults which would have arisen anger and excitement in an ordinary layman and thus proved their being free from anger and excitement. First of all let us illustrate the character of Pūraṇa who was ready to go in the realm of Śroṇa-parāntakas, which was notorious for its barbarous inhabitants, for propagating the good law of the Lord. He was ready to bear any insult, done by them. He promised to the Lord that he would not mind even if the fierce, violent and cruel inhabitance of Śroṇaparāntakas abused him and troubled him by using harsh and false words; strike him with their hand clods, or some weapon and even kill him. Pleased with this type of freedom from anger and excitement the Lord said to him, Pūraṇa, you are endowed with the greatest gentleness and forbearance. You are the fittest man to go to the Śroṇaparāntakas and live among them. You go and free those who want to be freed.

Another character, which presents a very apt example for illustrating the Kṣānti-Pāramitā, is Kuṇāla, the beautiful eyed, son of King Aśoka. His beautiful eyes, following a royal intrigue, were forced to be plucked, but he did not bear any ill will against the person (queen Tiṣyā) who played the main role in that intrigue. Instead he said to King Aśoka, “Oh king, I don’t have any feeling of anger against anyone. My heart is full of love for my mother queen Tiṣyā who played the main role in the intrigue of getting my beautiful eyes being plucked out.”

In the Avadāna-Kalpalatā we find the mention of a saint Kṣāntivādin, whose virtue of forbearance so excellent that he, on being reviled and abused by the king, did not fell the least angry. Not only this but through his forbearance and serenity, he remained unshaken then also when the king, just out of a misunderstanding, cut off his hands, arms, ears, nose and feet.

Vīrya

The word Vīrya literally means “the state of a strong man, vigour, strength, power, heroism, prowess, valour, fortitude, courage, firmness, virility.” This virtue is given special importance of the Buddhist world. They hold that “Enlightenment depends entirely on Vīrya; where there is Vīrya, there is Bodhi. Vīrya is the chief and paramount cause of all the auspicious principles that are conducive to Enlightenment.” A few instances, which illustrate this virtue, can be quoted from the Avadāna literature. The Divyāvadāna records the mention of some Prince Sudhana who bravely faced many dangers which he encountered during his adventure of undertaking a difficult journey in order to meet his wife. And through his virtue of Vīrya he was successful in his mission of meeting with his wife.

Dhyāna

“It has been rendered as “meditation”, “trance”, “ecstasy”, “contemplation”, “rapture”, etc.” Samadhi also is considered with Dhyāna. Pūrṇa flew in the air and saved certain travelers from shipwreck by means of Samādhi.

Prajñā

The word Prajñā has been translated as wisdom, insight, spiritual enlightenment etc. Dr. T.H. Stcherbatsky has translated it as ‘perfect wisdom’. He further states, “The word ‘Pāram-itā’ i.e. ‘gone beyond’ suggests that it would be better to translate Prajñā-Pāramitā as ‘transcendent insight’ or ‘transcendent wisdom’.” Dr. N. Dutt has rendered it as “the knowledge which helps a person to realize the Dharma-Śūnyatā”. Avadāna literature abounds in with such characters as became iz Kkfo Hkq Dr. Dvikāya theory of the Prajñā-Pāramitā is also found in the Avadāna literature. In the Divyāvadāna some passages referring to the Rupakāya and Dharmakāya of the Buddha are found. In the Koṭikarṇāvadāna we find the mention of Koṭikarṇā’s desire to see the Dharmakāya of Buddha for the fulfillment of which he had to go to the place where Buddha was living at the time. In the Pāṃśupradānāvadāna Upagupta’s request to Māra for showing to Rūpakāya of Buddha is stated. In the Rudrāyaṇāvadāna king Rudrāyaṇa, in an answer to king Bimbisāra, said, “u jktu~ d`i.kks yksds /ke Z dk;su la Li`”ksr~” (O King! Let no irreligious person attain or touch the Dharmakāya).