Part 1 - What are the Pāramīs?

The answer to the question is: The noble qualities, such as generosity, morality, etc., not spoiled by craving, pride or wrong view, but founded on Great Compassion and Wisdom which is skill in seeking merit, are to be named Pāramī.

Further explanations: When giving dāna, if it is tainted with craving, thinking: “This is my dāna.”; if it is tainted with pride, thinking: “This dāna is mine.”; if it is tainted with wrong view, thinking: “This dāna is myself.”, such dāna is said to be spoiled by craving, pride or wrong view. It is only the kind of dāna not spoiled by craving, pride or wrong view which could be termed Perfection. (The same applies to observance of morality, etc.) To be qualified as a pāramī, acts of merit, such as dāna, sīla, etc., should not only be free from taints of craving, pride or wrong view, but should be founded on Great Compassion (Mahā-karuṇā) and wisdom which is skill in seeking merit, (Upāya-kosalla Ñāṇa).

Mahā-karuṇā: A Bodhisatta should be able to develop immense sympathy for all beings, close or distant, as if they were all his own children. Without discriminating between friend and foe, he should look upon all sentient beings as poor sufferers in saṃsāra, where they are burning with the fires of craving, hatred and bewilderment, and also with the fires of birth, ageing, death, grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair. Contemplating thus, he should develop vigorous compassion for them. His compassion should be so great as to enable him to go to the rescue of all beings from saṃsāra, even sacrificing his life. Such compassion is called the Great Compassion which forms the basis of all Perfections.

The Bodhisatta, in his life as Sumedha the Hermit, was so accomplished in spiritual attainments at the time he met Buddha Dīpaṅkarā that he could achieve his own liberation, should he so desire. But as a Great Being endowed with supreme compassion, he bore personal suffering in saṃsāra for the long duration of four asaṅkhyeyya and a hundred thousand aeons to fulfil the Perfections in order to liberate suffering beings.

Upāya-kosalla Ñāṇa: It is the wisdom which is skill in doing deeds of merit, such as dāna, sīla, etc., so that they become basic means and support for attainment of Omniscience. A man of good family, who aspires to Buddhahood, should engage in meritorious deeds of dāna, sīla, etc., with the sole aim of attaining Omniscience. (He should not wish for benefits that really lead to suffering in saṃsāra). The wisdom that enables him to aim at and wish for Omniscience as the only fruit of his good deeds, is called Upāya-kosalla Ñāṇa.

The aforesaid Mahā-karuṇā and Upāya-kosalla Ñāṇa are the fundamentals for attainment of Buddhahood and for the practice of Perfections. One who aspires to Buddhahood should, first of all, endeavour to become accomplished in these two fundamentals.

Only the qualities, such as dāna, sīla, etc., developed on the basis of these two principles can become true Perfections.