jmdict 1626240 Active (id#1917349)
波羅蜜
【 はらみつ； ぱらみつ； パラミツ (nokanji) 】
  1. (はらみつ only) [n] {Buddhism}
    • pāramitā
    • perfection
    • [expl] perfection of Buddhist practices or attaining enlightenment
    Cross references:
    • ⇔ see: 2806140 波羅蜜多 1. pāramitā; perfection; perfection of Buddhist practices or attaining enlightenment
    • ⇐ see: 2806170 パーラミター 1. paaramitaa; entrance into Nirvana
  2. [n] [uk]
    • jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
History:
    • A 2015-06-16 20:04:30 Rene Malenfant
    • Diff
      @@ -25,2 +25 @@
-<gloss g_type="expl">perfection of Buddhist practices</gloss>
-<gloss g_type="expl">attainment of enlightenment</gloss>
+<gloss g_type="expl">perfection of Buddhist practices or attaining enlightenment</gloss>
    • A* 2015-06-16 09:42:27 Johan Råde
    • Comments
      Found a suitable reference.
It gives both meanings.
    • Refs
      Hisao Inagaki, A Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist Terms, Nagata Bushshodo, 3rd ed. 1988
    • Diff
      @@ -25 +25,2 @@
-<gloss g_type="expl">perfection of virtues required to attain enlightenment</gloss>
+<gloss g_type="expl">perfection of Buddhist practices</gloss>
+<gloss g_type="expl">attainment of enlightenment</gloss>
    • A* 2015-06-15 05:18:27 Johan Råde
    • Comments
      Made the explanation more explicit
    • Diff
      @@ -25 +25 @@
-<gloss g_type="expl">perfections required to attain enlightenment</gloss>
+<gloss g_type="expl">perfection of virtues required to attain enlightenment</gloss>
    • A* 2015-06-13 18:47:35 Johan Råde
    • Comments
      Here is a brief explanation of the concept "pāramitā" based on Paul Williams book Buddhist Thought.
----
All Buddhist agree that the goal of the spiritual path is enlightenment (悟り or 菩提 from sanskrit "bodhi")
but they differ about the nature of enligtenment.
Hinayana Buddhists hold that enlightenment leads to nirvana (涅槃),
sometimes conceived as the extinction of the soul (although that is an oversimplification).
Most Mayahana Buddhists (more relevant in a Japanese context) view enlightenment as
"anuttarā samyak sambodhi" (阿耨多羅三藐三菩提), which literally is "unexcelled perfect enlightenment",
but means to be reincarnated as a Buddha.
(The Lotus Sutra teaches that everyone of us will eventually be reincarnated as a Buddha.)
---
But the path to that goal is long; sometimes said to take three incalculable eons.
It is described in some detail in several texts.
One of several steps along the path is to master the six (or ten) pāramitās (波羅蜜).
These are often listed as
1. Dāna pāramitā, 布施波羅蜜, Perfection of charity
2. Śīla pāramitā, 持戒波羅蜜, Perfection of morality
3. Kṣānti pāramitā, 忍辱波羅蜜, Perfection of patience
4. Vīrya pāramitā, 精進波羅蜜, Perfection of diligence
5. Dhyāna pāramitā, 禪定波羅蜜, Perfection of meditation
6. Prajñā pāramitā, 般若波羅蜜, Perfection of wisdom
    • A* 2015-06-12 19:42:05 Marcus Richert
    • Comments
      isn't the original "entrance into Nirvana" much closer to 
the Japanese definitions than "perfections required to 
attain enlightenment"?
    • Refs
      daijr
"迷いの世界から悟りの世界へ至ることの意。実際には，そのために菩薩の
行う修行のこと"
daijs
"迷いの世界である此岸(しがん)から、悟りの彼岸(ひがん)に到達するこ
と。また、そのための修行。"
  6. (show/hide 8 older history records)
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