The Six Paramitas or Long-Range Attitudes

The six Paramitas is one of the most important topics in Tibetan culture, in fact they teach them a long time after learning some other topics such as the Refuge, Karma and triple training, since they require of greater commitment and dedication .

It is said that paramitas are practiced genuinely by advanced teachers, Bodhitsatvas and Budhas, so they are far-reaching, textually they are easy to understand but difficult to practice.

What are the paramitas?

The six paramitas in order of development are the following: Generosity, Ethical Behavior, Patience, Joyful Effort, Meditation and Wisdom, and in reality when understanding them they turn out to be thirty-six, that is, each paramita includes The other five. They must be practiced and understood in that order.

For example, the Paramita de la Generosidad includes the others because when we are generous we must be patient, that is, not always in the first attempt we can help others with immediate results, it also includes ethical behavior when we must be generous for activities Tender and transparent, also to give others not what no longer serves us but what can help them without generating attachment and regret when we parted with what we donated, we must be generous with joy, that is, when we give something regardless of what Appreciate or not, we must feel joy in doing the right thing for others. Finally, the paramita of wisdom that is the most important because it consists in knowing in a final way the usefulness of what we give by making sure that it will become something that does not cause harm to the recipient.

ask us and analyze carefully

For example, sometimes when we give something generously, we must ask ourselves and make sure that it will not harm the recipient, even if it is not our intention, when what you share are spiritual teachings you must ensure that the person who receives them understands them and will use for growth and not to manipulate the result of a lack of proper understanding of them.

This is how each paramita requires that the other five be taken into account. It is not in vain that it is said to be an activity that is attributed to accomplished masters, budhas and bodhitsatvas, because normally in practice we tend to be partial or careless in the effect that it can have on the other, unconsciously we can harm others or have them applied in the wrong way by manipulating everyone around them.

generous yet wise

Another example is when we sometimes observe people who ask for alms and do not make sure that they really need it, some cheat with conditions that they don't have or with narratives of serious situations that are not true, many tend to give them money without analyzing all The situation and what we do is to promote that person find in the way of deception a wrong way to live. This is when having a positive intention we can do more harm than good. It is important to be careful.

The theme of paramitas is very extensive, it takes time to learn it and more to practice it however it is not impossible to just be on the right path, to exercise each quality in a profound way including all the other aspects in each situation of our life until it becomes something intuitive and not only conceptual or rational.

patience and joy to progress

Actually it is never too late to start practicing and understanding that in developing the first paramita in its entirety we are already taking a big step on the path of our overcoming, it is necessary to be patient and keep an effort full of joy in everything we do Without despair, great achievements require a high dose of discipline and perseverance ... doesn't it?

To UTOR: Pilar Vázquez, collaborator of the great family of the White Brotherhood