Practice of Paramas: Buddhist Spiritual Perfections

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Late Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita was the founder-president of Maha Bodhi Society, Bengaluru. Since 1956 he had established many Buddhist centres in India and abroad and rendered yeomen spiritual and humanitarian services. He was a member of the Editorial Board of the Sixth Buddhist Synod (Chattha Sangayana) in Yangon, which brought out a complete edition of the Buddhist scriptures.
He established Mahabodhi Monastic Institute in Bangalore, India, Buddhayoga Meditation Centre in USA and conducted many Dhamma and Pali courses, meditation courses and written numerous books and translation of Buddhist texts. Mahabodhi Research Center and Bhagavan Buddha University of Pali and Theravada Buddhism, Bangalore are the result of his effort and research to provide a systematic Buddhist education as widely as possible.

Practice of Paramis, is the first of the series on Parami. Purpose of the series is to make known the ideal of spiritual perfection known as Parami. Perfection is a process of development. When it reaches the highest point of maturity, it brings about spiritual transformation otherwise called enlightenment. There are 10 Paramis exalted virtues that must be fulfilled, meaning brought their highest point of maturation in order to attain enlightenment. Therefore Paramis are the prerequisites for the attainment of enlightenment and therewith freedom from the bondage of worldly existence.
The book explains the nature and significance of each of the 10 Paramis. There are three distinct types of enlightenment in Buddhism. These are
1. Savaka Bodhi, the enlightenment of Buddha's Liberated Disciple,
2. Pacceka Bodhi, enlightenment of the Hermit Enlightened One,
3. The Sammasambodhi, enlightenment of the Supremely Enlightened One.
Fulfilment of 10 perfections, Parami lead to the attainment of the Enlightened Disciple's Bodhi. Twenty Paramis i.e., 10 Paramis twice over, leads to the attainment of the Hermit Enlightened One's Bodhi, and thirty Paramis i.e., 10 Paramis thrice over, leads to the enlightenment of a Supremely Enlightened Buddha.
One who seeks any variety of these three enlightenments is known as an enlightenment being, Bodhisatta. But this term by long usage has become cantered on the would-be-Buddha aspirant who has been popularised by calling him a Bodhisatta. But as a matter of fact there are three different types of Bodhisatta in keeping with the three types of Enlightened Ones.
In Theravada the role of a Bodhisatta is fully recorded in the form of Jataka stories. 550 such previous lives of the Buddha describing how he perfected these thirty Paramis, life after life, through an unthinkably long stretch of time, namely, the four asankheyyas, incalculables and hundred thousand kalpas, aeons. The Buddha himself recalls these past life stories very frequently to throw light in his teachings.
In this book some of these stories have also been incorporated to illustrate the absolutely heroic lives of the Bodhisatta. This indeed is a very inspiring saga of truly spiritual aspirants.
May the reader benefits from these glorious examples of spiritual courage and persistence!
May all beings be happy!