I. Definition

"Độ", in Sanskrit Pāramitā, means to overcome or to complete: to overcome ignorance toward enlightenment, suffering toward happiness, and the cycle of birth and death (samsara) toward Nirvana. Lục Độ (the Six Pāramitās) are the six methods that guide oneself and all beings to overcome delusion and suffering and to reach a life of happiness and purity. The six are: Giving (generosity), Preserving the Precepts (discipline), Patience, Diligence, Meditation and Wisdom.

II. The Aspects of the Six Pāramitās

1. Giving (Generosity)

a. Definition: Giving is to donate one's own possessions — whether goods or spirit — to all beings with no distinction between people or animals, a close friend or a stranger, one of the same or a different nationality. Whenever a being lacks something beneficial to body or mind, and we have it to spare, we help all equally and without stinginess.

b. Kinds of giving:

1. Giving of goods: Using one's money and materials to help beings who are poor, hungry, needy or sick.
2. Giving of Dharma: Sharing the true teaching to open right view and dispel the delusion, confusion and wrong views of beings.
3. Giving of fearlessness: Using one's courage and strength to remove fear and weakness in beings. There are two ways: using gentle, encouraging words while beings are anxious or suffering; and using every possible means to rescue beings while they are oppressed and in distress.

c. The merits of giving:

1. Elimination of greed and selfishness: Giving has the power to remove greed and selfishness from one's own mind, and to enter the nature of great, impartial compassion.
2. Delivery of prosperity: Beings escape hunger and cold and obtain a happy, sufficient life thanks to the giving of goods.
3. Development of right wisdom: The giving of Dharma dispels the veil of ignorance, develops right wisdom and penetrates the true principle.
4. Delivery of calmness: The giving of fearlessness relieves the worry and fear of beings so that they may live freely and calmly.

2. Preserving the Precepts (Discipline)

a. Definition: Preserving the Precepts is observing the rules the Buddha established and preventing unwholesome conduct: the body does no evil deeds, the mouth speaks no evil words, the mind thinks no evil thoughts. On the contrary, one does good deeds and guides beings back to the path of goodness.

b. Kinds of precepts:

1. Precepts of restraint and conduct: Keeping the dignified rules the Buddha established to prevent wrongdoing of body, speech and mind — such as the five precepts of lay Buddhists, and the six major and twenty-eight minor precepts of the lay Bodhisattva.
2. Precepts of embracing good: Practising wholesome deeds that benefit oneself and others now and in the future, such as the Ten Good Deeds and the Four Means of Embracing (Tứ Nhiếp Pháp).
3. Precepts of benefiting beings: Delivering and relieving the suffering of all sentient beings, living among every class of beings to bring them benefit.

c. Capabilities of preserving the precepts:

1. Purifying the three karmas: Through keeping the precepts, the three karmas (body, speech and mind) are completely purified; one commits no evil deeds and gives rise to no wrong thoughts.
2. Developing merit: Through keeping the precepts, good merits arise; compassion is built up and wisdom is expanded.
3. Building good worth: By not committing base and coarse deeds, one's human worth becomes noble and beautiful.
4. Gaining love and respect: Doing no harm to people or animals but rather benefiting them, one naturally earns their love and respect.

3. Patience

a. Definition: Patience is the capacity of forbearance — to remain tranquil and calm under a favorable circumstance or an adversity, a praise or a criticism, a success or a failure; not to be pessimistic in adversity nor overly elated in a favorable situation.

b. Kinds of patience:

1. Patience in favorable circumstances: Not to be arrogant or conceited amid the praise and respect of beings.
2. Patience in adversity: Not to be angry or resentful amid the insults and abuse of beings.
3. Inner patience: Though pressed by the defilements of greed and anger, the mind remains patient, guarding and removing them so they do not manifest outwardly; the mind stays pure and clear, not driven by defilements.
4. Outer patience: Though the body is pressed by outer conditions such as hunger, cold and heat, one takes them lightly, without complaint or resentment.

c. Capabilities of patience:

1. Not acting thoughtlessly: By removing anger, patience keeps one from doing rash and ill-considered things.
2. Calm in all circumstances: Patience keeps the mind calm and clear amid the changing and adverse situations of life.
3. Not sinking into the five desires: By restraining every defilement and delusion, patience keeps the mind from drifting after the five desires: wealth, sex, fame, food and sleep.

4. Diligence

a. Definition: "Tinh" means undefiled, "tấn" means to advance without retreating. Diligence means to concentrate single-mindedly on seeking the path of liberation and enlightenment, practising the wholesome without being ruled by defilements and without retreating on the path.

b. Kinds of diligence: diligence according to the four right efforts:

1. Evil that has not yet arisen — diligently guard against it so it does not arise.
2. Evil that has already arisen — diligently eliminate it.
3. Good that has not yet arisen — diligently bring it into being.
4. Good that has already arisen — diligently make it grow.

c. Capabilities of diligence:

1. Courage and enthusiasm: Diligence removes timidity and laziness, so one is always brave and eager.
2. No retreat: One does not grow discouraged or step back before adverse circumstances, but presses courageously toward the fruit of the path.
3. Seeking liberation: Diligence removes evil dharmas and increases wholesome ones, advancing toward the fruit of liberation and the enlightenment of the Buddhas.

5. Meditation

a. Definition: Observing and removing deluded, upside-down conditions is meditation (Thiền); focusing the mind on a single object of contemplation is concentration (Định). Meditation means to concentrate the mind on a single object of contemplation and to remove deluded, upside-down conditions.

b. Kinds of meditation:

1. Contemplation of impurity: Focusing on the imperfect nature of all things, such as contemplating the impurity of the body.
2. Contemplation of compassion: Using the compassionate mind to contemplate the sufferings of beings — birth, aging, sickness and death.
3. Contemplation of dependent arising: Contemplating that all things in the world come about through the coming-together of causes and conditions.
4. Contemplation of the Buddha: Contemplating the merits and excellent marks of the Buddhas.
5. Contemplation of counting the breath: Focusing the mind on each in-breath and out-breath, settling the mind on one object and allowing no deluded thought to intrude.

c. Capabilities of meditation:

1. Restraining desire: Through the contemplation of impurity, one restrains craving for sense objects, masters one's desires, is not swept away by them, and avoids the harm they cause.
2. Removing anger: Through the contemplation of compassion, one removes anger and cruelty; wholesome mind is awakened and loving-kindness is expanded.
3. Breaking delusion: Through the contemplation of dependent arising, one realizes that conditioned arising has no fixed reality, so the mind becomes open and the veil of delusion and false clinging is torn away.
4. Preventing defilements: Through contemplation of the Buddha, defilements wear away while wisdom and merit grow.
5. Removing a scattered mind: Through the contemplation of counting the breath, the mind becomes pure and no longer drifts after outer deluded conditions and objects.

6. Wisdom

a. Definition: Wisdom is clear understanding; using right knowledge to comprehend and distinguish the true nature of things clearly and accurately — not mistaking the false for the true or the unreal for the real, not clinging to one's own prejudices, not following heterodox and superstitious doctrines contrary to right principle, but always seeking the truth and living according to it.

b. Kinds of wisdom:

1. Wisdom of hearing: Wisdom from hearing and examining the right principle.
2. Wisdom of reflection: Wisdom from reflecting on the right principle.
3. Wisdom of practice: Wisdom from practising the right principle.

c. Capabilities of wisdom:

1. Eliminating ignorance: Ignorance is the root that gives rise to defilements. When wisdom shines forth, dark ignorance is removed and the root of defilements is completely cut off.
2. Seeing things clearly: Through wisdom one experiences the truth — realizing that all things are dependently arisen, impermanent and without fixed reality — and thereby shatters all mistaken views and clinging.

III. The Essential Conditions for Applying the Six Pāramitās

1. Arousing the bodhi mind: Arousing the bodhi mind is arousing a vast, boundless intention — that is, the four great vows:

1. However innumerable beings are, I vow to save them all. The universe is boundless and beings are countless, with differing capacities, karma and kinds. One who resolves to practise the Six Pāramitās vows to save all beings, even across countless lifetimes and among beings of every disposition.
2. However inexhaustible defilements are, I vow to end them all. The minds of beings constantly drift after sense objects without a moment's rest, so defilements arise and accumulate as numberless as dust motes. One who would practise the Six Pāramitās vows to remove them all, overlooking none, even the smallest.
3. However immeasurable the Dharma-doors are, I vow to master them all. Beings are countless and their capacities immeasurable, so the Dharma-doors the Buddha taught, suited to each, are likewise immeasurable. One who would practise the Six Pāramitās vows to learn and practise them all.
4. However unsurpassed the Buddha-path is, I vow to attain it. Fulfilling the Buddha-path is the highest, most supreme fruit. To attain it, one must end all defilements, learn all Dharma-doors and save all beings. A Buddhist who would practise the Six Pāramitās vows to attain this fruit.

2. Disregarding one's property and life: A Buddhist who would practise the Six Pāramitās must open the heart wide, hold lightly to one's own life and property, and value only the welfare of beings. If, to save a being's life, one must give up one's whole estate, even to the destruction of one's own body, a Buddhist accepts it gladly, without a word of complaint and without regret.

3. Regarding beings' suffering as one's own: A Buddhist who would practise the Six Pāramitās must always understand the countless sufferings weighing on the lives of beings, and must clearly recognize that beings and oneself, though different in form and thought, still share one boundless essence. A drop of water is small, yet its substance is the same as the ocean's; the life of every kind is likewise intimately interrelated. So a Buddhist holds this view: the suffering of beings is one's own suffering; to save beings is to save oneself.

4. Having the capacity to liberate oneself and all beings: A Buddhist must clearly understand that although, through unwholesome karma over many lives, oneself and beings turn round and suffer in the cycle of birth and death, yet every kind possesses the Buddha-nature and the capacity for liberation and enlightenment. One can practise to develop this innate capacity for liberation and awakening, and use every means to embrace, transform and relieve the suffering of all beings.