Theos-Talk Archives (October 1998 Message tt00127)

In a message dated 10/27/98 12:30:40 AM, Augoeides wrote:

<<The Ten Paramitas or Perfections are:

1.  DANA - love, charity and giving
2.  SILA - morality, harmony
3.  NEKKHAMMA - renunciation
4.  PANNA - wisdom
5.  VIRIYA - vigor, energy, valour
6.  KHANTI - patience that nothing can ruffle
7.  SACCAM - truthfulness
8.  ADHITTHANA - resolution
9.  METTA - kindliness
10. UPEKKHA - equanimity

The Ten Sanyojanas or Fetters are:

1.  SAKKAYADITHHI - the delusion of the personal ego
2.  VICHIKICHCHA - doubt or uncertainty
3.  SILABBATAPARAMASA - superstition
4.  PATIGHA - all possibility of anger or hatred
5.  KAMARAGA - attachment to the enjoyment of the senses
6.  RUPARAGA - desire for form, desire for existence in form
7.  ARUPARAGA - desire for the formless life
8.  MANA - pride
9.  UDDHACHCHHA - agitation or irritability
10. AVIJA - ignorance>>

Augoeides, you have given these two lists of "tens" from a Pali source.  Do
you happen to know the source?  It would be very useful to my work to have
that reference, because the Pali list of "perfections" you give contradicts
HPB's list in the Voice of the Silence.  We can see that she obviously draws
more from Mahayana than Theravada/Pali sources.

My list of ten perfections (posted earlier today) was from the Mahayana list
of ten paramitas, known to the Sanskrit and Tibetan textual witnesses.  They
can be found in the English translation of the Dhammapada from the Tibetan
version done by Dharma Publishing.

It should be known to all theos-talk readers that the Theravada (Pali
language) sources and the Mahayana (including Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese and
Japanese languages) differ greatly on certain points of Buddhist doctrine and
method.

Rich