The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit Literature c9.2

Language: English

c9.2.1

A *bodhisattva* must practise the six or ten *pāramitās* (Perfections). This important word *pāramitā* has also been translated as "transcendental virtue", "perfect virtue", "highest perfection", "complete attainment", "die Vollkommenheit", etc. The form *pārami* is also found (*Divy.*, 637, 5, *mantrāṇām pāramiṃ gatāḥ*). In Pāli, the forms *pāramī* and *pāramitā* occur in the *Sutta-nipāta*, the *Jātaka*, the *Nettipakaraṇa* and other treatises¹; and T. W. Rhys Davids and W. Stede translate: "completeness, perfection, highest state" (*Pāli Dicy.*). The term *pāramitā* has been wrongly explained by Böhtlingk and Roth, Monier Williams, E. Burnouf, B. Hodgson and M. Vassilief as consisting of two words, *pāram* (the opposite bank, the further shore), and *ita* (gone, from the root *i*, Skt. Dicy., M.W. 566c)². Böhtlingk and Roth regard it as a contracted form of the abstract substantive *pāramitā* (the quality of having gone to the further shore). But E. Burnouf thinks that it is an adjectival participle, which really qualifies a suppressed substantive like *buddhi*, but which is employed as a substantive on account of its similarity to other abstract nouns ending in *-tā*. He says: "Ce mot, en effet, est le féminin de l'adjectif *pāramita* signifiant, 'celui qui est allé à l'autre rive, transcendant,' mais ce n'est ni ce ne peut être un substantif. Or c'est comme substantif que l'emploient les Bouddhistes . . .

c9.2.2

Peut-être le mot de *pāramitā* se rapporte-il à quelque terme sous-entendu, comme celui de *buddhi*, l'Intelligence, par exemple, de sorte qu'on devrait traduire les noms des diverses Perfections de cette manière: (l'Intelligence) parvenue à l'autre rive de la sagesse, de l'aumône, de la charité, et ainsi des autres . . . Je dirai seulement que l'expression de *pāramitā*, une fois introduite dans la langue avec l'ellipse que je suppose, a pu y rester et y prendre par extension la valeur d'un substantif, à cause de sa ressemblance extérieure avec un nom abstrait tel que ceux qu'on forme au moyen de la syllabe *-tā*."³ E. Burnouf also refers to T. Goldstücker's view that the word is derived from Sanskrit *parama* (= “most distant, last; highest, first, most excellent or distinguished, best, greatest, chief, primary, principal, superior”. Skt. Dicy., M.W. 535*a*). T. Goldstücker was on the right track, but he unfortunately thought that *pārami* meant “daughter of *parama*, i.e. of Buddha”. *Pāramitā* is really derived from *parama* (and not from *pāra* with the root *i*), as the *Bo. Bhū.* clearly explains. The *pāramitās* are so called, because they are acquired during a long period of time (*paramena kālena samudāgatāḥ*), and are supremely pure in their nature (*paramayā svabhāva-viçuddhyā viçuddhāḥ*).

c9.2.3

They also transcend the virtues or qualities of the *çrāvakas* and the *pratyeka-buddhas*, and lead to the highest result (*paramam ca phalam anuprayacchanti*).⁴ It is not necessary to accept all the details that are given in the *Bodhisattva-bhūmi*. But the derivation of the term from *parama* is thus placed beyond the possibility of doubt. It simply means, “highest condition, highest point, best state, perfection.” F. W. Thomas, T. W. Rhys Davids and W. Stede explain it as a substantive derived from *parama*, while L. de la Vallée Poussin expresses himself enigmatically : “les vertus d’au-dela, parceque leur mérite est appliqué à l’acquisition de la qualité de Bouddha.”⁵ The Tibetan equivalent is *pha-rol-tu-phyin-pa*. S. C. Das explains thus : “to get to the other side; in Buddhism, crossing to the other side of this life, i.e. to *Nirvāṇa*; absolute transcendental virtue” (Tib. Dicy., 817*b*). This seems to confirm E. Burnouf’s view that *pāramitā* is derived from *pāra*. But it only proves that the Tibetan translators did not know the correct etymology of the term. The *Bodhisattva-bhūmi*, cited above, connects it with *parama*. Unfortunately, the Chinese also seem to have made the same mistake as the Tibetans. According to E. J. Eitel, they translate *pāramitā* as “means of passing, arrival at the other shore” (p. 115*a*).⁶