Lesson video

Hello, my name's Ms. Ramalli, and welcome to today's RE lesson, which forms part of our unit on Buddhism practises.

In today's lesson, we're going to be exploring the six perfections in the Mahayana tradition, looking specifically at the perfections of meditation and wisdom.

Okay, let's start today's lesson.

Today's lesson outcome is I can explain the six perfection, meditation and wisdom, why they are important, and how they can be developed.

To help guide us through today's lesson, there are five key words.

Our key words are Bodhisattva, Buddhahood, meditation, the six perfections, also known as the six paramitas, and wisdom.

Bodhisattva is an enlightened being who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings.

Buddhahood means reaching enlightenment.

Meditation is a spiritual experience that opens a person up to the highest state of consciousness.

And the six perfections or the six paramitas are ethical principles in Mahayana Buddhism to lead a being to enlightenment.

And finally, wisdom refers to insight into the true nature of reality.

In today's lesson, the six perfections in the Mahayana tradition, meditation and wisdom, takes two parts.

We're going to be exploring the six perfections of meditation, followed by wisdom.

Mahayana means Greater Vehicle.

This school of Buddhism focuses on achieving enlightenment for the sake of all beings by becoming a Bodhisattva.

One way this can be achieved is by developing the six perfections.

The six perfections are generosity or dana, morality, sila, patience, ksanti, energy, virya, meditation, dhyana, and wisdom, prajna.

Ting, a Mahayana Buddhist introduces the six perfections.

"The six perfections are ethical principles in Mahayana Buddhism, that lead a being to enlightenment.

As a Mahayana Buddhist monk, my goal is to become a Bodhisattva.

I believe by cultivating the six perfections, I move closer to reaching enlightenment and attaining Buddhahood." As a Mahayana Buddhist monk, what is Ting's goal? Pause the video and press play when you're ready to reflect on your answers.

Well done if you identified that Ting's goal is to become a Bodhisattva.

Remember, a Bodhisattva is an enlightened being who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings.

Let's pause and complete a check for understanding, which of the following means the six perfections or paramitas? A, an enlightened being who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings, B, ethical principles in Mahayana Buddhism to lead a being to enlightenment, or C, a spiritual experience that opens a person up to the highest state of consciousness.

Pause a video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done to everybody that said the correct answer is B.

Ethical principles in Mahayana Buddhism To lead a being to enlightenment is what is meant by the six perfections or six paramitas.

Each perfection is believed to develop a particular feature of a Buddhist character or their understanding.

The fifth of the six perfections is meditation, also known as dhyana.

Meditation is essential for helping build wisdom of the Buddha's Dhamma.

Remember, the Dhamma is the Buddhist teachings.

The term dhyana has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language.

Dh meaning mind or intellect, and yana meaning going or moving.

So dhyana can translate to mean meditation or contemplation.

Buddhist might look to a source of authority to find out more about important teachings like the six perfections.

In many Mahayana texts, it is taught that the Bodhisattva should practise the six perfections, which are generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom.

Through these perfections, the Bodhisattva achieves liberation and leads others to Buddhahood.

Let's pause for a moment, and either, on your own, take some time to reflect, or, with your partner, discuss what does this teaching highlight about the six perfections.

Pause a video and press play when you're ready to reflect on your answers.

Welcome back, everybody.

So what do you think this teaching highlights about the six perfections? Well, through developing the six perfections, a Bodhisattva can essentially lead others towards enlightenment.

The Buddha also taught about the importance of meditation in the Dhammapada.

So in Dhammapada verse 282, it says, "Wisdom springs from meditation, without meditation wisdom wanes.

Having known these two paths of progress and decline, let a man so conduct himself that his wisdom may increase." What does this first teach about the importance of meditation? Pause the video here and either reflect on your own or discuss with your partner.

Press play when you are ready to reflect on your answers.

Welcome back, everybody.

So what does this first teach about the importance of meditation? Well, meditation is important because if it's practised regularly, it develops wisdom.

Wisdom is one of the six perfections or paramitas, so therefore it must be developed.

Let's complete a check for understanding, filling the missing word.

Wisdom springs from.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer, well done if you said the missing words is meditation.

Fantastic.

Well done.

Lucas asks, "Ting, why is the perfection of meditation important to you?" Ting replies, "Meditation is important because it helps me develop mental focus to avoid distractions, negative emotions, and cravings.

I believe that a calm and focused mind is essential for insight into the Buddha's Dhamma and helping me develop compassion.

Meditation also helps me cultivate the other perfections, such as patience and generosity, which are skillful actions and can help generate good karma and reduce suffering." Katrina a Mahayana Buddhist explains why the perfection of meditation is important to her.

Katrina says, "Meditation is important because it is key to developing wisdom, the sixth perfection.

It enables me to develop insight into my connection with all beings.

This makes me more compassionate.

I believe this insight will help me reach enlightenment and attain Buddhahood." The fifth perfection of meditation, dhyana, is important to Buddhist because it develops mental focus, it helps develop compassion to others, it helps develop a calm and focused mind, it helps develop the other perfections, and it develops insight and wisdom.

True or false, meditation can help develop the other perfections.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done if you selected true.

Meditation can help cultivate the other perfect, such as patience and generosity.

So now it's time to complete our first practise task.

You're going to answer the question, explain two reasons why the perfection meditation is important to Buddhists.

Refer to sacred writings or another source of Buddhist belief and teaching in your answer.

Here is some guidance that you might like to follow when answering the question.

So the question asks for two reasons.

So the guidance suggests making one point and then developing it, and doing the same with the second point.

You also need to name and use a source of authority and explain what it says and teaches.

This might be a quotation or a general belief or teaching.

Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Welcome back, everyone.

Time to check your answers.

So you answered the question, explain two reasons why the perfection of meditation is important to Buddhists.

Your answer may look something like this.

One reason the perfection of meditation is important to Buddhist is because it can help develop a calm and focused mind, which assists with developing wisdom of the Buddha's Dhamma.

In the Dhammapada, it states that wisdom springs from meditation.

Without meditation, wisdom wanes.

This teaches Buddhists that it is important to practise meditation regularly.

Another reason the perfection of meditation is important to Buddhists is because it helps develop the other perfect, such as patience and generosity.

These are skillful actions which could help generate good karma and reduce suffering.

Well done on completing the first practise task.

So now we're gonna move on to the second part of today's lesson by exploring the six perfection and the final perfection, wisdom.

The term wisdom or prajna has its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, pra meaning before or higher, jna meaning to know consciousness or understanding.

Prajna can translate to mean wisdom or insight.

The sixth perfection is wisdom, prajna.

It is that understanding that all things are empty of existence, also known in Buddhism as sunyata.

The five skandhas or aggregates that make up a person, so form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, are essentially empty of permanent existence.

Lucas asks, "Ting, what does all things are empty of existence actually mean?" Ting replies, "The Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, illustrated this belief by using the analogy of a flower.

A flower exists because of many things, including soil, sunlight, and rain.

Without these elements, the flower would not exist.

The flower is empty of independent existence.

This is the same with humans.

We are empty of a fixed or permanent self because of that interconnection with all things.

This is the idea of sunyata or emptiness." Buddhist might look to a source of authority to find out more about important teachings.

In the Mahayana text, the heart Heart Sutra, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva taught: The Bodhisattva of compassion, when he meditated deeply, saw the emptiness of all five skandhas.

Form is only emptiness, and emptiness only form.

All Buddhas using this wisdom come to full and perfect vision.

What does this teaching highlight about the importance of wisdom? Pause the video here and, either with your partner or on your own, consider what this teaching highlights about the importance of wisdom.

Press play when you're ready to reflect on your answers.

Welcome back, everybody.

So what does this teaching highlight about the importance of wisdom? Well, through developing wisdom on the emptiness of the five skandhas, full insight is gained.

True or false, wisdom is understanding that all things are full of existence.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done if you said that statement is false, wisdom is understanding that all things are empty of existence or sunyata.

Lucas asks, "Ting, why is the perfection of wisdom important to you?" Ting replies, "Wisdom is important because it allows me to develop the reality of emptiness, the sunyata, the lack of permanent existence in all things.

This insight frees my mind from ignorance, the root of all suffering.

Perfecting wisdom is key to my path to be a Bodhisattva." Katrina explains why the perfection of wisdom is important to her.

Katrina says, "Wisdom is important to me because it helps me develop insight into the nature of reality.

Everything is inherently empty, sunyata, and interconnected.

Having this insight helps me develop compassion, guiding my actions to be selfless and skillful." Let's pause and complete a check for understanding.

Select two reasons why the perfection of wisdom is important.

A, it develops insight into the reality of emptiness, sunyata, B, it obscures insight into the illusion of permanence, or C, it helps develop compassion and skillful actions.

Remember, for this check for understanding, you're looking to select two reasons.

Good luck.

Pause the video here and then press play when you're ready to see the correct answers.

Well done if you selected A and C.

The perfection of wisdom is important because it develops insight into the reality of emptiness, known in Buddhism as sunyata, and it also helps develop compassion and skillful actions.

So now we're going to complete a check for understanding, whereas I'm gonna explain first then it would be your turn.

The six perfections are ethical principles in Mahayana Buddhism to lead a being to enlightenment.

Give two of the perfections.

So for example, you could say generosity and morality.

Now it's over to you.

Can you give another two of the perfect.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay.

Welcome back.

So you might have said wisdom and meditation.

Other possible answers include patience and energy.

Fantastic.

Well done.

So now we're moving on to our second and final practise task.

Lucas has written part of a response to the following task.

Describe Buddhist beliefs about the six perfections.

Lucas has said one Buddhist belief about the six perfect is that they are ethical principles that lead a person to enlightenment.

The six perfections are generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom.

You need to complete the next part of the response with another belief about the six perfections.

Include a source of wisdom and authority and accurately apply this to your point about the six perfections.

Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video here and then press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back, everyone.

Let's check your answers for the practise task.

So Lucas had written part of a response to the following task.

Describe Buddhist beliefs about the six perfections.

You needed to complete the next part of the response and include a source of wisdom and authority and accurately apply this to your point about the six perfections.

Your response might be similar to this.

Another Buddhist belief about the six perfect is that many Mahayana Buddhists believe that they are qualities that demonstrate how a Bodhisattva should live.

In many Mahayana texts, it is taught that the Bodhisattva should practise the six perfections.

Through these perfections, the Bodhisattva achieves liberation and leads others to the path of enlightenment.

This is why the six perfect are essential to many Buddhists.

So that brings us to the end of today's lesson on the six perfections in the Mahayana tradition, meditation and wisdom.

And here is a summary of our key learning points today.

The six perfections or paramitas are qualities that demonstrate how a Bodhisattva should live.

The six perfections support Buddhists to attain Buddhahood and reach enlightenment.

The fifth of the six perfections is meditation or dhyana.

Meditation is essential for helping build wisdom of the Buddha's Dhamma.

And finally, the sixth perfection is wisdom or prajna, which is the understanding that all things are empty of existence, known in Buddhism as sunyata.

Thank you very much for joining me for today's lesson and well done on all of your hard work.

Goodbye.