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"Caring for Yourself and Your Family through the Six Paramitas and the Five Mindfulness Trainings"
We must first help ourselves before we can help others; “to help” means to cross over to the shore of peace and liberation, from the shore of sorrow and anger to the shore where there is no more hatred. The six ways of crossing over are called the Six Paramitas, which help us reach the other shore. The first practice is Dana Paramita, which is generosity—not only giving money or material things, but also offering our whole heart. The most precious gift of generosity is our true presence, not just external material things. True presence brings immediate joy to both the giver and the receiver, like a signal sent up to a satellite and returning to earth. In addition, generosity brings
- stability—trustworthiness like the sun rising every morning
- freedom—release from afflictions such as anger, jealousy, and doubt
To nourish and expand happiness, we need to learn and practice the Paramitas in our daily life, based on the foundation of mindfulness and conscious breathing. The Paramitas introduced in today’s Dharma talk include:
- Dana Paramita—generosity, offering true presence and joy to our loved ones
- Prajna Paramita—wisdom, deep understanding as the foundation for love
- Dhyana Paramita—meditation, which includes shamatha (calming the body and mind) and vipashyana (looking deeply to see the nature of no birth and no death)
- Shila Paramita—ethical conduct, the Five Mindfulness Trainings to protect body and mind and to preserve family happiness
- Mindful consumption—choosing food, culture, and means of communication that bring peace, avoiding psychological toxins