Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
paramita
in Mahayana ("Greater Vehicle") Buddhism, any of the perfections, or transcendental virtues, practiced by bodhisattvas ("Buddhas-to-be") in advanced stages of their path toward enlightenment. The six virtues are generosity (dana-paramita); morality (sila-paramita); perseverance (ksanti-paramita); vigour (virya-paramita); meditation, or concentration (dhyana-paramita); and wisdom (prajna-paramita). Some lists expand the virtues to 10 by adding skill in the means of helping others (upaya [kausalya]-paramitas), profound resolution to produce enlightenment (pranidhana-paramita), perfection of the 10 powers (bala-paramita), and practice of transcendent knowledge (jnana-paramita).
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