Becoming a Work of Art with the Pāramīs

This month’s Enlighten-Up is a special live class that was broadcasted from Dharma Hub Calgary on how to go beyond simple mindfulness and truly become a work of art. Join Dharma Teachers Doug and Catherine Sensei to explore six aspects of consciousness that have been refined by Buddhist practitioners for more than two thousand years.

These six aspects are called pāramī or Pāramitā (perfections) in Pali and Sanskrit, and they are the blueprint to becoming your own inner and outer work of art.

Are the pāramī relevant today?

Every meditative practice in our tradition, at some point, leads back to the pāramī, also known as “The Six Perfections”. They offer a flawless path that carries us straight to spiritual enlightenment. It’s a simple, beautiful, and powerful path that offers a refuge in these busy, information-heavy times.

Enlighten-Up is a monthly Planet Dharma facebook livestream session with Dharma Teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat. These candid talks on spirituality and awakening are to enliven and enlighten you, as the world spins in challenging times.

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Becoming a Work of Art: The Paramis

What does it mean to be a work of art?

An artist might use paint, textiles or musical notes to create their art. They might seek to create balance and harmony. To become a work of art, the key ingredient is mindfulness or awareness (this could be described as the mindfulness of being mindful).

When you are around someone that is being a work of art four powers are present:

1. Magnetizing – we are attracted to people in a good state. Beauty on the inner radiates out.
2. Enriching. We feel full and have extra to share.
3. Pacifying. It creates calm.
4. Negativities are destroyed easily.

The power of a positive is the key to becoming a work of art.

• What does it take to be a good artist?
• Practice and being in the moment.
• Being a work of art is not instantaneous. You have to work it!

How do you become a work of art?

Practice mindfulness. It brings you into a sense of connection.  Do you feel connected right in this moment? Connected to Love? Connected to joy?  To become a work of art we need to combine the interior with action in the world. They reinforce one another.

We need methodologies to bring the meditative state into the world.  There are many possibilities. One of these methodologies is known as the pāramī.

Practicing the Six Pāramī – Perfections (virtues).

These are qualities that we develop so that we easily access them at will throughout the day.

1. Generosity (Dāna) – the act of giving, the practice of being generous.
2. Ethical Conduct (Sīla) – This translates to coolness. It means you are unruffled. If your conscious is clear, you take it all in stride. If you are cool it means that your behaviour has integrity.
3. Patience (Khanti) – Things have their own time.
4. Energy (Viriya) – The universe does not run out of energy. Investigate why you do.
5. Meditative Absorptions (Dhyāna) – Engaged interest.
6. Wisdom (Prajñā) -This is the result of the previous five perfections.

Becoming a work of art requires an investigation into understanding how to discovery the extraordinary in the ordinary.

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