The Six Perfections Buddhism and the Cultivation of Character [Paperback]

Here is a lucid, accessible, and inspiring guide to the six perfections--Buddhist teachings about six dimensions of human character that require perfecting : generosity, morality, tolerance, energy, meditation, and wisdom. Drawing on theDiamond Sutra, the Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom, and other essential Mahayana texts, Dale Wright shows how these teachings were understood and practiced in classical Mahayana Buddhism and how they can be adapted to contemporary life in a global society. What would the perfection of generosity look like today, for example? What would it mean to give with neither ulterior motives nor naivet?? Devoting a separate chapter to each of the six perfections, Wright combines sophisticated analysis with real-life applications. Buddhists have always stressed self-cultivation, the uniquely human freedom that opens the possibility of shaping the kind of life we will live and the kind of person we will become. For those interested in ideals of human character and practices of self-cultivation,The Six Perfectionsoffers invaluable guidance.

Introduction
1. The Perfection of Generosity
2. The Perfection of Morality
3. The Perfection of Tolerance
4. The Perfection of Energy
5. The Perfection of Meditation
6. The Perfection of Wisdom
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
References

Dale S. Wright has written a compelling account of one of the world's most ancient - and still-vibrant - models of moral development.The Six Perfectionsbroadens psychology's vision of human excellence.

--Daniel Goleman, author ofEmotional Intelligence

'Awakening' (enlightenment) is not enough: whatever we realize needs to be integrated into how we actually live. The most important Buddhist guidelines for self-transformation are the six perfections. Dale Wright explains how they have been understood in the Buddhist tradition and reflects on what they can mean for us today. Thl#-