Chapter Twenty-Five Summary and Analysis

A paramita is a practice that allows us to swim or row from the shore of fear and depression to the shore of well-being, and is translated as "perfection" or "perfect realization." The first of six paramitas, dana paramita, is giving and offering joy and love to others. We can offer our mindful selves, our stability, our freedom from affliction and craving, our freshness, our peace and our space to others in order to bring them happiness and to bring it also to ourselves. When we give these things they grow in abundance in ourselves, and this can be applied globally, as well. Hanh says "what you give is what you receive, more quickly than the signals sent by satellite."

The second, shila paramita, is perfection of the five mindfulness trainings. The first of the five is protection of...