Om

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[COLOR="Purple"]"If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look at your present actions.
I am present in front of anyone who has faith in me, just as the moon casts its reflection, effortlessly, in any vessel filled with water."[/COLOR]

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http://www.qigonghealer.com/guru.html

"The eagle that is flying high in the sky should not forget that it should come down one day to see its shadow.
[Essence of Karmic causes and effects]

Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."

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The Wikipedia entry defines paramita simply as perfection, but it actually means, "arriving on the other shore." Param means "the other shore" and ita means "arriving" or "to have reached." So paramita means "having reached the other shore." There are six different paramitas, they are the virtues which Boddisattvas practice. The Wiki article on Boddisattvas is also a little misleading, but this is accurate:

"The term Bodhisatta (Pali language) was used by the Buddha in the Pali Canon to refer to himself both in his previous lives and as a young man in his current life, prior to his enlightenment, in the period during which he was working towards his own liberation. When, during his discourses, he recounts his experiences as a young aspirant, he regularly uses the phrase "When I was an unenlightened Bodhisatta...". The term therefore connotes a being who is 'bound for enlightenment', in other words, a person whose destiny it is to become fully enlightened..."

So what it means, more or less, is someone who will attain Buddhahood in this or another life.

Here is a wonderful Dharma Talk which describes the paramitas in Buddhism:
http://www.zcla.org/Teachings/DharmaTalks/Roshi%20Egyoku%20Nakao%20-%20Dana%20Paramita.php?PHPSESSID=bdc62f3aae375c12e357ff313cc1c3e1

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[B][SIZE="3"]The Three Refuges of a Zen Peacemaker
(The Three Treasures)[COLOR="Purple"]

Inviting all creations into the mandala of my practice and vowing to serve them, I take refuge in:

Buddha, the awakened nature of all beings;
Dharma, the ocean of wisdom and compassion,
Sangha, the community of those living in harmony with all Buddhas and Dharmas.
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[B][SIZE="3"]The Three Tenets of a Zen Peacemaker
(The Three Pure Precepts: Do no evil, Do good, Do good for others)

[COLOR="Navy"]Taking refuge and entering the stream of engaged spirituality, I vow to live a life of:

Not-knowing, thereby giving up fixed ideas about myself and the universe.
Bearing witness to the joy and suffering of the world.
Healing myself and others. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]
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[B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]The Ten Practices of a Zen Peacemaker
(The Ten Grave Precepts)

Being mindful of the interdependence of Oneness and Diversity, and wishing to actualize my vows, I engage in the spiritual practices of:

1. Recognizing that I am not separate from all that is. This is the precept of Non-Killing.
2. Being satisfied with what I have. This is the precept of Non-Stealing.
3. Encountering all creations with respect and dignity. This is the precept of Chaste Conduct.
4. Listening and speaking from the heart. This is the precept of Non-Lying.
5. Cultivating a mind that sees clearly. This is the precept of Not Being Deluded.
6. Unconditionally accepting what each moment has to offer. This is the precept of Not Talking About Others Errors and Faults.
7. Speaking what I perceive to be the truth without guilt or blame. This is the precept of Not Elevating Oneself and Blaming Others.
8. Using all of the ingredients of my life. This is the precept of Not Being Stingy.
9. Transforming suffering into wisdom. This is the precept of Not Being Angry.
10. Honoring my life as an instrument of peacemaking. This is the precept of Not Thinking Ill of the Three Treasures.[/COLOR] [/SIZE][/B]
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