I have finished reading Sangharakshita’s commentary, part one, on Nagarjuna’s Ratnamala or Precious Garland of advice to a king. Great stuff. I feel inspired to buy the Ratnamala itself. This little section on the paramitas is great:
”Briefly the good qualities
Observed by Bodhisattvas are
Giving, ethics, patience, effort,
Concentration, wisdom, compassion, and so forth.
Giving is to give away one’s wealth.
Ethics is to help others.
Patience is to have forsaken anger.
Effort is enthusiasm for virtues.
Concentration is unafflicted one-pointedness.
Wisdom is ascertainment of the meaning of the truths.
Compassion is a mind having one savour
Of mercy for all sentient beings.
From giving there arises wealth, from ethics happiness,
From patience a good appearance, from (effort in) virtue brilliance,
From concentration peace, from wisdom liberation,
From compassion all aims are achieved.
From the simultaneous perfection
Of all those seven is attained
The sphere of inconceivable wisdom,
The protectorship of the world.”
(verses 435–439)
Aren’t they great?