Pariṇāmanā is a
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
term which may be rendered in English as "merit transference" though in common parlance it is rendered as "dedication". The Pariṇāmanā or 'dedication' is a standard part of Buddhist spiritual discipline or practice (Sanskrit:
sādhanāSādhanā , is a term for "a means of accomplishing something" or more specifically "spiritual practice". It includes a variety of disciplines from Hindu and Buddhist traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives. The word is also used in the same...
) where the practitioner's (or
sadhakaA sādhaka is someone who follows a particular sādhana, or a way of life designed to realize the goal of one's ultimate ideal, whether it is merging with Brahman or realization of one's personal deity. The word is related to the sanskrit sādhu, which is derived from the verb root sādh-, to accomplish...
's) accumulation of
meritMerit is a concept in Buddhism. It is that which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts or thoughts and that carries over to later in life or to a person's next life. Such merit contributes to a person's growth towards liberation. Merit can be gained in a number of ways...
, spiritual power or
siddhiSiddhi is a Sanskrit word that literally means "perfection", "accomplishment", "attainment", or "success". It is also used as a term for spiritual power . The term is used in that sense in Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism...
(Sanskrit) is transferred to all sentient beings.
Pariṇāmanā (
DevanāgarīDevanagari , also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together. Devanāgarī is the main script used to...
: परिणामना "transformation; bringing to full development".
Pariṇāmanā is a
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
term which may be rendered in English as "merit transference" though in common parlance it is rendered as "dedication". The Pariṇāmanā or 'dedication' is a standard part of Buddhist spiritual discipline or practice (Sanskrit:
sādhanāSādhanā , is a term for "a means of accomplishing something" or more specifically "spiritual practice". It includes a variety of disciplines from Hindu and Buddhist traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives. The word is also used in the same...
) where the practitioner's (or
sadhakaA sādhaka is someone who follows a particular sādhana, or a way of life designed to realize the goal of one's ultimate ideal, whether it is merging with Brahman or realization of one's personal deity. The word is related to the sanskrit sādhu, which is derived from the verb root sādh-, to accomplish...
's) accumulation of
meritMerit is a concept in Buddhism. It is that which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts or thoughts and that carries over to later in life or to a person's next life. Such merit contributes to a person's growth towards liberation. Merit can be gained in a number of ways...
, spiritual power or
siddhiSiddhi is a Sanskrit word that literally means "perfection", "accomplishment", "attainment", or "success". It is also used as a term for spiritual power . The term is used in that sense in Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism...
(Sanskrit) is transferred to all sentient beings.
Nomenclature and etymology
Pariṇāmanā (
DevanāgarīDevanagari , also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together. Devanāgarī is the main script used to...
: परिणामना "transformation; bringing to full development". Tibetan:
bsío ba).
Sevenfold Highest Practice
Orientalia (2004) in mentioning
punyanumodana and
pūjāIn Buddhism, puja are expressions of "honour, worship, devotional attention." Acts of puja include bowing, making offerings and chanting...
states that:
Parinamana - part of the Sevenfold Puja; transfer of merit; the merit earned in punyanumodana may be given over to help ease the sufferings and misfortunes of others who are less fortunate.
In Buddhism, Pariṇāmanā is "...one aspect of the Sevenfold Highest Practice". The Sevenfold Highest Practice is an English rendering of
Saptavidhā Anuttarapūjā (
DevanāgarīDevanagari , also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together. Devanāgarī is the main script used to...
: सप्तविधा अनुत्तरपूजा; Tibetan:
bla na med pa'i mchod pa rnam pa bdun).
Indopedia in discussing the Sevenfold Highest Practice in relation to the
PratimokshaThe Pratimoksha is a Buddhist moral discipline. A loose translation of the term is "personal liberation", and thus the discipline is concerned with the Buddhist's quest for personal liberation, and originated with the Pratimoksha Vows given by the Buddha to his followers. "Prati" means 'towards' or...
,
sutraSūtra , literally means a thread or line that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism , or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual...
and
vinayaThe Vinaya is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha, based in the canonical texts called Vinaya Pitaka. The teachings of the Buddha, or Buddhadharma can be divided into two broad categories: 'Dharma' or doctrine, and 'Vinaya', or discipline...
states that the Sevenfold Highest Practice is:
Possibly related to the Pratimokṣya (Sanskrit) or Pātimokkha (Pali) renunciation vows of the early vinaya, as these suttas and sutras contain some of the same terminology.
External links