Editing Tibetan Buddhism (section)

=== Pāramitā ===
{{Main|Pāramitā}}
The [[Paramitas|''pāramitās'']] (perfections, transcendent virtues) is a key set of virtues which constitute the major practices of a bodhisattva in non-tantric Mahayana. They are:

# ''[[Dāna]] pāramitā'': generosity, giving (Tibetan: སབྱིན་པ ''sbyin-pa'')
# ''[[Śīla]] pāramitā:'' virtue, morality, discipline, proper conduct (ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས ''tshul-khrims'')
# ''[[Kshanti|{{IAST|Kṣānti}}]] pāramitā'': patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, endurance (བཟོད་པ ''bzod-pa'')
# ''[[Vīrya]] pāramitā'': energy, diligence, vigor, effort (བརྩོན་འགྲུས ''brtson-’grus'')
# ''[[Dhyāna in Buddhism|Dhyāna]] pāramitā'': one-pointed concentration, meditation, contemplation (བསམ་གཏན ''bsam-gtan'')
# ''[[Prajñā (Buddhism)|Prajñā]] pāramitā'': wisdom, knowledge (ཤེས་རབ ''shes-rab'')

The practice of ''dāna'' (giving) while traditionally referring to offerings of food to the monastics can also refer to the ritual offering of bowls of water, incense, butter lamps and flowers to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on a shrine or household altar.{{sfnp|Kapstein|2014|pp=45-46}} Similar offerings are also given to other beings such as hungry ghosts, [[dakinis]], protector deities, and local divinities.

Like other forms of Mahayana Buddhism, the practice of the [[five precepts]] and [[bodhisattva vow]]s is part of Tibetan Buddhist moral (''sila'') practice. In addition to these, there are also numerous sets of Tantric vows, termed [[samaya]], which are given as part of Tantric initiations.

Compassion (''[[karuṇā]]'') practices are also particularly important in Tibetan Buddhism. One of the foremost authoritative texts on the Bodhisattva path is the ''[[Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra]]'' by [[Shantideva]]. In the eighth section entitled ''Meditative Concentration'', Shantideva describes meditation on Karunā as thus:
{{blockquote|Strive at first to meditate upon the sameness of yourself and others. In joy and sorrow all are equal; Thus be guardian of all, as of yourself. The hand and other limbs are many and distinct, But all are one—the body to kept and guarded. Likewise, different beings, in their joys and sorrows, are, like me, all one in wanting happiness. This pain of mine does not afflict or cause discomfort to another's body, and yet this pain is hard for me to bear because I cling and take it for my own. And other beings' pain I do not feel, and yet, because I take them for myself, their suffering is mine and therefore hard to bear. And therefore I'll dispel the pain of others, for it is simply pain, just like my own.  And others I will aid and benefit, for they are living beings, like my body. Since I and other beings both, in wanting happiness, are equal and alike, what difference is there to distinguish us, that I should strive to have my bliss alone?"<ref>{{cite book |title=The Way of the Bodhisattva |author=Shantideva |publisher=Shambhala Publications |pages=122–123}}</ref>}}
A popular compassion meditation in Tibetan Buddhism is ''[[tonglen]]'' (sending and taking love and suffering respectively). Practices associated with [[Avalokiteśvara|Chenrezig]] (Avalokiteshvara), also tend to focus on compassion.