This is a study of the k?ānti-pāramitā of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-?āstra, a commentary on the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra. In presenting early Mahāyāna Buddhism''s teachings on wisdom, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-?āstra takes the Six Perfections of the Bodhisattva Path as the core of spiritual practice and integrates the principle Buddhist teachings of the time. This research also includes a discussion on the practice of Patience and Wisdom in Nikāya Buddhism as well as the practice of the k?ānti-pāramitā in the early Mahāyāna. This paper is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 presents the research motivation, materials used, and methodology. Chapter 2 includes a description of several treatises of Nikāya Buddhism on the topic of Patience and Wisdom as well as a discussion on how the k?ānti-pāramitā is presented in five important scriptures of early Mahāyāna Buddhism. Chapter 3 includes a discussion on corrective measures, practical application, and the meaning of the forbearance of sentient beings (sattva-k?ānti) and the forbearance of dharmas (dharma-k?ānti), as well as the relationship between the k?ānti-pāramitā and the other five pāramitās. Chapter 4 examines the close relationship the k?ānti-pāramitā has with maitrī-karu?ā and ?ūnyatā. Chapter 5 discusses a number of issues relating to the practice of the k?ānti-pāramitā in contemporary society, including interpersonal relationships, the transformation of patience into a core value, the cultivation of a reflective attitude, and attaining complete peace by establishing one''s course of life in accord with ultimate reality. Chapter 6 presents a summary and some concluding observations. Taking the Bodhisattva Path as the basis of practice, this study shows how the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-?āstra presents the theoretical system of the k?ānti-pāramitā as the vertical axis, while taking such important issues as how the Bodhisattva engages the world as the horizontal point of entry. The intersection of the two is constituted by the question of how the k?ānti-pāramitā assists the Bodhisattva in his personal practice and how it serves as a code of conduct for society. The way in which the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-?āstra handles a number of related issues--kle?a, krodha, ?ūnyatā, maitrī-karu?ā, svārtha-parārtha--demonstrates how Buddhism utilizes a rational structure without losing the original profound significance of the teaching.
