Buddhist Philosophy - Essential Readings - Khamkoo -

Sumedha's story illustrates , a central pillar of this philosophy:

: Putting those teachings into consistent practice.

The Buddhist philosophical tradition is vast, internally diverse, and comprises texts written in a variety of canonical languages. Amazon.com Buddhist Philosophy - Essential Readings - Khamkoo

For the next several eons, the being who would become the Buddha practiced —doing more than duty requires. He did not just learn the Ten Perfections (such as giving, morality, and patience); he "mastered them forwards and backwards".

amazon.com/Buddhist-Philosophy-Essential-William-Edelglass/dp/0195328167">Essential Readings ? Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings - Amazon.com Sumedha's story illustrates , a central pillar of

: Gaining enlightenment through direct, personal experience. The Lesson of the Golden Fish

: Like Sumedha, a practitioner must recognize their "enslavement to decay" and determine that a "road to release" must exist. He did not just learn the Ten Perfections

This effortful struggle, known as the , is what eventually allowed him to claim his seat under the Bo-tree. When challenged by the demon Mara, the Buddha did not rely on a god; he relied on the "effort of his many past lives" and the perfection of his own knowledge. The Pedagogy of the Middle Way