The Function of Patience

Among the bodhisattva's six pāramitās, one of them is the pāramitā of patience under insult (kṣānti). What is the practice of patience under insult for? Some say it is used to subdue mental thoughts; some say it is used to subdue the mind of anger; some say it is used to break through marks; some say it is used to accumulate merit, dissolve karma, and tame the self; some say it is used to be free from marks so that the mind abides nowhere; some say it is used to constantly accommodate sentient beings; some say it is used to nurture the mind of compassion; some say it is used to guide and give rise to prajñā wisdom; some say it is used to endure others' insults toward oneself and practice the conduct of no-self; and some say it is used to break through the four marks. All of these explanations are correct; they should be stated together in a comprehensive way, and then the picture is complete.