Prajna*, Intellect or Wisdom in Buddhism

Prajna means intellect or wisdom. It signifies understanding of the topic at hand, be it breadmaking or insight into the profound reality.

I understand it to mean the ability to master one’s phenomenal reality. Or, it means to perceive some level of wisdom and insight.

Summary Prajna

Central Node: Prajna (Sanskrit)

Type: Buddhist concept, Wisdom

Definition: Prajna is a central concept in Buddhism, often translated as “wisdom” or “transcendental wisdom.” It refers to a deep, non-conceptual understanding of the true nature of reality, which is seen as empty of inherent self-existence.

Related Entities:

• Shunyata (emptiness): Prajna is the wisdom that realizes the emptiness of all phenomena.
• Bodhi (enlightenment): The attainment is considered essential for achieving enlightenment.
• Buddha: The Buddha is said to be a perfect embodiment of wisdom.
• Vipassana meditation: A meditation practice that cultivates insight into the impermanent nature of reality.

Properties:

• Cutting Through Delusion: Prajna cuts through ignorance and misconceptions about the nature of self and reality.
• Seeing Through Duality: It transcends the limitations of dualistic thinking, such as good/bad, self/other.
• Compassionate Action: It motivates compassionate action by understanding the interconnectedness of all beings.

Further Exploration:

• The profound concept and its understanding deepens through Buddhist study and practice.
• There are two main aspects:
  • Prajnaparamita: The perfection of wisdom, emphasizing the vastness and depth of wisdom.
  • Upāya-prajna: The skillful means of wisdom, highlighting the practical application of intellect in daily life.

Possible Connections:

• It can be compared to the concept of Sophia (wisdom) in some philosophical and religious traditions.
• The cultivation may be linked to cognitive processes like critical thinking and mindfulness.

3 Prajnas

Hearing

Hearing means listening to wisdom beings or skilled teachers in a subject. It can also mean reading books or monographs. Attaining prajna in this level would entail an ability to recite the details of a subject, either by rote or by reframing.

Contemplating

Contemplation of intellect means the material has been understood after thinking about it extensively. At this point, the prajna would be useful in the skill or activity. It can be applied. It can be taught. The knowledge can be connected to other fields of knowledge where it can cross-pollinate for deeper understanding.

Meditating (Spiritual Prajna)

Meditating on insight means to aspire to wisdom prajna, rather than mundane prajna. This applies to dharma subjects such as selflessness, emptiness, compassion, and so forth. This prajna comes in stages.

First is the Hinayana stage of not-self. Here, the practitioner sees the absence of self in the 5 skandhas, meditates on time as a discontinuous (a series of instants, 360 per second). This prajna liberates the individual from rebirth in samsara when attained.

The next level is understanding of emptiness of phenomena or shunyata. Here the practitioner sees that all phenomena exist only as mind-created entities. They have no real existence in themselves. Contemplation is the Madhyamika, meditation comes in many forms, but formless meditation or ‘resting in the nature of alaya’ is the common form.

Prajna beyond this typically focuses on luminosity, the manifestation of mind. When appearances penetrated and released, the luminous awareness of mind remains. It is not an existent reality because it is empty of both form and concept – it has no substance. It cannot be accurately described in words. Yet it vividly generates all our perceptions.

May all beings be happy

May all beings be peaceful

May all beings be safe

May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature

May all beings be free