Prajna Page
Prajna
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"Good knowing Advisors, what is meant by Prajna? Prajna in our language
means wisdom. Everywhere and at all times, in thought after thought, remain
undeluded and practice wisdom constantly; that is Prajna conduct. Prajna
is cut off by a single deluded thought. By one wise thought, Prajna is
produced. worldly men, deluded and confused, do not see Prajna. They speak
of it with their mouths, but their minds are always deluded. They constantly
say of themselves, 'I cultivate Prajna! and though they continually speak
of emptiness, they are unaware of true emptiness. Prajna, without form or
mark, is just the wisdom-mind. If thus explained, just this is
Prajna-wisdom. (PS 94-95)
"Prajna is Sanskrit and means, generally, wisdom. wisdom is a fairly
common word. Prajna is a revered term and so it is not translated. It is a
miraculous kind of wisdom. Also, it includes several meanings, and [for that
reason also] it is not translated. Prajna is of Three kinds:
1) literary Prajna. This refers to the wisdom contained in the Sutras and
commentaries spoken by the Buddha. It doesn't refer to ordinary worldly
literature. Literary wisdom gives rise to:
2) Contemplative Prajna. After reading the Sutras, one then contemplates
and illuminates their meanings through actual practice. This type of
Prajna then leads one to:
3) real mark Prajna. real mark Prajna is without a mark. But there is
nothing not marked by it. It has no mark, and it is also without the mark of
having no mark! The real mark is neither existent nor non-existent. Literary
Prajna is existent. Contemplative Prajna is non-existent. real mark
Prajna is neither existent nor non-existent. From existence one penetrates
to nonÄ existence, and from non-existence one arrives at neither existence
nor non-existence. If you can comprehend the realm of neither existence nor
non-existence, you have attained real mark Prajna.
"Because Prajna has these Three meanings, we do not translate it. If you
have wisdom, you will have Prajna. If you have no wisdom, you're stupid.
stupid people lack wisdom. Wise people are devoid of stupidity.
"'I'm worried,' you say, 'because I'm really stupid. I don't have any
Prajna.'
"Don't worry. To know that you are stupid is just the beginning of Prajna!
It is just to be feared that you don't know that you are stupid. If you
think that you are wise and that you have a lot of Prajna, then you are
stupid. Why? Because you don't understand yourself. If you understand
yourself, you have Prajna. If you understand yourself today, then today
you have wisdom. If you understand yourself tomorrow, then tomorrow you will
have wisdom. If you understand yourself every day, then every day you have
wisdom. And so don't be afraid of not having wisdom. Just be afraid that you
won't realize that you don't have wisdom! Where does wisdom come from
anyway? It comes from stupidity. If you weren't stupid, you couldn't become
wise. If you know that you are stupid, that means that your wisdom is
starting to manifest. It is just that wonderful, that ineffably wonderful.
Basically, I can't explain wonderful Dharma to you, but now I see that you
have developed to the point that it's okay to tell you. Since we have
arrived at the discussion of Prajna, you are no doubt wise enough to hear
it!" (DFS X 24-25)
----
1) Chinese: bwo rwo , 2) Sanskrit: Prajna, 3) Pali panna, 4) Alternate
translations: wisdom, gnosis, insight, intuitive knowledge.
See Also: Six Paramitas--Prajna (wisdom), emptiness.*
BTTS References: PS 94-96; DFS X 24-25.
On Study and Practice
On Study and Practice: "If you practice, but don't study, it is blind. If you study, but don't practice, it is sterile." -- Buddhist Tien Tai Master Zhi Yi
You must integrate gnosis and praxis - knowledge and practice to bring about wisdom.
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