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Return to Study and Practice, Buddhist Masters, Wisdom

“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: “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.

Snippet from Wikipedia: Prajñā (Buddhism)

Prajñā (प्रज्ञा) or paññā (𑀧𑀜𑁆𑀜𑀸) is a Buddhist term often translated as "wisdom", "intelligence", or "understanding". It is described in Buddhist texts as the understanding of the true nature of phenomena. In the context of Buddhist meditation, it is the ability to understand the three characteristics of all things: anicca ("impermanence"), dukkha ("dissatisfaction" or "suffering"), and anattā ("non-self"). Mahāyāna texts describe it as the understanding of śūnyatā ("emptiness"). It is part of the Threefold Training in Buddhism, and is one of the ten pāramīs of Theravāda Buddhism and one of the six Mahāyāna pāramitās.

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