The sixth and last paramita is wisdom, or prajna. The Sanskrit ‘prajna’ is translated into Chinese as zhihui, often translated into English as wisdom.
Hui, the second character, refers to having sharp roots with a very clear mind. Zhi, the first character, refers to using this clear mind to handle situations appropriately. One can say that hui is the essence and zhi is the function. There is another character for prajna in Chinese, which means brightness, being absolutely transparent and at ease without obstruction.
Another meaning for prajna is the quality of being very acute, perceptive, flexible.
I will discuss prajna in the context of the practice methods towards enlightenment for an arhat or a bodhisattva. These methods include the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Noble Path, the Six Paramitas, and the triple studies of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom.
Prajna is an essential part of Buddhadharma. Shakyamuni Buddha said that even if one practices all the principles of enlightenment, without the guidance of prajna, one is really not practicing Buddhadharma. For example, when you uphold the precepts or practice generosity without prajna, you are really only cultivating merit, which allows you to receive good retribution, such as being reborn in the human realm. Also, cultivating samadhi without prajna, you may experience the dhyana heavens, but once this samadhi is gone you will come back to the world in the same state as before.
To achieve wisdom you need to be guided by correct prajna. What is correct prajna? In the agamas, the early Buddhist scriptures, the Buddha said, “This arises, therefore that arises; this perishes, therefore that perishes.” The Buddha meant that when ignorance and vexation arise, we do certain deeds, and then we receive the retribution from those deeds. In receiving retribution, our vexation causes us to commit more deeds, prolonging this long chain of suffering, which is ultimately the chain of birth and death. This is the meaning of, “This arises, therefore that arises.”
What does, “This perishes, therefore that perishes,” mean? Ignorance is the root cause of our vexations. When ignorance perishes, all vexations in the rest of the chain perish. Therefore, as one practices towards enlightenment and ignorance is eliminated, the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death also perish, along with worry, sorrow, agony, and emotional affliction.
Ways of Looking at Prajna
We can look at prajna in three ways. The first way is to distinguish prajna according to three dichotomies. The second classification distinguishes prajna into three functional categories. The third classification distinguishes prajna into five functional categories. This is somewhat complicated so please bear with me. If you cannot understand the theory, that is fine, as long as you understand the last section, where I will talk about prajna in practice.
General Prajna and Specific Prajna
The first dichotomy in kinds of prajna is that the Buddha taught general prajna to people with duller karmic roots, and specific prajna to people with sharper karmic roots. People with duller roots include shravakas (people who have heard the Dharma), as well as those already on the bodhisattva path.
For them, the Buddha taught liberation methods like The Five Skandhas and The Twelve Links (nidanas) of Dependent Origination.1 Of course, since we are ordinary beings with duller roots, this general prajna is good for us. For those with sharper roots, Buddha taught specific prajna. It is important to remember, however, that specific prajna always includes general prajna.
I will give an analogy to explain the difference between general and specific prajna. I recently read about a sixteen-year-old boy who has already earned his doctorate and is ready to teach in a university. Does this young boy with a Ph.D. also have the knowledge of an elementary, high school, and college student? If this is an appropriate analogy, then you can see that this boy has both the general knowledge of all his education, as well as the specialized knowledge associated with his degree. Would you say that this boy has sharp intellectual roots?
The central teaching of general prajna is that there is no self. This is the essential meaning of the Five Skandhas. The first skandha is form, the material aspect of our existence. The other four skandhas—sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness—make up the mental aspects of our existence. General prajna teaches that the interactions between the skandhas give us the illusion of having a self, but since each of the skandhas are in fact empty, there is no abiding self.
The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination describe the origin of our existence in time as a causal sequence. It begins with ignorance and goes step by step to the last link, which is death. When we truly understand the twelve links, we see that nowhere in the chain arise a true self.
Now what is the content of specific prajna? It teaches that we should not attach to, nor fear, ignorance itself, or any of the other links from birth to death. Rather, one should not be affected by ignorance; one should be able to be in the midst of samsara and not be affected. In principle, general prajna has more to do with escaping from ignorance, the source of our suffering. One tries to liberate one’s body and mind from suffering to another state. On the other hand, specific prajna says that one need not escape from one’s body and mind to gain liberation. If one can exist in samsara and not be affected by ignorance and by one’s body and mind, this is liberation itself. There is no need to escape to another world in order to gain liberation. As long as you can put down attachment to one’s body and mind, it is already liberation. If we can remain in samsara and still be liberated, that would be the bodhisattva ideal. Specific prajna says that one should not think about benefiting ourselves, but only about benefiting all sentient beings, whether close to us or distant. We should think about how we can best serve others, without thought of gain or loss to ourselves. With an attitude no longer troubled by self-centeredness, we will be practicing the way of a bodhisattva, the Mahayana way.
Suchness Prajna and Illumination Prajna
A second way to dichotomize prajna is from the point of view of function.
First is suchness prajna, which is present whether one knows it or not. Then there is illumination prajna, which is present when one has attained wisdom.
When one’s wisdom eye has opened, we have a mind that is not self-centered; one can apply this prajna to the benefit of people and the environment. One has no specific view of the world; there is only this prajna that one uses to perceive and understand the world. Illumination prajna refers to an active function, whereas suchness prajna is inactive. Suchness prajna is there whether one has wisdom or not, and illumination prajna refers to the function of wisdom seeing the world around oneself.
Worldly Prajna and Non-Worldly Prajna
A third way to dichotomize prajna is based on its different levels. First, there is worldly prajna, which is wisdom applied to a relative world, where we deal with people and the environment in relation to the self. Within such a relative world, there is a subject (oneself), and there are objects (other people and things).
Second, there is the non-worldly prajna of liberation, in which one does not see people and things around oneself as objects. Since there is no subject and no object, this kind of prajna is absolute, not relative. There is no idea of ‘me’ versus an object out there. This non-worldly prajna of liberation also functions when one is alone, but the main point is that one does not treat people and things in the environment as objects. Does this mean that worldly prajna is bad, since it perceives subjects and objects? Not necessarily. As long as we apply the attitude of non-worldly prajna, that is to say, not treat people and the environment as objects, we are still in the state of liberation.
Three Kinds of Prajna
Prajna can be further classified as suchness prajna, illumination prajna, and expedient prajna. We have just described suchness prajna as always present, whereas illumination prajna is attained wisdom. We also talked about worldly prajna and non-worldly prajna, both being aspects of illumination prajna. Methods are needed to realize illumination prajna, and such methods are expedient prajna. Because the methods need to be communicated, we use language, such as through a sutra or Dharma talks. When we use sutras and lectures as tools to communicate methods of practice, these tools are considered expedient prajna.
Five Kinds of Prajna
A third classification of prajna divides prajna into five categories. We have just discussed the first three--suchness prajna, illumination prajna, and expedient prajna. We will mention the fourth and fifth, but will not go into detail. The fourth is phenomenal prajna, which is illuminated by illumination prajna. The fifth is auxiliary prajna that is there to assist our cultivation of prajna. As with the first three, the last two are really about attaining illumination prajna.
Methods of Practicing Prajna
Now I want to talk about methods of practicing prajna, or more precisely, practicing illumination prajna. The first practice is to see that this body, this mind, and the environment are transitory and impermanent. Next come the four kinds of contemplation: subjective contemplation, objective contemplation, direct contemplation, absolute contemplation.
Subjective and Objective Contemplation
Most of the time we have a subjective view of the world. The interesting thing is that most of the time we actually think we’re being objective. In fact there is no such thing as being absolutely objective. Objectivity really is just several people's subjectivity. When a group of people agree on something, it becomes objective.
Once, I was in a meeting when it was time to make a decision, and there were two sides that could not agree. I was the chair, so I abstained. The two sides tried different ways of voting and each time came up with a tie. Finally they said, “Shifu, you have to cast a vote to solve this problem.” So, I cast a vote.
After that, some asked me, “Shifu were you objective?” I said, “If I was really objective, I would have abstained and just watched you fight. That’s more fun.” There is no absolute objectivity in the world. What is regarded as objective is sometimes just the subjective view of a few influential people.
Everybody will follow and regard it as objective.
Hence, we should being aware in daily life of our habit of contemplating things from a supposedly ‘objective’ point of view, and regarding others as holding ‘subjective’ views. For instance, people often offer me food that they think is good for me. Sometimes I will decline to eat it and they will say,
“Shifu, this food is good for you. If you don’t eat it, you’re not being objective.” Are these people being objective or subjective? What they have done is objectively denied me of my personal preference.
Direct Contemplation
In the method of direct contemplation, whatever you see or encounter, you do not apply any interpretation or judgment to it. You do not label or compare.
You just are aware that this is this, and this is going on. However, this is not prajna itself; all you can say is, “This is happening.” Direct contemplation cannot be applied to solving your problems. When it comes down to what to do, “I don’t know” is a correct response. Therefore, direct contemplation, while a useful practice, does not prajna.
Absolute Contemplation
The fourth prajna method is absolute contemplation. In fact, absolute contemplation is madhyamika—realizing emptiness to achieve liberation. In absolute contemplation, without imposing one’s preferences, one applies common sense, experiences, and skill in dealing with people’s problems. The important thing is to perceive what is really going on, without reference to one’s own likes or dislikes, and to do what is most appropriate for helping someone. This involves communicating with and understanding that person, and doing what is most appropriate and beneficial for them. This is absolute contemplation, madhyamika, is not a question of supernatural powers; we are just talking about dealing with people without interjecting one’s own selfcentered perspective. We still need to rely on professional knowledge and specialized skills. When people are sick and ask me for help, I refer them to a good doctor. Otherwise, if I tried to cure someone’s illness, I would be “getting medicine from heaven.”
To conclude, I emphasize that prajna is wisdom, and wisdom is the attitude of no self. This means not having an attitude that is based on a self-centered perspective. Please do not misunderstand that this attitude of no self means there’s nothing there. The self of wisdom is there to solve problems; the self of compassion is there to benefit people. One applies both the self of wisdom and the self of compassion to develop and cultivate a self that is pure and happy; one that eventually we will grow into the perfect being, a buddha.
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1The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (also known as the Twelve Links of Conditioned Arising) are (1) fundamental ignorance, (2) action, (3) consciousness, (4) name-and-form, (5) the six sense faculties, (6) contact, (7) sensation, (8) desire, (9) grasping, (10) coming into existence, (11) birth, and (12) old age and death.
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