"All of these practices were taught
By the Mighty One for the sake of wisdom.
Therefore those who wish to pacify suffering
Should generate this wisdom."
Śântideva : A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life,
IX:1.
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"Prajñâ", "wisdom", a central notion of the
Mahâyâna, refers
to a mind directly apprehending the ultimate nature of phenomena, namely
their emptiness.
Wisdom is cognitive but non-conceptual and so, as intuitive knowledge,
cannot be conveyed by concepts or intellectual terms.
The realization of wisdom-mind is equated with awakening. Wisdom is the
highest mark of
Buddhahood as well as the highest perfection actualized by a
Bodhisattva.
|
A Buddha's wisdom-mind apprehends the emptiness of all
phenomena. Relative to the aggregates, five aspects of wisdom-mind are
identified. These aspects of enlightened consciousness are the five
transcendent ("Dharmakâya"), meditational ("dhyâni") Buddhas distinguished
for the purpose of meditation. They represent the transcendent facets of
the single Buddha principle shared by all Buddhas.
|
The Five Wisdoms in Western Navayâna |
|
mind |
"vijñâna"
consciousness |
Absolute
Wisdom |
Vairochana
Space |
"samjñâ"
cognition |
Mirrorlike
Wisdom |
Akśobhya
Air - Vajra |
"vedanâ"
feeling |
Wisdom of
Discrimination |
Amitabha
Water - Padma |
"samskâra"
will |
All-accomplishing
Wisdom |
Amoghasiddhi
Fire - Visvajra |
|
body |
"rûpa"
body, sensation |
Wisdom of
Equanimity |
Ratnasambhava
Earth - Ratna |
Each Meditational Buddha symbolizes a particular aspect
of the transcendent wisdom-mind of a Buddha.
Because wisdom-mind is realized by ending false ideation and so stopping
substantial instantiation, wisdom is foremost an epistemological factor.
Prepared by renunciation & compassion, it does only depend on a
reconstruction of the mind, enabling it to function without attributing
own-power or inherent existence to its mental & sensate objects. To
realize this wisdom,
emptiness must be directly experienced. This is preceded by
emptiness-meditations accommodated by
ultimate
analysis.
