[Buddha-l] A vocabulary question for Stephen and Lance (oranyoneelse)

[Stephen Hodge]

Joanna Kirkpatrick wrote:

> The query would be about the term in Sanskrit (speaking of the Bhagavad 
> Gita).

Dear Joanna,

I am not sure what the problem is.  I just gave you the Sanskrit term that 
appears in the BG -- praj~naa.  If it helps, here is the whole verse:

    yadaa sa.mharate caaya.m kuurmo '"ngaaniiva sarva"sa.h |
    indriyaa.niindriyaarthebhyas tasya praj~naa prati.s.thaa ||  2.58 ||

I also think too much is being made of "sa.mharate" and its gloss 
"upasa.mharati" -- translated by some as "withdraws".  The object here is 
the achievement of samaadhi -- frequently defined, inter alia, in Buddhist 
sources as one-pointedness of mind.  The five commentaries I have here on 
the BG merely talk about preventing the attention becoming diffused and 
distracted via the senses with their customary objects and, instead, 
focussing within.  It seems fairly common-place in Buddhism also, that 
praj~naa more easily arises when the mind is stilled and undistracted. 
There doesn't seem to be anything remarkable about this at all.  There is no 
implication of sensory deprivation and all the other red herrings that have 
arisen here.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge