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

[Stephen Hodge]

In part reply to Richard's question, "praj~naa" is tricky to translate so 
that all its nuances are covered, but the way it is defined in mainstream 
abhidharmic / shastric literature seems to cover a different semantic field 
to the English "wisdom".   As I believe Richard himself once mentioned, as 
one of the factors involved in all object-related mental activities, 
everybody has praj~naa but not everybody has wisdom.

I am not sure about the Pali usage, though here again I suspect some kind of 
incisive insight or understanding is involved.  Likewise, the use of 
praj~naa as in praj~naa-paaramitaa may also involve other nuances.  However, 
a fairly standard type of definition can be found in the 
Abhidharma-samuccaya: "upapariik.sya eva vastuni dharmaa.naa.m pravicaya.h 
sa.m"saya-vyaavartana-karmikaa" -- "[Praj~naa] is the analytical 
investigation of the dharmas (qualities / factors) associated with things 
being examined.  Its function is to remove doubt".   The key word here is 
"pravicaya" (analytical investigation) -- in other words, praj~naa is a 
mental process.   Casting some light on Richard's "nis"cita", the AbhSBhasya 
says it has the function of "removing doubt" because "praj~nayaa 
pravicinvato ni"scaya-laabhaat" -- "having analytically investigated by 
praj~naa, certitude is attained".

Also, when Dan quoted the Sanskrit line from the AK -- nāmobhayārthaviṣayā 
śrutamayyādikā dhiyaḥ -- he omitted to draw attention to the use of dhii as 
a causa metri substitute for praj~naa.   Looking at the verbal root from 
which "dhii" derives, its meaning should be something like "thinking" or 
"reflecting", which again suggests that pra~naa is a process.

As for "āpta-vacana-prāmāṇya-jāta-niścayaḥ śrutamayī", Xuanzang's rendering 
謂修行者依聞至教所生勝慧名聞所成 is rather loose.  I would also suggest that he has 
translated "niścayaḥ" in his own fashion, misreading the Sanskrit as 
"niśrayaḥ", which yields his 依.   I would also translate 修行者 differently as 
"yogin" rather than "bhāvanā" as Dan suggests.  It should also be noted that 
至教 is "āpta-vacana".  I am not sure what Xuanzang has done with "prāmāṇya" 
unless he has conflated this with 至 or has somehow converted it into 聞 !

In passing, it should be mentioned that the mental function mentioned 
immediately prior to praj~naa in the AbhS is samaadhi which is defined thus: 
"upapariik.sya vastuni cittasyaikaagrataa | 
j~naana-sanni"sraya-daana-karamaka.h" -- "It is the one-pointedness of 
thought/mind upon objects being examined.  It has the function of providing 
the basis of knowledge".   This, in effect, is exactly the same as the idea 
expressed by BG 2.58 that Joanna cited.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge