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

[L.S. Cousins]

Stephen,

>the problem for me with "wisdom" with its various definitions for 
>the texts I work with is that it does not seem to cover adequately 
>the term "pravicaya" (investigation etc) which is constantly used in 
>the typical Sanskrit-based definitions we have had of praj~naa.  It 
>comes across much more analytical-investigative tool rather some 
>vague "wisdom".

But what is meant is something more like contemplating dhamma(s) as 
impermanent, etc. It's not any kind of objective analysis.

>  The worst case scenario that one occasionally encounters is where 
>both praj~naa and j~naana are translated as "wisdom".

True.

>>But this is not true of Suttanta where paññaa has a more general meaning.
>That is my impression, but I wonder if even there it is immune to 
>the force of the upasarga "pra / pa"

I assume it has connotations of entering into something in depth.

>>The definitions people have been citing are effectively from 
>>abhidha(r)mma literature.
>True, but one might suppose that the compilers of many Mahayana 
>sutras would have been influenced by those definitions in their use 
>of the word.

I suppose that they would have been part of the education of every 
young monk  in the early centuries A.D.

But again, to be specific, pavicaya as part of the definition of 
paññaa  or in related contexts is found in four of the seven books of 
the abhidhamma-pit.aka and in related works such as Nidd, Pat.is, 
Pet. and Nett. It does not seem to be found as a noun at all in the 
four Nikaayas. So it is very much a development of the later 
canonical period.

I think it highly probable that we should see its origin as lying 
with the Theragaathaa (Th 593) where it is clearly used as an 
expansion of dhammavicayo to fit the metre in an aaryaa verse:

siilañ ca baahusaccañ [ca], dhammaana.m pavicayo yathaabhuuta.m.
saccaana.m abhisamayo, eta.m sama.nassa patiruupa.m

"Precepts and learning, investigation of dhammas as they really are,
  realization of the truths - this is appropriate for a monk."

This kind of verse can get widely circulated. I wonder if it is found 
in Chinese ?

>>Yes. You can also use jaanaati about knowing a name or fact. I 
>>don't think you would use pajaanaati in that way. It always refers 
>>to knowing or understanding something about names, facts, etc.
>So there does seem to be some force to the upasarga.  I wonder to 
>what extent this carries the implication of direction and 
>incisiveness in Pali.

So far as I know, it is the same as in Sanskrit.

The problem in translating is that we have no verb 'to wisdom' in 
English and so you have to use 'understand' instead in some contexts.

Lance Cousins