Five Wisdoms

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The Five Wisdoms (Sanskrit: pañca-jñāna; Tibetan: ye shes lgna; Japanese: go-chi) is an upāya or 'skillful means' doctrine of non-Theravadin Buddhism. The Five Wisdoms may be understood as the indivisible 'continuüm of bodhi ' (Sanskrit: citta santana), especially according to Yogācarā based Mahāyāna doctrines, ultimately derived from the Buddhabhūmi Sūtra.[1]

In elucidating the Twilight Language, Tenzin Wangyal holds that the Five Pure Lights become the Five Poisons if we remain deluded, or the Five Wisdoms and the Five Buddha Families if we recognize their purity.[2]

Capriles (2003: p.197) in discussing the 'view' (Sanskrit: drishti) of the Inner Tantras of the Third Turning of the Dharmachakra states that:

Concerning the principally “inner” or “outer” character of the teachings contained in sutras of the Third Promulgation, definitively the more “inner” ones are those that teach that all that manifests or appears, either as subject or as object, is based on primordial gnosis (Skt., jñana; Tib., yeshe [ye-shes]) rather than on mind, and that emphasize the fact that consciousness is a conditioned, delusive, impermanent appearance that disappears upon Awakening.[3]

In the abovementioned quotation, "consciousness" is to be understood as an English rendering of vijñāna (Sanskrit) as in the Eight Consciousnesses and "all that manifests or appears" is to be understood as 'phenomena' or dharmas (Sanskrit) in Buddhist phenomenology. Jñāna (Sanskrit) is rendered into English as 'primordial gnosis'. In addition, for clarity "mind" in this instance is an English rendering of citta (Sanskrit) that may be viewed as either 'absolute' and/or 'relative' according to the Doctrine of the Two Truths. "Awakening" is an English rendering of bodhi (Sanskrit).

Contents

[edit] Nomenclature and etymology

Pañca-jñāna is orthographically rendered into English as: Five Wisdoms, Five Awarenesses, Five Pristine Cognitions.

[edit] Pañca-jñāna

The pañca-jñāna are:

  1. Tathatā-jñāna
  2. Ādarśa-jñāna
  3. Samatā-jñāna
  4. Pratyavekṣaṇa-jñāna
  5. Kṛty-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna

[edit] Tathatā-jñāna

Keown, et. al. (2003) hold that the Tathatā-jñāna is the jñāna of Suchness or Dharmadātu, "the bare non-conceptualizing awareness" of Śūnyatā, the substrate of the other four jñāna.[4]

[edit] Ādarśa-jñāna

Keown, et. al. (2003) hold that the Ādarśa-jñāna is the jñāna of "Mirror-like Awareness", "devoid of all dualistic thought and ever united with its 'content' as a mirror is with its reflections".[5] Ādarśa is Sanskrit for "mirror", the term may be parsed into the etymon of darśana with a grammatical adposition.

Kalupahana (1991: p.99) proffers that:

Samatā is also identical with the second ādarśa when samatā becomes the non-duality of upāya and prajñā.[6]

[edit] Samatā-jñāna

Keown, et. al. (2003) hold that the Samatā-jñāna is the jñāna of the "Awareness of Sameness", which perceives the sameness, the commonality of dharmas or phenomena.[7]

Kalupahana (1991: p.99) proffers that:

The Tattvāloka says "The wisdom of equality of Tathāgata is the non-dual method of upāya and prajñā, and it is the wisdom of the universal that can be tasted in the dharmādhtu." [8]

[edit] Pratyavekṣaṇa-jñāna

Keown, et. al. (2003) hold that the Pratyavekṣaṇa-jñāna is the jñāna the Investigative Awareness, that perceives the specificity, the uniqueness of dharmas. [9]

[edit] Kṛty-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna

Keown, et. al. (2003) hold that the Kṛty-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna is the jñāna of "Accomplishing Activities", the awareness that "spontaneously carries out all that has to be done for the welfare of beings, manifesting itself in all directions".[10]

[edit] Historical development of the Five Wisdoms

[edit] Emergence of Pañca-jñāna

Kalupahana (1991: p.99) in drawing together the Buddhabhūmi-sutra, Buddhabhūmi-vyākhyāna, Śilabhadra, Tathāgata, upāya, prajñā, nonduality, Tattvasaṃgraha, Tattvāloka, svabhāva, dharmdhātu, Bhāvanākrama, nirmāṇakāya, sambhogakāya and dharma-kāya and the Five Wisdoms states:

The idea that upāya and prajñā are non-dual is also expressed in the commentary on the Tattvasaṃgraha. The Tattvāloka says "The wisdom of equality of Tathāgata is the non-dual method of upāya and prajñā, and it is the wisdom of the universal that can be tasted in the dharmādhtu." In the Chinese version of the Bhāvanākrama, there is a final section outlining the relationship between the three-fold buddha-kāya and the five-fold wisdom of the Tathāgatas. The five-fold wisdom of the Tathāgatas are dharmadhātu-svabhāva, ādarśa, samatā, pratyavekṣaṇa, and kṛtyānusthāna. Each type of wisdom is associated with five Buddhas, i.e., dharmadhātu-svabhāva with Mahāvairocana, ādarśa with Akṣobhya, samatā with Ratnasambhava, pratyavekṣaṇa with Amitāyus, and kṛtyānusthāna with Amoghasiddhi. Kamalasila further explains that the first two forms of wisdom (dharmadhātu-svabhāva and ādarśa) belong to dharma-kāya, samatā and pratyavekṣaṇa to sambhogakāya, and the last kṛtyānusthāna to nirmāṇakāya. The theory of the five-fold wisdom and its relation to the Buddha-kāya was originally formulated in the Buddhabhūmi-sutra and the Buddhabhūmi-vyākhyāna by Śilabhadra.[11]

[edit] Five Wisdoms and the Six Perfections

Kalupahana (1991: p.99) in linking the Six Perfections, upāya, prajñā and mokṣa proffers that:

Kamalasila concluded that the first five perfections correspond to the upāya and the last to prajñā. When upāya and prajñā are perfectly united, then mokṣa or perfect liberation of mind will result. [12]

[edit] Yogācarā refinement of the Pañca-jñāna

Keown, et. al. (2003) identify a relationship between the Pañca-jñāna and the Eight Consciousnesses of Yogācarā thought: the Pañca-jñāna "emerge through a transformation (parāvṛtti) of the eight consciousnesses at the moment of enlightenment".[13]

[edit] Vajrayana refinement of the Pañca-jñāna

Keown, et. al. (2003) identify that the Pañca-jñāna "underwent a considerable development" within Tibetan Buddhism where they are "symbolized or embodied" in the Five Jinas.[14]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
  2. ^ Wangyal, Tenzin (author) & Dahlby, Mark (editor). Healing with Form, Energy and Light: The Five Elements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra, and Dzogchen. Ithaca, NY, USA: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1-55939-176-6
  3. ^ Capriles, Elías (2003). Buddhism and Dzogchen: The Doctrine of the Buddha and the Supreme Vehicle of Tibetan Buddhism - Part One Buddhism: A Dzogchen Outlook. University of the Andes: Mérida, Venezuela. Source: [1] (accessed: January 14, 2008) p.197
  4. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
  5. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
  6. ^ Kalupahana, David J. (1991). Buddhist Thought and Ritual. Paragon House. Source: [2] (accessed: November 23, 2007)
  7. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
  8. ^ Kalupahana, David J. (1991). Buddhist Thought and Ritual. Paragon House. Source: [3] (accessed: November 23, 2007)
  9. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
  10. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
  11. ^ Kalupahana, David J. (1991). Buddhist Thought and Ritual. Paragon House. Source: [4] (accessed: November 23, 2007)
  12. ^ Kalupahana, David J. (1991). Buddhist Thought and Ritual. Paragon House. Source: [5] (accessed: November 23, 2007)
  13. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
  14. ^ Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9

[edit] References

  • Keown, Damien (ed.) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Great Britain, Oxford: Oxford University Press. P.209. ISBN 0-19-860560-9
  • Thrangu Rinpoche (author) & Peter Roberts (translator) (1998). The Five Buddha Families and The Eight Consciousnesses. Boulder, CO, USA: Published by the Namo Buddha Seminar. Source: [6] (accessed: November 22, 2007)

[edit] External links