"If a Bodhisattva comprehends the dharma of no self, thus one calls him a true Bodhisattva."
― The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra
Prajna or Pragya (Sanskrit: प्रज्ञ) as प्रज्ञा, प्राज्ञ and प्राज्ञा is used to refer to the highest and purest form of wisdom, intelligence and understanding. Prajna is the state of wisdom which is higher than the knowledge obtained by reasoning and inference.
In his Ornament of the Middle Way, Santaraksita emphasizes the way to establish the unity of the two truths, which is the great indivisibility of appearance and emptiness, and thereby authentically elucidates the realization of the Victorious Lord of the Capable Ones.
Due to the power of Santaraksita's cultivation of the enlightened mind, and through his aspirations, the Buddha's teachings were disseminated and established in the snowy land of Tibet. Composed by this kind master, the Ornament of the Middle Way is a perfect scripture of extreme profundity.
In the sutras, which are the recorded teachings of the Buddha, we find this line:
"Thus, not being able to realize that which is known as emptiness, peaceful and unproduced, sentient beings have been helplessly wandering in different states of cyclic existence. Seeing this, enlightened ones have revealed or established emptiness through hundred-fold reasoning."
Prajna is the sixth paramita. The term Prajna is from the Sanskrit and is composed of two Sanskrit terms: "Pra" which refers to "that which is before," and "jna" which refers to knowledge.
The compound of these terms then means "before knowledge," "root knowledge," "profound knowledge." It is often translated as "perfect knowledge, intuitive wisdom, understanding, intelligence, discrimination or judgment."
When we compare this with the Initiatic Kabbalah, we see that Prajna refers to both Binah, which is Hebrew for "intelligence," and Chokmah, which is Hebrew for "wisdom." Prajna is the intelligence of the Logos, a kind of knowledge or understanding that is beyond the mind, beyond the intellect.
One of the ancient schools of Buddhism had a teacher named Chandrakirti who was a great explainer of the doctrine of the Buddha, and he wrote a text that is called the Madhyamakavatara. In this text he wrote this line:
"A single man, endowed with eyes, can lead unseeing multitudes with to where they wish to go. And so it is with wisdom, here; It takes the sightless virtues, guiding them to victory (buddhahood)."
― Madhyamakavatara - Chandrakirti
Stated another way, Prajna is the sixth paramita of insight, of discriminative awareness. When we say wisdom or profound knowledge or perfect knowledge, this is not a passive or latent intelligence, this is a penetrating intelligence, and what Chandrakirti is saying in the quote that I read you, is that it is this paramita that provides vision, guidance, to all the other paramitas.
In other words, as much as you may practice generosity, discipline, zeal, diligence, and meditation, without insight, you will be blind. Without Prajna, you cannot know the truth.
Bodhidharma said:
"Externally, all activity ceases. Internally, the mind stops its agitation. When the mind has become a wall, then Tao comes."
"The mind must be clear, free. It must be a temple without dusty stables, where only the flame of Prajna, so to speak, the flame of the Being, blazes."
― Samael Aun Weor - Mental Representations
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