In
Indian philosophy
Indian philosophy consists of philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The philosophies are often called darśana meaning, "to see" or "looking at." Ānvīkṣikī means “critical inquiry” or “investigation." Unlike darśan ...
and
religions
Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural, t ...
, ' (, ) is "knowledge".
The idea of ''jñāna'' centers on a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced. It is knowledge inseparable from the total experience of reality, especially the total or divine reality (
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...
).
There are also some categorised terms like physical ''Jñāna,'' spiritual ''Jñāna'' and ultimate ''Jñāna'' of Self-Realisation.
Etymology
''Jñāna'' sometimes transcribed as ''gyaan'', means "
knowledge
Knowledge is an Declarative knowledge, awareness of facts, a Knowledge by acquaintance, familiarity with individuals and situations, or a Procedural knowledge, practical skill. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is oft ...
" in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
. The root ज्ञा- ''
jñā-'' is cognate to Slavic
znati, English ''
know'', Greek
γνώ- (as in γνῶσις ''
gnosis
Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge ( γνῶσις, ''gnōsis'', f.). The term was used among various Hellenistic religions and philosophies in the Greco-Roman world. It is best known for its implication within Gnosticism, where ...
''), and Lithuanian
žinoti. Its antonym is अज्ञान ''ajñāna'' "ignorance".
In Buddhism
In
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
, ''jñāna'' (Tibetan: ''ye shes'') refers to pure awareness that is free of conceptual encumbrances, and is contrasted with ''
vijñāna'', which is a moment of 'divided knowing'. Entrance to, and progression through the ten stages of ''jñāna'' (Bodhisattva ''bhūmi''s)'', will lead one to complete
enlightenment (bodhi) and
nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
.
In
Theravāda Buddhism there are various
''vipassana''-''ñānas'' or "insight knowledges" on the path of insight into the true nature of reality.
[The Progress of Insight: (Visuddhiñāna-katha), by the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, translated from the Pali with Notes by Nyanaponika Thera (1994; 33pp./99KB)] As a person meditates these ''ñānas'' or "knowledges" will be experienced in order. The experience of each may be brief or may last for years and the subjective intensity of each is variable. Each ''ñāna'' could also be considered a ''
jhāna'' although many are not stable and the mind has no way to remain embedded in the experience. Experiencing all the ''ñānas'' will lead to the first of the
four stages of enlightenment, then the cycle will start over at a subtler level.
In Hinduism
Nyaya
In
Nyaya
Nyāya (Sanskrit: न्यायः, IAST: nyāyaḥ), literally meaning "justice", "rules", "method" or "judgment", is one of the six orthodox (Āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy. Nyāya's most significant contributions to Indian philosophy ...
, ''jñāna'' is a mental event, better translated as cognition rather than knowledge. ''Jñāna'' can be true or false. ''Jñāna'' is not belief, but lead to the formation of belief. All true cognitions reflect their object. However, true cognitions do not always arise from a source of knowledge. True cognitions can also arise accidentally.
Vedanta
In
Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') traditions of Hindu philosophy and textual exegesis. The word ''Vedanta'' means 'conclusion of the Vedas', and encompa ...
, Jnana refers to "salvific knowledge", or knowledge that leads to liberation (''
moksha
''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...
''). The Upanishads, forming the concluding part of the Vedas, are regarded as the repository of this spiritual knowledge, and are thus referred to as the ''jnanakanda''.
Prajñānam Brahma (प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म), one of the
Mahāvākyas, roughly means "Insight is Brahman" or "Brahman is Insight".
Yoga
Jñāna yoga (ज्ञानयोग, lit. Yoga of Knowledge) is one of the three main paths (मार्ग, ''
margas''), which are supposed to lead towards ''
moksha
''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...
'' (मोक्ष, liberation) from material miseries. The other two main paths are
Karma yoga
Karma yoga (), also called Karma marga, is one of the three classical spiritual paths mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, one based on the "yoga of action", the others being Jnana yoga (path of knowledge) and Bhakti yoga (path of loving devotion ...
and
Bhakti yoga.
Rāja yoga
In Sanskrit texts, ''Rāja yoga'' () was both the goal of yoga and a method to attain it. The term was later adopted as a modern label for the practice of yoga in the 19th-century when Swami Vivekananda gave his interpretation of the Yoga S ...
(राजयोग, classical yoga) which includes several yogas, is also said to lead to ''moksha''. It is said that each path is meant for a different temperament of personality.
In Jainism
According to the Jain texts like
Tattvārthsūtra (
śloka
Shloka or śloka ( , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927).) in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is "any verse or stan ...
1.9) and
Sarvārthasiddhi
''Sarvārthasiddhi'' is a famous Jain text authored by Acharya (Jainism), Ācārya Pujyapada. It is the oldest extant commentary on ''Ācārya Umaswami's Tattvartha Sutra, Tattvārthasūtra'' (another famous Jain text). Traditionally though, th ...
, knowledge is of five kinds:
# ''Mati Jñāna'' (Sensory Knowledge)
# ''Śruta Jñāna'' (Scriptural Knowledge)
# ''Avadhi Jñāna'' (Clairvoyance)
# ''Manaḥ prayāya Jñāna'' (Telepathy)
# ''
Kevalā Jñāna'' (Omniscience)
In Sikhism
''Gyan'' or ''Gian'' refers to spiritual knowledge. Learned people are often referred to as "Giani". It is mentioned throughout the
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, w ...
.
See also
*
Advaita Vedanta
*
gnosis
Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge ( γνῶσις, ''gnōsis'', f.). The term was used among various Hellenistic religions and philosophies in the Greco-Roman world. It is best known for its implication within Gnosticism, where ...
, a similar term in Western philosophy
*
mysticism
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...
*
noesis, a similar term in Western philosophy & psychology
*
nondualism
*
vidya (philosophy)
''Vidya'' (, �ɪd̪jɑː ) figures prominently in all texts pertaining to Indian philosophy – meaning science, learning, knowledge, and scholarship. Most importantly, it refers to valid knowledge, which cannot be contradicted, and true knowl ...
*
qualia
In philosophy of mind, qualia (; singular: quale ) are defined as instances of subjective, conscious experience. The term ''qualia'' derives from the Latin neuter plural form (''qualia'') of the Latin adjective '' quālis'' () meaning "of what ...
, a partly-related term in Western philosophy
Notes
References
Sources
* Anna Dallapiccola, ''Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend'' ()
*
*
External links
Jnana definition and other relevant textWhat Is Jnana?(Jiva Institute)
{{Buddhism topics
Hindu philosophical concepts
Knowledge
Spiritual faculties
Concepts in epistemology
Vedanta
Yoga concepts
Buddhist philosophical concepts
Sanskrit words and phrases