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

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

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

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 ''

'' (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 ...

Notes

References

Sources

* Anna Dallapiccola, ''Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend'' () * *

External links

Jnana definition and other relevant text

What 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