Ñāṇa

Pāḷi Text Society
Pāḷi English Dictionary
Edited by T. W. Rhys Davids and William Stede
[EDITED ENTRY]

Ñāṇa: (nt.) [from jānāti. See also janana. *genē, as in Gr. gnw_--sis (cp. gnostic), gnw/mh; Lat. (co)gnitio; Goth. kunpi; Ogh. kunst; E. knowledge] knowledge, intelligence, insight, conviction, recognition, opp. añāṇa & avijjā, lack of k. or ignorance.

1. Ñāṇa in the theory of cognition: it occurs in intensive couple -- compounds with terms of sight as cakkhu (eye) & dassana (sight, view), e. g. in cakkhu- ñaṇa-karaṇa "opening our eyes & thus producing knowledge" i. e. giving us the eye of knowledge (a mental eye)... ñaṇaṅ dassanaṅ hoti "through seeing & knowing," i. e. on grounds of definite knowledge arises the sure conviction that where there is no cause there is no consequence S V.126. Cp. also the relation of diṭṭhi to ñaṇa. This implies that all things visible are knowable as well as that all our knowledge is based on empirical grounds...ñaṇa+dassana (i. e. full vision) as one of the characteristics of Arahantship...

2. Scope and character of ñaṇa: ñ. as faculty of understanding is included in pañña (cp. wisdom = perfected knowledge). The latter signifies the spiritual wisdom which embraces the fundamental truths of morality & conviction (such as aniccaṅ anatta, dukkha...whereas ñ. is relative to common experience... - Perception (sañña) is necessary to the forming of ñaṇa, it precedes it (D I.185); as sure knowledge ñ. is preferable to saddha (S IV.298); at Vin III.91 the definition of ñ. is given with tisso vijja (3 kinds of knowledge)...aṭṭhasamapatti-ñaṇa (consisting in the 8 attainments, viz. jhana & its 4 succeeding developments), pañc' abhiññaḥ (the 5 higher knowledges...), micchaḥ (false k. or heresy). Three degrees of k. are distinguished...viz. savaka- parami-ñaṇa, paccekaBuddhaḥ, sabbaññutaḥ (highest k. of a relig. student, k. of a wise man, & omniscience). Four objects of k. (as objects of truth or samma diṭṭhi) are enumd as dhamme ñaṇaṅ, anvaye ñ., paricchede ñ., sammuti ñ. at D III.226, 277; other four as dukkhe ñ. (dukkha-) samudaye ñ., nirodhe ñ., magge ñ. (i. e. the knowledge of the paṭicca-samuppada) at D III.227... Right knowledge (or truth) is contrasted with false k. (miccha-ñaṇa =miccha diṭṭhi): S V.384; M II.29; A II.222; V.327...

-indriya the faculty of cognition or understanding
-ûpapanna endowed with k....giving (right) understanding, enlightening, in combn w. cakkhukaraṇa (giving (in)--sight, cp. "your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be knowing good and evil" Gen. 35)...
-cakkhu the eye of k....
-jala the net of k., in phrase ñaṇajalassa anto paviṭṭha coming within the net, i. e. into the range of one's intelligence or mental eye (clear sight)...
-dassana "knowing and seeing," "clear sight," i. e. perfect knowledge; having a vision of truth, i. e. recognition of truth, philosophy, (right) theory of life, all-comprising knowledge...
-vatthuni (pl.) the objects or items of (right) knowledge which means k. of the paṭiccasamuppada or causal connection of phenomena...
-vada talk about (the attainment of supreme) knowledge D III.13 sq.; A V.42 sq.;
-vimokkha emancipation through k...