View source for Abhijñā

{{short description|Supernormal knowledge in Buddhism}}
[[File:Museum für Indische Kunst Dahlem Berlin Mai 2006 013.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gautama Buddha]] depicted in [[Greco-Buddhist art|Greco-Buddhist style]], demonstrating control over the fire and water elements. 3rd century CE, [[Gandhara]] (modern eastern Afghanistan).]]
{{Buddhism|collapsed=1}}
'''Abhijñā''' ({{langx|sa|अभिज्ञा}}; [[Pali]] pronunciation: ''abhiññā''; {{langx|bo|མངོན་ཤེས}} ''mngon shes''; {{CJKV |c=六通/(六)神通}}) is a Buddhist term generally translated as "direct knowledge",<ref>Bodhi (2000), e.g., [[Samyutta Nikaya|SN]] 45.159 (pp. 1557-8).</ref> "higher knowledge"<ref name="ped_abhinna">Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-5), pp. 64-65.</ref><ref name="walshe_bps_sn" /> or "supernormal knowledge."<ref name="ped_abhinna" /><ref name=EB>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-first=Dale H. |editor-last=Hoiberg |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Abhijñā |edition=15th |year=2010 |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. |volume=I: A-ak Bayes |location=Chicago, Illinois |isbn=978-1-59339-837-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/31 31] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/31 }}</ref> In [[Buddhism]], such special knowledge is obtained through [[Śīla|virtuous living]] and [[meditation]]. The attainment of the four [[Dhyāna in Buddhism|jhanas]], or meditative absorptions, is considered a prerequisite for their attainment.{{sfn|Sarbacker|2021|p=entry: "abhijñā"}} In terms of specifically enumerated knowledges, these include mundane extra-sensory abilities (such as seeing past lives and various supranormal powers like levitation) as well as the supramundane, meaning the extinction of all mental intoxicants (''[[āsava]]'').
== Pali literature ==
In [[Pali literature]], ''abhiññā'' refers to both the direct apprehension of ''[[dhamma]]'' (translated below as "states" and "qualities") as well as to specialized super-normal capabilities.
===Direct knowing of ''dhamma''===
In [[Samyutta Nikaya|SN]] 45.159, the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] describes "higher knowledge" (''abhiññā'') as a corollary to the pursuit of the [[Noble Eightfold Path]]:<ref name="walshe_bps_sn">Walshe (1985, 2007),  [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/walshe/wheel318.html#passage-56 passage 56], [[Samyutta Nikaya|SN]] 45.159.</ref>
{{quote|[A] monk who cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path, who assiduously practices the Noble Eightfold Path, comprehends with higher knowledge those [[dhamma|states]] that are to be so comprehended, abandons with higher knowledge those states that are to be so abandoned, comes to experience with higher knowledge those states that are to be so experienced, and cultivates with higher knowledge those states that are to be so cultivated.}}
{{quote|What, monks, are the states to be comprehended with higher knowledge?<br />They are the [[skandha|five groups of clinging]]. Which five? The body-group, the feeling-group, the perception-group, the mental-formation group, the consciousness-group...
What, monks, are the states to be abandoned with higher knowledge?<br />They are [[avijja|ignorance]] and the [[Taṇhā|desire]] for [further] becoming.
And what, monks, are the states to be experienced with higher knowledge?<br />They are knowledge and liberation.
And what, monk, are the states to be cultivated with higher knowledge?<br />They are [[samatha|calm]] and [[vipassana|insight]].}}
Such direct knowledge, according to the Buddha, is obscured by desire and passion (''chanda-rāga''):<ref>[[Samyutta Nikaya|SN]] 27.1 (Thanissaro, 1994).</ref>
{{quote|Monks, any desire-passion with regard to the eye is a [[kilesa|defilement]] of the mind. Any desire-passion with regard to the ear... the nose... the tongue... the body... the intellect is a defilement of the mind. When, with regard to [[ayatana|these six bases]], the defilements of awareness are abandoned, then the mind is inclined to [[nekkhamma|renunciation]]. The mind fostered by renunciation feels malleable for the direct knowing of those [[dhamma|qualities]] worth realizing.}}
===Enumerations of special knowledges===
In the [[Pali Canon]], the higher knowledges are often enumerated in a group of six or of three types of knowledge.
The six types of higher knowledges (''chalabhiññā'') are:
# "Higher powers" (''[[iddhi]]-vidhā''), such as walking on water and through walls;
# "Divine ear" (''dibba-sota''), that is, [[clairaudience]];
# "Mind-penetrating knowledge" (''ceto-pariya-ñā{{IAST|ṇ}}a''), that is, [[telepathy]];
# "Remember one's former abodes" (''pubbe-<nowiki>nivās</nowiki>anussati''), causal memory, that is, recalling one's own [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|past lives]];
# "Divine eye" (''dibba-cakkhu''), that is, knowing others' [[Karma in Buddhism|karmic]] destinations; and,
# "Extinction of mental intoxicants" (''[[āsava]]kkhaya''), upon which [[arahantship]] follows.<ref>Orientalia (2007); Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-5), pp. 64-65, 115–116, 121–122, 272, 288–289, 372, 432; Thanissaro (1997).</ref>
The attainment of these six higher powers is mentioned in a number of [[Sūtra|discourses]], most famously the "Fruits of Contemplative Life Discourse" (''{{IAST|[[Samaññaphala Sutta]]}}'', [[Digha Nikaya|DN]] 2).<ref>Thanissaro (1997).  Other discourses that mention the six types of higher knowledge include the ''Kevatta Sutta'' (DN 11), the ''Lohicca Sutta'' (DN 12) and the ''Mahasakuludayi Sutta'' (MN 77).</ref> The attainment of the four [[Dhyāna in Buddhism|jhanas]] is considered to be a prerequisite for the attainment of the higher powers.{{sfn|Sarbacker|2021|p=entry: "abhijñā"}} The sixth type is the ultimate goal of Buddhism, which is the end of all suffering and destruction of all [[Avidyā (Buddhism)|ignorance]].<ref name="britannica.com">[https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9003346/abhijna Encyclopædia Britannica (2007).]</ref> According to the [[Buddha]], indulgence in the ''abhiññās'' should be avoided, as they can distract from the ultimate goal of [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|Enlightenment]].<ref name=EB/>
Similarly, the three knowledges or wisdoms (''{{IAST|tevijja}}'' or ''{{IAST|tivijja}}'') are:
# "Remember one's former abodes" (''pubbe-nivāsanussati'');
# "Divine eye" (''dibba-cakkhu''); and,
# "Extinction of mental intoxicants" (''āsavakkhaya'').<ref>See, for instance, Rhys Davids & Stede (1921–25), pp. 307, 617.</ref>
The three knowledges are mentioned in numerous discourses including the ''Maha-Saccaka Sutta'' ([[Majjhima Nikaya|MN]] 36) in which the Buddha describes obtaining each of these three knowledges on the first, second and third watches respectively of the night of his [[bodhi|enlightenment]]. These forms of knowledge typically are listed as arising after the attainment of the fourth [[jhana]].<ref>Thanissaro (1998).  Other discourses that mention the three include the ''Tevijja Sutta'' (DN 13) and the ''Bhaya-bherava Sutta'' (MN 4).</ref>
While such powers are considered to be indicative of spiritual progress, Buddhism cautions against their indulgence or exhibition since such could divert one from the true path of obtaining suffering's [[nibbana|release]].<ref name="britannica.com"/>
== Parallels in other cultures ==
The first five types of Abhijna, are similar to the [[siddhi]]s of [[yoga]] in Hinduism, mentioned in the [[Bhagavata Purana]] and by [[Patanjali]]:<ref name="britannica.com"/>
* Knowing the past, present and future;
* Tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities;
* Knowing the minds of others;
* Checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on;
* Remaining unconquered by others.
==See also==
{{col div|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Iddhi]]
* [[Miracles of Gautama Buddha]]
* [[Wisdom in Buddhism|Prajñā]]
* [[Nibbana]], obtain cessation of suffering
* [[Samaññaphala Sutta]]
* [[Siddhi]]
* [[Vibhuti]]
{{colend}}
==References==
<references/>
== Sources ==
{{refbegin}}
* "Abhijna" (2007). In ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved 2007-05-18 from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9003346.
* "Abhinna" (2007). In ''Orientalia: Eastern Philosophy, Religion and Culture''. Retrieved 2007-05-18 from Orientalia: https://web.archive.org/web/20050506001255/http://orientalia.org/dictionary-Buddhist_Dictionary-definition22811-abhinna.html.
* [[Bhikkhu Bodhi|Bodhi, Bhikkhu]] (trans.) (2000). ''The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya''. Boston: Wisdom Publications. {{ISBN|0-86171-331-1}}.
* [[T. W. Rhys Davids|Rhys Davids]], T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). "{{IAST|Abhiññā}}" in ''The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary''. Chipstead: [[Pali Text Society]]. Retrieved 2007-05-18 from Digital Dictionaries of South Asia: http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.0:1:1696.pali{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.
* {{Citation | last =Sarbacker | first =Stuart Ray | year =2021 | title =Tracing the Path of Yoga: The History and Philosophy of Indian Mind-Body Discipline | publisher =State University of New York Press}}
* [[Thanissaro Bhikkhu]] (trans.) (1994). ''Upakkilesa Samyutta: Defilements'' ([[Samyutta Nikaya|SN]] 27.1-10). Retrieved 2008-07-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn27/sn27.001-010.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997). ''Samaññaphala Sutta: The Fruits of the Contemplative Life'' ([[Digha Nikaya|DN]] 2). Retrieved 2007-05-18 from: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.02.0.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1998). ''Maha-Saccaka Sutta: The Longer Discourse to Saccaka (excerpt)'' ([[Majjhima Nikaya|MN]] 36). Retrieved 2007-05-19 from: https://web.archive.org/web/20080801091439/http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.036x.than.html.
* Walshe, Maurice O'C. (1985). ''Samyutta Nikaya: An Anthology (Part III)'' (Wheel Nos. 318–21). Kandy: [[Buddhist Publication Society]]. Retrieved 2008-07-17 from "Access to Insight" (transcribed 2007) at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/walshe/wheel318.html.
{{refend}}
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
[[Category:Buddhist philosophical concepts]]
[[Category:Buddhist miracles]]
[[Category:Psychic powers]]