The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1848 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
7.87Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
Praj
pati
(Skt., ‘Lord of creatures/creation’). A conceptual development in the late Vedic period of Hinduism drawing together the many manifested forces of nature into a single source of creation, and often, therefore, made synonymous with
Indra
and
S
vitr
. In relation to the thirty-three gods of the classical system, Praj
pati was reckoned the thirty-fourth, embracing and including the others.
Prajña
(Skt., ‘wisdom’, ‘consciousness’).
1
In Hinduism, the competence of
tman
to realize itself for what it is, and thus to abide in this state as in a dreamless sleep.
2
In Buddhism (P
li,
pañña
; Jap.,
hannya
), prajña is the third heading of the three into which the eightfold path is divided (see
A
ANGIKA-M
RGA
)—i.e. right thought and right view constitute wisdom. In Mah
y
na, prajña is the direct awareness of
nyat
(emptiness of self) in the case of all appearance. See further
PERFECTION OF WISDOM LITERATURE
;
N
G
RJUNA
.

Other books

Bachelor's Wife by Jessica Steele
On Her Majesty's Behalf by Joseph Nassise
The Ivy Lessons by Lerman, J
The Paris Connection by Cerella Sechrist
La hora de la verdad by Glenn Cooper
Clockwork Romance by Andy Mandela
The Iron Sickle by Martin Limon
Her Sweet Talkin' Man by Myrna Mackenzie
Decked with Folly by Kate Kingsbury