Jnana
Jñāna (IAST)Translation: "knowledge"
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: ज्ञान
Transliteration: Jñāna
Translation: "knowledge; wisdom; comprehension (from the verb root jñā – “to know”)"
Definition:
- According to Jainism, it is the knowledge of details.
- According to Śaiva Siddhānta, it is a path to liberation. It is the direct means and takes the individual straight to God. Its goal is union with God (Sāyujya).
- According to Advaita Vedānta, it is the ultimate means to liberation. Since it is the only thing which is opposed to ignorance (Avidyā), it is the only means to release.
- According to Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika, knowledge is not only about objects but also about itself.
- According to Mīmāṃsā, knowledge is a mode of the self. It is described as an act (Kriyā), or process (Vyāpāra). It is supersensible and though knowable, it is known only indirectly through inference and not directly through introspection as Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika posits. It may be either mediate or immediate.
- According to Advaita Vedānta, it is a modification (Vṛtti) of the mind as inspired by the witness self (Sākṣin). The mental modification (Vṛtti) element is contingent and the element of consciousness is eternal. It is divided into Sākṣi-Jñāna and Vṛtti-Jñāna. It may be either mediate or immediate. The “that” of an object is known in mediate knowledge. In immediate knowledge, the “what” is also revealed. Immediate knowledge takes place when the following conditions are fulfilled: the object must be directly knowable (Yogya); the object must be existent at the time; there should be established a certain intimate relation between the subject and the object.
- According to Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta, knowledge is able to manifest itself and other objects unaided, but what it manifests is never for itself. It pertains to either individual soul (Jīva) or to God (Īśvara).
Glossary to the Record of Yoga
Jñāna — knowledge; “that power of direct and divine knowledge which works independently of the intellect and senses or uses them only as subordinate assistants,” the first member of the Vijñāna Catuṣṭaya, consisting primarily of the application of any or all of the supra-intellectual faculties of Smṛti, Śruti, and Dṛṣṭi “to the things of thought, ideas, and knowledge generally;” sometimes extended to include other instruments of Vijñāna such as Trikāladṛṣṭi and telepathy.
Jñāna Yoga (Swami Sivananda Saraswati)
“Jñāna is knowledge. To know Brahman as one's own Self is Jñāna. To say, "I am Brahman, the pure, all-pervading Consciousness, the non-enjoyer, non-doer and silent witness," is Jñāna. To behold the one Self everywhere is Jñāna.
Ajñāna is ignorance. To identify oneself with the illusory vehicles of body, mind, Prāṇa and the senses is Ajñāna. To say, "I am the doer, the enjoyer, I am a Brahmin, a Brahmachari, this is mine, he is my son," is Ajñāna. Jñāna alone can destroy Ajñāna, even as light alone can remove darkness.
Brahman, the Supreme Self, is neither the doer of actions nor the enjoyer of the fruits of actions. The creation, preservation and destruction of the world are not due to Him. They are due to the action of Māyā, the Lord's energy manifesting itself as the world-process.
Just as space appears to be of three kinds — absolute space, space limited by a jar, and space reflected in the water of a jar, so also there are three kinds of intelligence. They are absolute intelligence, intelligence reflected in Māyā, and intelligence reflected in the Jīva (the individual soul). The notion of the doer is the function of intelligence as reflected in the intellect. This, together with the notion of Jīva, is superimposed by the ignorant on the pure and limitless Brahman, the silent witness.
The illustration of space absolute, space limited by a jar, and space reflected in water of a jar is given to convey the idea that in reality Brahman alone is. Because of Māyā, however, It appears as three.
The notion that the reflection of intelligence is real, is erroneous, and is due to ignorance. Brahman is without limitation; limitation is a superimposition on Brahman.
The identity of the Supreme Self and the Jīva or reflected self is established through the statement of the Upaniṣad 'Tat Tvam Asi' — 'That Thou Art'. When the knowledge of the identity of the two arises, then world problems and ignorance, with all their offshoots, are destroyed and all doubts disappear.
Self-realization or direct intuitive perception of the Supreme Self is necessary for attaining freedom and perfection. This Jñāna Yoga or the path of Wisdom is, however, not meant for the masses whose hearts are not pure enough and whose intellects are not sharp enough to understand and practice this razor-edge path. Hence, Karma Yoga and Upasana (Bhakti) are to be practiced first, which will render the heart pure and make it fit for the reception of Knowledge.”
References:
- Grimes, John (1996). A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English. Albany: State University of New York Press
- Hartz, Richard. Glossary to the Record of Yoga (Sri Aurobindo). Retrieved from http://wiki.auroville.org.in/wiki/Glossary_to_the_Record_of_Yoga
- Saraswati, Sivananda. Jnana Yoga. Retrieved from http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/jnanayoga.htm
