In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Prajñendriya (प्रज्ञेन्द्रिय) refers to the “faculty of wisdom” and represents one of the five faculties (pañcendriya) forming part of the thirty-seven auxiliaries to enlightenment (bodhipākṣika), according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XXXI.—Accordingly, “he considers (samanupaśyati) the four truths and the True nature (bhūtalakṣaṇa): this is called the ‘faculty of wisdom’ (prajñendriya)”.

Also, “when, in view of the Path and the dharmas adjuvant to the Path, he considers (anupaśyati) the sixteen aspects of the truths (ṣoḍaśākāra), impermanence (anitya), etc., that is the faculty of wisdom (prajñendriya)”.

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Prajñendriya (प्रज्ञेन्द्रिय) or “faculty of wisdom” is associated with Kāmarūpa, according to the Cakrasaṃvara-maṇḍala or Saṃvaramaṇḍala of Abhayākaragupta’s Niṣpannayogāvalī, p. 45 and n. 145; (Cf. Cakrasaṃvaratantra, Gray, David B., 2007).—The Cakrasaṃvara mandala has a total of sixty-two deities. [...] Three concentric circles going outward, the body, speech and mind wheels (kāya-vāka-citta), in the order: mind (blue), speech (red), and body (white), with eight Ḍākinīs each in non-dual union with their Ḍākas, "male consorts".

Associated elements of Airāvatī and Vajradehaka:

Circle: vākacakra [=vākcakra?] (speech-wheel) (red);
Ḍākinī (female consort): Airāvatī;
Ḍāka (male consort): Aṅkurika;
Bīja: kāṃ;
Body-part: armpits;
Pīṭha: Kāmarūpa;
Bodily constituent: akṣiṇī (eyes);
Bodhipakṣa (wings of enlightenment): prajñendriya (faculty of wisdom).

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

General definition (in Buddhism)

Prajñendriya (प्रज्ञेन्द्रिय) or simply Prajñā refers to the “faculty of wisdom” and represents one of the “five faculties” (pañcendriya) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 47), itself forming part of the “thirty-seven things on the side of awakening” (bodhipākṣika-dharma). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., prajñā-indriya). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Prajna, Indriya.

Full-text: Akshini, Pancendriya, Airavati, Ankurika, Samyagdrishti, Prajna, Kam, Er shi er gen.

Relevant text

Search found 2 books and stories containing Prajnendriya, Prajñendriya, Prajna-indriya, Prajñā-indriya; (plurals include: Prajnendriyas, Prajñendriyas, indriyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Note (1): The three faculties of understanding (tri-indriya) < [Part 3 - The three faculties of understanding]

Mahāyāna auxiliaries (D): The five faculties < [Part 3 - The auxiliaries according to the Mahāyāna]

I. The three faculties of understanding according to the Abhidharma < [Part 3 - The three faculties of understanding]

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A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)

Part 2 - Two Strokes

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