On the Meaning of Prajna — Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara
In April’s Dharma Talk, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara offers a contemporary perspective on the profound insights of the Heart Sutra, and how they can liberate us from narrow views of scripture, of truth, and what we call reality itself.
“When we translate prajna as wisdom, it can lead us down a fairly faulty path, because it's not your ordinary smarts. Prajna is composed of two elements: pra meaning “before” and jna meaning “knowing.” So prajna can be understood as before-knowing. So there's this time element of not jumping to a conclusion but rather allowing ourselves the space of before knowing, waiting and listening to our whole body as we take in information. This is called doing prajnaparamita—directly experiencing reality through the lens of the wisdom teachings. It’s a turn toward a fresh, living moment instead of distancing subject and object. Understanding this distinction is the key to the Heart Sutra. This quality of before-knowing, before having an idea, before forming an opinion, what is that like?”
Watch the full Dharma Talk at tricycle.org/dharmatalks/Roshi-enkyo-heart sutra