In this final post on practicing prajna, wisdom, I want to talk about wisdom as being transcendent. We have to be careful though, because transcendence does not mean other-worldly, as if we have to somehow remove ourselves from the here and now in order to obtain it. We find wisdom right here, in the simple practice of being human. Everyone has the capacity for wisdom. The natural state of our minds is peaceful clarity, and it’s only after reacting and responding, grasping and clinging, that our minds become turbulent. For us to return to wisdom, we simply return to the goodness already present in our nature.
Transcendent wisdom is the capacity to be fully present to the reality of things. It’s like being at the top of a mountain, where you’re able to see the all-encompassing vista below and above. We call it transcendent because it rises above the noise and delusion of daily life so that the reality of life, the beauty of life, the connectedness of life, can be seen more clearly. Transcendent wisdom is both singular sight (focused on what is true) and expansive sight (open to everything). When we take this view, we rise above those things that create confusion for us- in our own lives, and in the world around us.
As we’ve talked about this month, we cultivate wisdom by being intentional about following wise leaders and reading wise words. We practice by seeing the world through humble eyes and with open hearts. We recognize we often see things in a limited way. So we are always willing to hear something that may allow us to see things more fully.
We also cultivate wisdom through meditation, because our minds are where most of the delusion and confusion take place. Here’s the grand irony: Our minds are capable of wisdom. They are also our biggest obstacle to wisdom. In order to expand their potential for transcendent wisdom, we have to practice noticing the minutia of our minds. We have to recognize our mind’s patterns and quirks and reactions. It’s an ongoing investigation.
For Christians, the season of Lent is approaching. Lent is the season of forty days leading up to Easter. During Lent, many people choose to take something up or set something down. The purpose of these Lent disciplines is also wisdom. It’s knowing what you need to set down, and what you need to take up. Lent asks us to take a somber look at our lives and be honest about what needs work. Although it can be solemn, it’s supposed to be a practice of joy. Much like a bodhisattva, it’s a calling to live more enlightened.
Because transcendent wisdom sees clearly, it can discern what needs to be done, and what needs to be abandoned. This is true for our own lives, of course. But it also pertains to the work we do in the world and for the world. We need wisdom with a clear view. The world needs for us to cultivate transcendent wisdom.
This is an endless process. In The Perfection of Wisdom, Buddha says, “The perfection of wisdom has no limit. The perfection of wisdom is inexhaustible. The perfection of wisdom has no end…For someone to think that a limit, exhaustion or end could be attributed to the perfection of wisdom would be like attributing a limit, exhuastion or end to space… The perfection of wisdom is beyond measure!”
What a fitting end to my reflections on prajna, because as I mentioned at the beginning of the month, prajna is the final paramita for many schools of Buddhism. But for others, there are four more. Both are correct and useful! And yet, since the perfection of wisdom is inexhaustible, I’ll be spending four more months practicing wisdom in other forms.
Join me on Friday for my first post of the seventh paramita, upaya/skillful means.
This post is part of the Paramita Project, where I’m practicing one paramita each month. Read all my posts on prajna/wisdom here.
