Vijj¤: (f.) [cp. Vedic vidy¤ knowledge: vid both in meaning "to know" and "to find"; cp. Gr for "I saw" and "I know"; Sk. veda "Veda," Greek for "idol"; Vedic vindati to find, vetti to know, vidy¤ knowledge; Gothic, witan to observe (MO: wit?) and know = German wissen; Gothic weis = English wise, etc, for which see Walde, Latin, Wth. s.v. video] one of the dogmatic terms of Buddhist teaching, varying in meaning in diff. sections of the Canon. It is not always the positive to avijj¤ (which has quite a well defined meaning from its first appearance in Buddhist psych. ethics), but has been taken into the terminology of Buddhism from Brahmanic and popular philosophy. The opposite of avijj¤ is usually ¾a¼a (but cp. S III.162 f., 171; V.429). Although certain vijj¤s pertain to the recognition of the "truth" and the destruction of avijj¤, yet they are only secondary factors in achieving "vimutti" (cp. abhi¾¾¤, ¾a¼a-dassana & pa¾¾¤). That vijj¤ at M I.22 is contrasted with avijj¤ is to be expld as a word-play in a stereotype phrase.

-- A diff. side of "knowledge" again is given by "bodhi."

(a) Vijj¤ is a general, popular term for lore in the old sense, science, study, esp. study as a practice of some art (something like the secret science of the medicine man: cp. vejja!); hence appld in special, "dogmatic" sense as "secret science," revelation (put into a sort of magic formula), higher knowledge (of the learned man), knowledge which may be applied and used as an art (cp. magister artium!), practical knowledge; but also mysterious knowledge: "charm."

(b) vijj¤, having a varying content in its connotation, is applied to a series of diff. achievements. A rather old tabulation of the stages leading by degrees to the attainment of the highest knowledge is given in the S¤ma¾¾a-phala-sutta (D I.63-86), repeated in nearly every Suttanta of D 1. It is composed of the 3 sampad¤s, viz. s¨la-, citta- & pa¾¾¤-. Under the first group belong s¨la(-kkhandha), indriya-sa¸vara, sati-sampaja¾¾a, santuÂÂhi; the second is composed (1) of the overcoming of the nivara¼as, (2) of the 4 jh¤nas; the third consists of 8 items, viz. (1) ¾a¼a-dassana, (2) manomaya-k¤ya, (3) iddhi, (4) dibba-sota, (5) ceto-pariya¾a¼a, (6) pubbe-niv¤s' ¢nussati¾a¼a, (7) cut' ûp¤patti-¾a¼a, (8) ¤savana¸ khaya-¾a¼a...- In the enumn of 3 vijj¤s at M I.22 sq. only Nos. 6-8 of the 3rd sampad¤ (said to have been attained by the Buddha in the 3 night watches) with the verbs anuss¤rati (No. 6), paj¤nati (7), abhij¤nati (8), each signifying a higher stage of ("saving") knowledge, yet all called "vijj¤." Quoted at Vism 202, where all 8 stages are given as "aÂÂha vijj¤," and cara¼a with 15 qualities (s¨la-sa¸vara, indriyesu guttadv¤ra etc.). The same 3 vijj¤s (No. 6, 7, 8) are given at D III.220, 275, and poetically at A II.165 as the characteristics of a proper (ariya, Buddhist) monk (or br¤hma¼a)...-- Tevijj¤ (adj.) in same meaning at S I.146 (where it refers to Nos. 3, 5, 8 of above enumn), 192, 194....It is doubtful whether the defn of ¾a¼a as "tisso vijj¤" at Vin III.91 is genuine. On vijj¤-cara¼a see also D III.97, 98, 237; S I.153, 166; II.284; V.197; A II.163; IV.238; V.327;...-- On vijj¤ in the doctrinal appln see: D III.156, 214, 274; S II.7 sq. (cakkhu, ¾a¼a, pa¾¾¤, vijj¤, aloka); III.47; 163; 171; IV.31, 49 sq. A I.83; II.247;...(c) popular meanings & usage of vijj¤: science, craft, art, charm, spell D I.213 (Gandh¤r¨ nama v., also mentioned at J IV.498 as practised by physicians), 214 (Ma¼ika n. v.); J III.504 (Cint¤ma¼i v.); IV.323 (vatthu-: see under vatthu), 498 (ghora-); V.458 (anga- palmistry);...
-gata having attained wisdom...
-cara¼a (-sampanna) (endowed with) special craft (wisdom) & virtue...
-ÂÂh¤na branch of study; there are 18 vijj¤--ÂÂh¤nani or "arts & sciences," subjects of study, referred to at J I.259.
-dh¤r¤ a knower of charms, a sorcerer J III.303, 529; IV.496; V.94;...
-bh¤giy¤ (dhamm¤) (states) conducive to wisdom (6 kinds of sa¾¾a) A III.334; cp. D III.243; S V.395; A IV.52 sq.
-may¤ (iddhi) (potency) accomplished by art or knowledge...
-vimutti wisdom (higher knowledge) as salvation S V.28, 335 sq.;...