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Dictionary of Key Spiritual Terms


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Wylie | Tibetan

knowledge

See also mind, thought, wisdom
  1. shes bya/ 

    Biblical: a general term for knowledge: skul zhing shes bya thams cad la slob cing /  admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom [lit. knowledge] (Col. 1:28).

    Secular: the ordinary term for knowledge: ma bu bde srung gi shes bya/  knowledge of maternal-child health care (BFT 20), rig gnas shes bya/  cultural knowledge (TCR 1).

    Cognates: shes rig slob sbyong /  education (DLP 1).

  2. shes rab/ 

    Biblical: higher knowledge, especially of spiritual things: shes rab kyi lde mig the key to knowledge (Lk. 11:52), gsang ba dang shes rab thams cad shes nas/  if I know all mysteries and all knowledge (1 Cor. 13:2), shes rab bam/,,lung bstan/  knowledge or prophecy (1 Cor. 14:6), khyed rnams ye shes dang shes rab/  wisdom and understanding (Col. 1:9), gang la shes rab ces 'khrul nas 'bod pa/  what is falsely called knowledge (1 Tim. 6:20), khyed tsho'i dad pa la dge ba dang /,,dge ba la shes rab/  add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge (2 Pet. 1:5).

    Buddhist: shes rab/  is knowledge which is higher than others; sublime knowledge, or wisdom (KTM). The Buddhas are believed to have such knowledge of all knowable things, including the thoughts of all human beings. See wisdom.

  3. rig pa/ 

    Biblical: knowledge: shes rab dang rig pa'i gter/  treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2,3), nga tsho thams cad la rig pa yod par shes so/  we know that we all possess knowledge (1 Cor. 8:1), rig pa nub par 'gyur/  knowledge will pass away (1 Cor. 13:8).

    Buddhist: 1) intelligence: mkhas pa yongs kyi rig pa/  the intelligence of the learned (KPU 4); 2) area of knowledge or field of study: tshan rig pa/  scientist (DLP 7), nang pa sangs rgyas pa'i sems khams rig pa/  Tibetan Buddhist psychology (DLP 13), rig pa'i gnas lnga/  five classical studies nang rig pa/  secret knowledge; esp. of the bon/  Bon, gtan tshigs rig pa/  logic, sgra rig pa/  linguistics, gso ba rig pa/  medicine, bzo rig pa/  technology (CNG 63).

    Cognates: yang dag par rig pa/  perfect knowledge, an attribute of the Buddhas (KBT 70).

  4. rtogs pa/ 

    Biblical: 1) sure, certain religious knowledge: khyed ni dkon mchog gi dam pa de yin par nga tshos dad cing ngo rtogs pa yin/  we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God (Jn. 6:69), nam mkha'i rgyal srid kyi gsang ba rtogs pa/  the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 13:11), gtso bo lags pa'i ye shu ma shi ka rtogs pa/  knowing Jesus Christ as Lord (Phil. 3:8), dkon mchog gi rtogs pa 'phel ba/  growing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10); 2) understanding or insight: ma shi ka'i gsang ba'i gting rtogs pa/  [my] insight into the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4); 3) conscience: rtogs pa zhan pa zhig someone with a weak conscience (1 Cor. 8:10).

    Buddhist: religious knowledge or realizations gained from meditation: chos thams cad mngon sum du rtogs pa mthar phyin pa'i ye shes/  the wisdom which perceives directly all phenomena (TRC 74), nyid kyi rtogs pa gzhan la 'pho min te/  they do not transfer their realizations to others (TRC 77), bdag med pa'i don mngon sum du rtogs pa/  direct perception of the absence of a self (TRC 96), rtogs pa'i nyams myong bdag la med/  I have no experience of realizations (HTE 208).

  5. yon tan/ 

    Biblical: good qualities; knowledge: bka' khrims kyi nang na yon tan dang bden pa nyid kyi dbyibs yod pas/  you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth (Rom. 2:20 SV).

    Buddhist: 1) a body of knowledge acquired through study or education: yon tan kun gyi rtsa ba yi ge dang /,,yon tan yongs kyi rgyal po yi ge red/  reading is the foundation of all education; it is the king of all learning (KPU 27), yon tan mthar phyin pa slob dgos/  one must study to be perfect in knowledge (KTM); 2) good qualities: yon tan brjod pa/  to praise the good qualities of one's teacher (GSL 14).

  6. blo gros/ 

    Biblical: wisdom, understanding, knowledge: khyed rnams kun nas brtson 'grus rtsoms la dad pa la snying stobs dang /,,snying stobs la blo gros dang /  make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge (2 Pet. 1:5 SV).

    Secular: if a student has wide and deep knowledge his blo gros/  is good (AMD), blo gros dang 'jon thang /  knowledge and expertise (MHP 9).

  7. mngon shes/ 

    Biblical: see sngar mkhyen/  below.

    Buddhist: extra-sensory perception involving knowledge of others' thoughts sems kyi rnam grangs shes pa/ , remembering past lives sngon gyi gnas rjes su dran pa/  etc. (TRI 71). It is grouped with other supernormal mental powers: bsam gtan dang /,,mngon shes/,,rdzu 'phrul/  trances, clairvoyances, and psychic powers (TRC 202).