[Skt. prajna]
Biblical: 1) wisdom is an attribute of God: khong mnyam shes rab dang blo gros yod/ to God belong wisdom and understanding (Job 12:13), by which He creates (Pr. 8:23ff) and governs (Is. 31:2) the world; 2) from a Biblical standpoint, true human wisdom is grounded in the knowledge of God: ya we'r 'jigs pa shes rab kyi thog ma'o/ the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 111:10), in contrast to the worldly wisdom 'jig rten 'di'i shes rab/ (1 Cor. 1:20) of pagan cultures. As with Solomon's wisdom sha lo mo'i shes rab/ (Mt. 12:42), true wisdom steng nas 'byung ba'i shes rab/ is a gift of God (Jas. 1:5; 3:17). In the NT, wisdom is often mentioned with other spiritual gifts: shes rab dang mthu stobs/ wisdom and miraculous powers (Mt. 13:54), dam pa'i thugs nyid dang shes rab kyis gang ba/ full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3), shes rab dang rtogs pa'i sems/ wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:17), shes rab dang rig pa/ wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2,3).
Buddhist: 1) shes rab/ [= mkhyen rab/ ] wisdom or skill attained by learning; 2) like the cultures of the ancient Near East, Indian Bsm. produced wisdom literature similar in form to the Book of Proverbs, the best known collection of which is the chos kyi tshigs su bcad pa/ or Dhammapada; 3) shes rab/ moral wisdom; the ability to distinguish virtue from non-virtue (JPG 486) or knowledge of what practices to cultivate and which to abandon (TRI 275); counted as one of the 'phags nor bdun/ or seven riches of a noble being [the others being dad pa/ faith, tshul khrims/ moral discipline, thos pa/ hearing, gtong ba/ generosity, ngo tsha shes pa/ sense of shame, khrel yod pa/ dread of blame]. There are three methods for acquiring wisdom: thos pa las byung ba'i shes rab/ through hearing or learning; bsam pa las byung ba'i shes rab/ through contemplation; and bsgom pa las byung ba'i shes rab/ though meditation (TRI 275).
Cognates: 1) shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa/ the Perfection of Wisdom (KBT 65); 2) shes rab kyi mig the eye of wisdom (TRC 331).
Biblical: spiritual wisdom, God's wisdom: dkon mchog gi ye shes/ God's wisdom (Mt. 11:19), dkon mchog gi dpal 'byor dang ye shes dang mkhyen rgya/ the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Rom. 11:33), dkon mchog gi dbang dang ye shes/ God's power and wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30,31), ye shes dang rtogs pas/ [God's] wisdom and understanding (Eph. 1:7,8).
Buddhist: ye shes/ omniscient, supernatural wisdom: ye shes kyi spyan/ the ability to see all that exists (TRI 251). The Buddhas are said to have four types of such wisdom: 1) mirror-like wisdom me long lta bu'i ye shes/ , 2) wisdom of equality mnyam pa nyid kyi ye shes/ , 3) wisdom of discrimination so sor rtog pa'i ye shes/ , and 4) wisdom of accomplishment bya ba nan tan gyi ye shes/ (KBT 68); yang dag pa'i ye shes/ perfect wisdom (KBT 45); ye shes kyi pha rol tu phyin pa/ the perfection of primordial wisdom (KBT 65).
[hon.]
Biblical: knowledge or wisdom: mkhyen rab kyis gang nas/ [Jesus was] filled with wisdom (Lk. 2:40), dkon mchog gi mkhyen rab bzhin/ according to God's wisdom (1 Cor. 1:21).
Cognates: 1) kun mkhyen/ omniscient: dkon mchog kun mkhyen 'ba' zhig la/ to the only wise [lit. all-knowing] God (Rom. 16:27); 2) mkhyen rgya/ knowledge, wisdom: rgyal po khyed ni dkon mchog gi pho nya dang mtshungs pa'i mkhyen rgya che bas/ my lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God (2 Sa. 14:20 NTV).
[lit. intelligence]
Biblical: knowledge, wisdom, intelligence: ya hu da pas rtags 'dod/,,hel len pas rig pa 'dod/ Jews demand miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom (1 Cor. 1:22), gcig la thugs nyid kyi rig pa'i ngag gnang / to one there is given the message of wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8).
Buddhist: see knowledge.
Proverbs: 1) ji ltar dum bu gcig pa'i brag,,rlung gis g.yo bar mi byed pa/,,de bzhin bstod dang smad pa la/,,mkhas pa rnams ni g.yo ba med/ solid rock is not moved by wind; the wise are not moved by praise or blame (DMP 42); 2) bzod ldan khro med 'jigs med ni/,,mkhas pa zhes byar brdzod pa yin/ the one who is patient, free from anger, and fearless will be called wise (DMP 130).