Vijjā

adjective (-˚) having vijjā, possessed of wisdom; in vatthu˚, tiracchāna˚, nakkhatta˚ etc. (referring to the lower arts condemned as heretic: vijjā c.) SN.iii.239 te˚; possessed of threefold wisdom: see vijjā b.

= vijjā

feminine one of the dogmatic terms of Buddhist teaching varying in meaning in diff. sections of the Canon. It is not always the positive to avijjā (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 avijjā is usually ñāṇa (but cp. SN.iii.162 f. SN.iii.171; SN.v.429). Although certain vijjās pertain to the recognition of the “truth” and the destruction of avijjā, yet they are only secondary factors in achieving “vimutti” (cp. abhiññā, ñāṇa-dassana & paññā) That; vijjā at MN.i.22 is contrasted with avijjā is to be explained as a word-play in a stereotype phrase
■ A diff side of “knowledge” again is given by “bodhi.”

1. Vijjā 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 applied 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.”
2. vijjā 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 Sāmañña-phala-sutta (DN.i.63–DN.i.86), repeated in nearly every Suttanta of D i. It is composed of the 3 sampadās, viz. sīla˚, citta˚ paññā˚. Under the first group belong sīla(-kkhandha) indriya-saṃvara, sati-sampajañña, santuṭṭhi; the second is composed 1 of the overcoming of the nīvaraṇas, 2 of the 4 jhānas; the third consists of 8 items, viz 1 ñāṇa-dassana, 2 manomaya-kāya, 3 iddhi 4 dibba-sota, 5 ceto-pariyañāṇa, 6 pubbe-nivās ânussatiñāṇa, 7 cut’ ûpapatti-ñāṇa, 8 āsavānaṃ khaya-ñāṇa. Other terms used are: for the 2^nd sampadā: caraṇa (DN.i.100), and for the 3^rd: vijjā (ibid.). The discussion at DN.i.100 is represented as contradicting the (brahmaṇic) opinion of Ambaṭṭha, who thought that “vijjā nāma tayo Vedā, caraṇaṃ pañca sīlāni” (DN-a.i.267 sq.)
   ■ In the enumⁿ of 3 vijjās at MN.i.22 sq. only Nos. 6–8 of the 3^rd sampadā (said to have been attained by the Buddha in the 3 night watches) with the verbs anussarati (No. 6), pajānāti (7), abhijānāti (8), each signifying a higher stage of (“saving”) knowledge, yet all called “vijjā.” Quoted at Vism.202, where all 8 stages are given as “aṭṭha vijjā,” and caraṇa with 15 qualities (sīla-saṃvara, indriyesu guttadvāra etc.).