prajñā

(Sanskrit). Important concept in Buddhist epistemology, often translated as ‘wisdom’ but closer in meaning to insight, discriminating knowledge, or intuitive apprehension. It is the faculty which apprehends the truth of Buddhist teachings. In the Abhidharma it is classified as one of the mental functions (caitta), and is defined as the analytical discrimination of phenomena (dharma-pravicaya). Although all beings possess prajñā, it is usually underdeveloped and needs to be cultivated through the practice of insight meditation (vipaśyanā) or similar forms of mental training.