paññ

Paññā, from the Pali and Sanskrit prajñā, denotes wisdom, discernment, or understanding. It is the capacity to perceive reality as it truly is, including the three marks of existence: impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and non-self (anatta).

In Buddhist doctrine, paññā is central to liberation. It is the wisdom that underpins right view and ripens through meditation and study. In Theravāda Buddhism, paññā is one of the three trainings that guide the path to awakening, alongside sila (ethical conduct) and samādhi (concentration). It deepens through vipassanā (insight) practice, scriptural study, and reflection on the Four Noble Truths and dependent origination.

Practically, paññā involves both analytical understanding and experiential insight. It includes recognizing impermanence in phenomena, seeing cause-and-effect in mental formations, and discerning craving and attachment as root causes of suffering. Through sustained practice, paññā illuminates the path from cyclic existence to Nibbāna.

Across Buddhist traditions, paññā is often equated with prajñā. In Theravāda it emphasizes insight into impermanence and non-self; in Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna, prajñā is the ultimate wisdom that realizes emptiness (śūnyatā) and supports the bodhisattva path. The term remains a core ideal — wisdom that frees the mind from ignorance.