This week Roshi discussed the sixth Paramita, Prajna, which translates as the wisdom to deeply understand the nature of all things.  Tesshin mentioned that in Zen Jhana (concentration) and Prajna (wisdom) are deeply interrelated.  This should come as no surprise as the very center of our practice is Zazen which develops the mind for deep concentration.  When we are in deep concentration, the state of Prajna is naturally present.  

Roshi noted that we could consider all the Paramitas to simply be one thing – namely Prajna.  However, we could equally state that there is really no wisdom beyond the wisdom we experience by practicing the Paramitas of generosity, ethics, concentration, etc.  Roshi then gave some examples.  For instance, when practicing Dana, with Prajna, is one really being generous?  If one truly realizes the true nature of reality, then there is nothing to give and no one to receive.  What is really happening is simply the skillful actions of life.  We need the paramita of Dana to guide us because we are not totally realized, and thus our unskillful mental states interfere with what should be a natural action.  It is the same with the paramita of ethics.  In the beginning we “think” a lot about the rules and break down our behavior into good and bad.  However, in a state a Prajna, it is understood that all of these rules, regulations, principles are simple discriminations the mind plays with.  Ethics in a state of Prajna is understood to flow from the pure nature of reality.  Ideally, we must do the things we do because of our deep abiding nature.

Roshi then went on to talk about some applications of wisdom.  For instance, when working with a set of young doctors, he noted that self-doubt kept arising, and this was affecting their ability to help patients.  The advice he gave the doctors was for them to simply believe that they were sufficient to their task.  Could this be a lie – yes, but at that moment confidence is more important as doubt drains away energy.  Olympic athletes use this same self-affirmation to reach their personal best.  No athlete coming up the starting line with self-doubt will ever win!  It is the exact same thing with spiritual practice.  We may have a good meditation session, or we may have a bad session – it does not matter.  It also does not matter how many times we get rung out of Dokusan.  What really matters is that we must BELIVE that we are capable of insight.  We must believe because we do already have the necessary wisdom/prajna.  This Prajna or wisdom is what makes the doctors heroic, the athletes victorious, and what will make us strong practitioners.  

Roshi wrapped up by noting that the term Prajna comes up over and over in our practice.  As such, starting next week, we will concentrate on the Prajna Paramita Sutra.  The Heart Sutra is a distillation of this Sutra.