page_title: Abhijñā
hierarchical_section_title: Abhijñā
caption_attribution_description: The Buddha shows miracles. Gandhara, 3rd century CE. schist, height 74.4 x 49.7 cm. Located in the Museum für Indische Kunst, Berlin-Dahlem.
context_page_description: Abhijñā is a Buddhist term generally translated as "direct knowledge", "higher knowledge" or "supernormal knowledge." In Buddhism, such special knowledge is obtained through virtuous living and meditation. The attainment of the four jhanas, or meditative absorptions, are considered a prerequisite for their attainment. In terms of specifically enumerated knowledges, these include mundane extra-sensory abilities as well as the supramundane, meaning the extinction of all mental intoxicants.
context_section_description: Abhijñā (Sanskrit: अभिज्ञा; Pali pronunciation: abhiññā; Standard Tibetan: མངོན་ཤེས mngon shes ་; Chinese: 六通/(六)神通) is a Buddhist term generally translated as "direct knowledge", "higher knowledge" or "supernormal knowledge." In Buddhism, such special knowledge is obtained through virtuous living and meditation. The attainment of the four jhanas, or meditative absorptions, are considered a prerequisite for their attainment. In terms of specifically enumerated knowledges, these include mundane extra-sensory abilities (such as seeing past lives and various supranormal powers like levitation) as well as the supramundane, meaning the extinction of all mental intoxicants (āsava).
caption: The Buddha demonstrating control over the fire and water elements. Gandhara, 3rd century CE
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