Mind Full to Mindful: Zen Wisdom From a Monk's Bowl

by Om Swami

As children, from the time we can comprehend, we are taught certain concepts: this is God; that is a temple; bow down here; this is moral; that is immoral; this is good; that is bad, etc. Based on these seeds of conditioning, we make all our decisions in life and our conditioning influences whether we like or dislike certain people, countries, societies, religions or sects. But that knowledge is incomplete; it is given to you by others. Prajna is a word frequently used in the Vedas as well as in Buddha’s discourses. It is intuitive understanding, not knowledge. You know how sometimes, when a husband comes home late and he lies to his wife? She knows he is lying; she just knows. She doesn’t have that knowledge – she has that intuitive understanding.