Jnanabija, Jñānabīja, Jnana-bija: 1 definition

Introduction:

Jnanabija means something in Buddhism, Pali. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: MDPI Books: The Ocean of Heroes

Jñānabīja (ज्ञानबीज) refers to a “seed of knowledge” (symbolizing the self-existent one), according to the 10th-century Ḍākārṇava-tantra: one of the last Tibetan Tantric scriptures belonging to the Buddhist Saṃvara tradition consisting of 51 chapters.—Accordingly, “[...] [He should visualize] a seed of knowledge (jñānabīja) [representing] the self-existent one (viz., hūm) at the center of a lotus on a sun [disk] in [his] heart. Then he should emit rays of various colors, [which] fill the sky. Having attracted an assembly of deities formed by Jñānaḍākinī, he should make the Lord of the world seated at the center of a hollow space in the sky. [...]”.

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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