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Higher Knowledge in Early Buddhism

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Encyclopedia of Mindfulness, Buddhism, and Other Contemplative Practices

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Synonyms

Tevijjā (Pāli); Trividyā (Sanskrit)

Definition

The three higher knowledges refer to recollection of one’s own past lives, the ability to see the passing away and rebirth of other sentient beings, and the destruction of the influxes or taints with the realization of full awakening.

Higher Knowledge

Early Buddhist epistemology recognizes supernormal and extrasensory abilities as valid sources of knowledge. The three higher knowledges (where the qualification “higher” is an addition that does not have a counterpart in the Indic original) serve as an example in point. The first of these involves recollecting various details of one’s own former lives. The idea that such recollection is possible relies on the axiomatic assumption of the reality of rebirth, belief in which is a pervasive feature of early Buddhist discourse (Anālayo, 2018). The ability to access such knowledge requires mastery of the four absorptions, in addition to which the cultivation of mindfulness features as...

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References

  • Anālayo, Bh. (2018). Rebirth in early Buddhism and current research. Wisdom Publications.

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  • Anālayo, Bh. (2019). The role of mindfulness in the cultivation of absorption. Mindfulness, 10(11), 2341–2351.

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  • Anālayo, Bh. (2021a). The Buddha’s awakening. Mindfulness, 12(9), 2141–2148.

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  • Anālayo, Bh. (2021b). Dimensions of the ‘body’ in tranquility meditation. Mindfulness, 12(10), 2388–2393.

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  • Ñāṇamoli, Bh. (1995). The middle length discourses of the Buddha, a translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Wisdom Publications.

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  • Walshe, M. (1987). Thus have I heard, the long discourses of the Buddha. Wisdom Publications.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Numata Center for Buddhist Studies, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Bhikkhu Anālayo

Authors
  1. Bhikkhu Anālayo
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Nirbhay N. Singh

Section Editor information

  1. Centre for Positive Behaviour Support, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Yoon-Suk Hwang

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Lance Hawley

  3. West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Center for Contemplative Studies, West Chester, PA, USA

    Donald McCown

  4. NOUS-School of Specialization (PsyD) in Psychotherapy, Milano, Italy

    Fabio Giommi

  5. Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Antonino Raffone

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Anālayo, B. (2023). Higher Knowledge in Early Buddhism. In: Singh, N.N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mindfulness, Buddhism, and Other Contemplative Practices. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90465-4_71-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90465-4_71-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-90465-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-90465-4

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