ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

The Function of Prajñā in Theravāda Buddhism: A Study of Epistemological and Ethical Transformation

This paper explores the dual function of prajñā (wisdom) within Theravāda Buddhist philosophy, examining its critical role in both epistemological inquiry and ethical transformation. Situated at the intersection of knowledge and liberation, prajñā is not merely an intellectual faculty but a transformative insight that underpins the entire soteriological framework of early Buddhism. Drawing on key Pāli sources such as the Majjhima Nikāya, Dhammasaṅgaṇī, and Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga, the study investigates how prajñā operates as a mode of valid cognition capable of directly apprehending the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and non-self-nature of existence. It argues that epistemological clarity in the Theravāda tradition is inseparable from moral development, with wisdom serving as the catalyst for ethical purification and existential freedom. By analyzing the integration of prajñā within the Noble Eightfold Path particularly its centrality to Right View and Right Intention, this paper demonstrates that wisdom is not a theoretical abstraction but a lived, practical realization. The ethical ramifications of prajñā culminate in the cessation of suffering (dukkhanirodha), achieved through the eradication of ignorance (avijjā), craving (taṇhā), and attachment. Through this lens, prajñā is presented as the bridge between epistemic truth and ethical liberation, offering a cohesive vision of the path to awakening. The study concludes by suggesting that any meaningful understanding of Theravāda philosophy must recognize the indivisibility of knowing and being. Keywords Prajñā, Theravāda Buddhism, Epistemology, Ethical Transformation, Wisdom