Hello Keren,
Interesting question.
op 07-12-2005 17:39 schreef keren_arbel op keren_arbel@...:

> My question this time is about the different terms
> for "insight", "understanding" and "wisdom" in the suttas. Why are
> there all these different terms, such as pannaa, vipassanaa,
> sammaadit.th.i, naan.a etc.? Do they all refer to the same insight, or
> to different types of knowledge?

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N: the different degrees and aspects of paññaa are innumerable. That is why
many different terms are used. I touch only on a few aspects.
Amoha, non ignorance. Alobha, adosa and amoha are three cetasikas that are
sobhana hetus. Each sobhana citta is rooted in alobha and adosa, but not
always in amoha.
Daana is a way of kusala of the sensesphere, and when it is performed there
are eight types of citta that can perform it. These can be accompanied by
pleasant feeling or indifferent feeling, by understanding or without it,
they can be unprompted or prompted (or induced, with some hesitation). Here
in a compound the term ñaa.na-sampayutta is used. Thus, here ñaa.na is used
for paññaa cetasika. This has many degrees. It can be paññaa that, while one
is generous, understands that this is kusala, or it understands kamma and
vipaaka or it can be paññaa developed in insight that understands that
generosity is a conditioned naama, that it has no owner and is not self.
Vipassanaa ñaa.na: insight knowledge, developed in stages up to
enlightenment. ñaa.na dassana, seeing things as they are, referring to
insight.
Paññindriya, paññaa as faculty, leader in its own field.
Añña: used for three lokuttara faculties: when becoming a sotaapana: I shall
come to know what I did not know, anaññaataññassami't'indriya, and further
two more for higher stages (See Buddhist Dictionary, Nyanatiloka). We read
in the Theriitheragaathaa that people declared aññaa. Here arahatship.
Vijjaa: the opposite of the first link of the Paticcasamuppaada: avijjaa.
Sammaadi.t.thi: right view or right understanding, paññaa as a Path factor.
Pariññaa, full comprehension, referring to stages of insight development.
Sabbaññuta ñaa.na: the Buddha's omniscience.
In the Pa.tisambhidaamagga many aspects of paññaa are explained.
There are many more!
Nina.