<p>Developed in discernment (wisdom) means developed in Noble Right View rather than attached and burdened by the ignoble right view of reincarnation, as explained in <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.117.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 117</a>. </p>

<p>It follows a trifling evil act done by this sort of individual is experienced in the here &amp; now and, for the most part, barely appears for a moment.</p>

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2018-05-02T10:04:07.277Z
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ChrisW
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2018-04-29T21:00:25.787Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>The word translated "developed in discernment" is <em>bhāvitapañño</em>, i.e. increased or developed <em>pañña</em>.</p>

<p>The dictionary entry for <a href="https://suttacentral.net/define/pa%C3%B1%C3%B1a" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>pañña</em></a> says,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>of wisdom, endowed with knowledge or insight, possessed of the highest cognition</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The dictionary definition lists a lot of places where it's used in various compounds, (possibly describing various types of wisdom or insight) -- including the <em>bhāvita</em> compound, which is used in for example <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn35.127/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 35.127</a> (in summary, immune to sexual desire, and guarding the senses) and <a href="https://suttacentral.net/an10.24/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 10.24</a> (in summary, immune to various <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_factors_(Buddhism)#Fourteen_unwholesome_mental_factors" rel="nofollow noreferrer">unwholesome mental factors</a>).</p>

<p>I'd say these describe the effect of wisdom rather than describing the object of wisdom -- but, that's not surprising because what it's describing is "developed wisdom" i.e. the effect of having perfected wisdom.</p>

<p>I guess you'd have to look at other places <em>pañña</em> is used by itself (to find a description of <em>pañña</em> itself), and/or other <em>pañña</em> compounds (for descriptions of the various types of <em>pañña</em>).<sup>1</sup></p>

<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praj%C3%B1%C4%81_(Buddhism)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a> says it means "insight into the three characteristics": quoting Gombrich and others.</p>

<p>It's one of the several <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81ramit%C4%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">perfections</a> (i.e. virtues which can be "perfected" or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_(grammar)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">completed</a>).</p>

<hr>

<p><sup>1</sup> <sub>Not easy to summarise:</p>

<ul>
<li>A <a href="https://suttacentral.net/search?query=pa%C3%B1%C3%B1a" rel="nofollow noreferrer">search of SuttaCentral</a> returns 500 results -- many from the Abhidamma and so on.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.002.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 8.2</a> describes 8 different types of discernment (which may confirm my theory that there are many different types or aspects of wisdom, that's it's not a term with a narrow meaning)</li>
<li><em>Pañña</em> is an entire branch of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threefold_Training" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Threefold Training</a>, so I expect it includes right view and right intention
</sub></li>
</ul>

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ChrisW
<p>From the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.099.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lonaphala Sutta</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Now, a trifling evil act done by what sort of individual is
  experienced in the here &amp; now, and for the most part barely appears
  for a moment? There is the case where a certain individual is
  <strong>developed in the body, developed in virtue, developed in mind [i.e.,
  painful feelings cannot invade the mind and stay there], developed in
  discernment: unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the
  immeasurable</strong>. A trifling evil act done by this sort of individual is
  experienced in the here &amp; now, and for the most part barely appears
  for a moment.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What developed in body and developed in mind means, is elaborated in <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.036.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN36</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"And how is one developed in body and developed in mind? There is the
  case where a pleasant feeling arises in a well-educated disciple of
  the noble ones. On being touched by the pleasant feeling, he doesn't
  become impassioned with pleasure, and is not reduced to being
  impassioned with pleasure. His pleasant feeling ceases. With the
  cessation of the pleasant feeling there arises a painful feeling. On
  being touched with the painful feeling, he doesn't sorrow, grieve, or
  lament, beat his breast or becomes distraught. When that pleasant
  feeling had arisen in him, it didn't invade his mind and remain
  because of his development of the body. When that painful feeling had
  arisen in him, it didn't invade his mind and remain because of his
  development of the mind. This is how one is developed in body and
  developed in mind."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What being developed in <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">virtue (sila)</a> means, is covered by the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/pancasila.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Five Precepts</a> (and also the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/atthasila.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Eight Precepts</a> and <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/dasasila.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ten Precepts</a>), <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-vaca/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Right Speech</a>, <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-kammanto/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Right Action</a> and <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-ajivo/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Right Livelihood</a>. These links provide more info on these.</p>

<p>However, what does "developed in discernment" mean?</p>

<p>Please also provide references from the scriptures.</p>

<personal-practice><reference-request><pali-canon>
What does "developed in discernment" mean?
# What does "developed in discernment" mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-04-29)

From the [Lonaphala Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.099.than.html):

> Now, a trifling evil act done by what sort of individual is
> experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears
> for a moment? There is the case where a certain individual is
> **developed in the body, developed in virtue, developed in mind [i.e.,
> painful feelings cannot invade the mind and stay there], developed in
> discernment: unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the
> immeasurable**. A trifling evil act done by this sort of individual is
> experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears
> for a moment.

What developed in body and developed in mind means, is elaborated in [MN36](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.036.than.html):

> "And how is one developed in body and developed in mind? There is the
> case where a pleasant feeling arises in a well-educated disciple of
> the noble ones. On being touched by the pleasant feeling, he doesn't
> become impassioned with pleasure, and is not reduced to being
> impassioned with pleasure. His pleasant feeling ceases. With the
> cessation of the pleasant feeling there arises a painful feeling. On
> being touched with the painful feeling, he doesn't sorrow, grieve, or
> lament, beat his breast or becomes distraught. When that pleasant
> feeling had arisen in him, it didn't invade his mind and remain
> because of his development of the body. When that painful feeling had
> arisen in him, it didn't invade his mind and remain because of his
> development of the mind. This is how one is developed in body and
> developed in mind."

What being developed in [virtue (sila)](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/index.html) means, is covered by the [Five Precepts](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/pancasila.html) (and also the [Eight Precepts](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/atthasila.html) and [Ten Precepts](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/dasasila.html)), [Right Speech](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-vaca/index.html), [Right Action](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-kammanto/index.html) and [Right Livelihood](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-ajivo/index.html). These links provide more info on these.

However, what does "developed in discernment" mean?

Please also provide references from the scriptures.

**Tags:** personal-practice, reference-request, pali-canon


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-05-01. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The word translated "developed in discernment" is *bhāvitapañño*, i.e. increased or developed *pañña*.

The dictionary entry for [*pañña*](https://suttacentral.net/define/pa%C3%B1%C3%B1a) says,

> of wisdom, endowed with knowledge or insight, possessed of the highest cognition

The dictionary definition lists a lot of places where it's used in various compounds, (possibly describing various types of wisdom or insight) -- including the *bhāvita* compound, which is used in for example [SN 35.127](https://suttacentral.net/sn35.127/en/sujato) (in summary, immune to sexual desire, and guarding the senses) and [AN 10.24](https://suttacentral.net/an10.24/en/sujato) (in summary, immune to various [unwholesome mental factors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_factors_(Buddhism)#Fourteen_unwholesome_mental_factors)).

I'd say these describe the effect of wisdom rather than describing the object of wisdom -- but, that's not surprising because what it's describing is "developed wisdom" i.e. the effect of having perfected wisdom.

I guess you'd have to look at other places *pañña* is used by itself (to find a description of *pañña* itself), and/or other *pañña* compounds (for descriptions of the various types of *pañña*).1

[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praj%C3%B1%C4%81_(Buddhism)) says it means "insight into the three characteristics": quoting Gombrich and others.

It's one of the several [perfections](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81ramit%C4%81) (i.e. virtues which can be "perfected" or [completed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_(grammar))).

---

1 Not easy to summarise:

* A [search of SuttaCentral](https://suttacentral.net/search?query=pa%C3%B1%C3%B1a) returns 500 results -- many from the Abhidamma and so on.
* [AN 8.2](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.002.than.html) describes 8 different types of discernment (which may confirm my theory that there are many different types or aspects of wisdom, that's it's not a term with a narrow meaning)
* *Pañña* is an entire branch of the [Threefold Training](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threefold_Training), so I expect it includes right view and right intention


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-04-29. Score: 0

Developed in discernment (wisdom) means developed in Noble Right View rather than attached and burdened by the ignoble right view of reincarnation, as explained in [MN 117](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.117.than.html).

It follows a trifling evil act done by this sort of individual is experienced in the here & now and, for the most part, barely appears for a moment.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been [moved to chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/76883/discussion-on-answer-by-dhammadhatu-what-does-developed-in-discernment-mean).  

---

