(1) In the context of the five types of deep awareness, a type of principal awareness that all beings have as an aspect of Buddha-nature. It is "deep" in the sense that it is a fundamental way in which the mind works and has always been there, primordially, with no beginning and no end. (2) When contrasted with "discriminating awareness" (shes-rab, Skt. prajñā) in the non-Gelug usage of the term, the principal awareness that non-conceptually cognizes the deepest truth of something (its inseparable voidness and appearance), beyond all words and concepts. (3) In the context of the ten Mahayana far-reaching attitudes (perfections, Skt. pāramitā), when contrasted with "discriminating awareness," the special discriminating awareness employed for having the defining characteristic of all phenomena as voidness integrated fully within one's mind. With full integration, bodhisattvas will gain simultaneous and equal awareness of the two truths about everything. (4) In the context of an arya's non-conceptual cognition of voidness, in the Gelug usage, either the principal awareness that explicitly and non-conceptually cognizes voidness (deepest truth) during total absorption or the principal awareness that implicitly and non-conceptually cognizes voidness during subsequent attainment. (5) In the context of the specific awareness/deep awareness (rnam-shes ye-shes) system of Karma Kagyu, the void sphere, inseparable from awareness, the reflexive effulgence of which is the source of all appearances of nirvana and samsara.
Tibetan: ཡེ་ཤེས། ye-shes
Sanskrit: jñāna
Pali: ñāṇa
J. Hopkins: Exalted wisdom; Wisdom; Pristine wisdom
Synonyms: Gnosis
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