user811: I keep on long wondered the difference between wisdom and knowledge. I do not understand why the Buddha refers only to the intellect without talking to intellectuals?

user2215: Generally - wisdom defends good manner in truth. Therefore knowledge describes general experience we get in the world. Knowledge can be overdoing but wisdom is self defensive information that can aim you into better understanding :) tiwigi(CR)

user2231: Knowledge is simply that there is information about the world that we can conceptualize, but wisdom is understanding that there is nothing to know. 
Wisdom is understanding the concept of emptiness, or shunyata in Sanskrit.

user254: There's a definition of 'wisdom' here: The Way of Wisdom --
The Five Spiritual Faculties
I found that definition difficult to understand, for example it says,

"Wisdom penetrates[25] into dharmas as they are in themselves. It disperses the darkness of delusion, which covers up the own-being of dharmas."

Other parts of it which might be easier to understand are the conclusion, which includes,

Delusion, folly, confusion, ignorance and self-deception are the opposites of wisdom. It is because ignorance, and not sin, is the root evil that wisdom is regarded as the highest virtue. A holiness which is devoid of wisdom is not considered impossible, but it cannot be gained by the path of knowledge, to which alone these descriptions apply. The paths of faith, of love, of works, etc., have each their own several laws.
As the unfaltering penetration into the true nature of objects, wisdom is the capacity to meditate in certain ways about the dharmic constituents of the universe. The rules of that meditation have been laid down in the scriptures, particularly in the Abhidharma, and a superb description can be found in the latter part of Buddhaghosa's Path of Purification.

In summary I think it suggests that you might want to read the Abhidharma and/or Path of Purification for further knowledge about that.

Another introduction to wisdom exists here: The Integrity of Emptiness

For all the subtlety of his teachings, the Buddha had a simple test for measuring wisdom. You're wise, he said, to the extent that you can get yourself to do things you don't like doing but know will result in happiness, and to refrain from things you like doing but know will result in pain and harm.
He derived this standard for wisdom from his insight into the radical importance of intentional action in shaping our experience of happiness and sorrow, pleasure and pain. With action so important and yet so frequently misguided, wisdom has to be tactical, strategic, in fostering actions that are truly beneficial. It has to outwit short-sighted preferences to yield a happiness that lasts.

So knowledge might come from reading or listening to Dharma, whereas wisdom is when you are able to act on that knowledge and apply it skillfully.

Wikipedia's article Wisdom in Buddhism claims that wisdom is "insight".

That in Theravada it means concentrated (Samādhi) insight (Vipassanā) into the 'Three Marks of Existence' and the 'Four Noble Truths'.

That in Mahāyāna it means with same, with Karuṇā (compassion) in addition.



user-1: knowledge can be wrong, "panna" translated loosely as wisdom, is a technical term unlike conventional meaning of english word wisdom, the Panna is a faculty, it can not be wrong, it can be weak or strong, intense or dull, it can be trained and has discernment as it s function.
The semantics of these two words are completely different. Like comparing functional muscle strength of a person to knowledge about physiology.
As for the english word "Wisdom" it self, it s definition is very abstract, having asked 100 people you will get different answers with more or less overlap depending on enviroment, their views and access to dictionaries. 
It is important not to attribute english semantical meaning to pali words after translation otherwise the model will be completely confusing and irrational.
The model i mean like how humans gather data about themselves and reality forming a model of the system to make sense of it. Better model, better discernment, more control essentially, less unexpected results. Like having a better map of the territory.
Imo the teachings are like a map, when u have the map u can see the path, when u see the path you can go there, once gone there you posess the knowledge of teritorry. Territory is not the map, map is not the territory, knowledge of the territory is not like knowledge of the map.
People s problem becomes thus that they have a shitty map and they project falsehood onto the territory, claiming a mountain is a lake, north is south, giving wrong directions, following wrong directions, getting into unwanted situations and getting others into unwanted situations. 
People do this, no sane person wants there to be war and conflict, it stressful. Yet because they are projecting their ignorance and views onto real world they are prey to their own intellect faculty in this sense. 

user-1: Knowledge is conceptual, it is information, opinions and views read from books or spoken by others, whereas wisdom is the truth within the experience. Experience can not be conceptualized,  for example....try to explain what water is, then go drink some water or stand in the rain, the conceptualization and the experience are completely different, this is the difference between knowledge and wisdom!!
I hope this has helped.
Metta.
"For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

811: <p>I keep on long wondered the difference between wisdom and knowledge. I do not understand why the Buddha refers only to the intellect without talking to intellectuals?</p>
 2215: <p>Generally - wisdom defends good manner in truth. Therefore knowledge describes general experience we get in the world. Knowledge can be overdoing but wisdom is self defensive information that can aim you into better understanding :) tiwigi(CR)</p>
 2231: <p>Knowledge is simply that there is information about the world that we can conceptualize, but wisdom is understanding that there is nothing to know. </p>

<p>Wisdom is understanding the concept of emptiness, or shunyata in Sanskrit.</p>
 254: <p>There's a definition of 'wisdom' here: <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/conze/wheel065.html#ch1.5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Way of Wisdom --
The Five Spiritual Faculties</a></p>
<p>I found that definition difficult to understand, for example it says,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Wisdom penetrates[25] into dharmas as they are in themselves. It disperses the darkness of delusion, which covers up the own-being of dharmas.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Other parts of it which might be easier to understand are the conclusion, which includes,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Delusion, folly, confusion, ignorance and self-deception are the opposites of wisdom. It is because ignorance, and not sin, is the root evil that wisdom is regarded as the highest virtue. A holiness which is devoid of wisdom is not considered impossible, but it cannot be gained by the path of knowledge, to which alone these descriptions apply. The paths of faith, of love, of works, etc., have each their own several laws.</p>
<p>As the unfaltering penetration into the true nature of objects, wisdom is the capacity to meditate in certain ways about the dharmic constituents of the universe. The rules of that meditation have been laid down in the scriptures, particularly in the Abhidharma, and a superb description can be found in the latter part of Buddhaghosa's Path of Purification.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In summary I think it suggests that you might want to read the Abhidharma and/or Path of Purification for further knowledge about that.</p>
<hr />
<p>Another introduction to wisdom exists here: <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/integrityofemptiness.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Integrity of Emptiness</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>For all the subtlety of his teachings, the Buddha had a simple test for measuring wisdom. You're wise, he said, to the extent that you can get yourself to do things you don't like doing but know will result in happiness, and to refrain from things you like doing but know will result in pain and harm.</p>
<p>He derived this standard for wisdom from his insight into the radical importance of intentional action in shaping our experience of happiness and sorrow, pleasure and pain. With action so important and yet so frequently misguided, wisdom has to be tactical, strategic, in fostering actions that are truly beneficial. It has to outwit short-sighted preferences to yield a happiness that lasts.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So knowledge might come from reading or listening to Dharma, whereas wisdom is when you are able to act on that knowledge and apply it skillfully.</p>
<hr />
<p>Wikipedia's article <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_in_Buddhism" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wisdom in Buddhism</a> claims that wisdom is &quot;insight&quot;.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>That in Theravada it means concentrated (Samādhi) insight (Vipassanā) into the 'Three Marks of Existence' and the 'Four Noble Truths'.</p>
</li>
<li><p>That in Mahāyāna it means with same, with Karuṇā (compassion) in addition.</p>
</li>
</ul>
 -1: <p>knowledge can be wrong, "panna" translated loosely as wisdom, is a technical term unlike conventional meaning of english word wisdom, the Panna is a faculty, it can not be wrong, it can be weak or strong, intense or dull, it can be trained and has discernment as it s function.</p>

<p>The semantics of these two words are completely different. Like comparing functional muscle strength of a person to knowledge about physiology.</p>

<p>As for the english word "Wisdom" it self, it s definition is very abstract, having asked 100 people you will get different answers with more or less overlap depending on enviroment, their views and access to dictionaries. </p>

<p>It is important not to attribute english semantical meaning to pali words after translation otherwise the model will be completely confusing and irrational.</p>

<p>The model i mean like how humans gather data about themselves and reality forming a model of the system to make sense of it. Better model, better discernment, more control essentially, less unexpected results. Like having a better map of the territory.</p>

<p>Imo the teachings are like a map, when u have the map u can see the path, when u see the path you can go there, once gone there you posess the knowledge of teritorry. Territory is not the map, map is not the territory, knowledge of the territory is not like knowledge of the map.</p>

<p>People s problem becomes thus that they have a shitty map and they project falsehood onto the territory, claiming a mountain is a lake, north is south, giving wrong directions, following wrong directions, getting into unwanted situations and getting others into unwanted situations. </p>

<p>People do this, no sane person wants there to be war and conflict, it stressful. Yet because they are projecting their ignorance and views onto real world they are prey to their own intellect faculty in this sense. </p>
 -1: <p>Knowledge is conceptual, it is information, opinions and views read from books or spoken by others, whereas wisdom is the truth within the experience. Experience can not be conceptualized,  for example....try to explain what water is, then go drink some water or stand in the rain, the conceptualization and the experience are completely different, this is the difference between knowledge and wisdom!!
I hope this has helped.
Metta.</p>

<p>"For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them."</p>

<p>~ Thich Nhat Hanh</p>
