Parā Vidyā (Sanskrit: परा विद्या) is a combination of two words – parā, in Hindu philosophy, means - existence, paramount object, the highest point or degree, final beatitude; and vidyā means - knowledge, philosophy, science, learning, scholarship.
To understand and realize the Reality, the aspirant must seek a spiritual teacher (Guru).
Only a spiritual teacher who has already realized his identity with the Atman can impart this much sought-after wisdom based on his own experiences.
The Absolute, which is Truth, which is Reality, is neither an expression nor a reflection of itself; it is non-dual being devoid of otherness, and it cannot be an object of knowledge in the ordinary sense as it surpasses the intellect in subtleness.
Para Vidya is samyagdarcanam, the pure philosophic esoteric doctrine which teaches that Brahman is without attributes (gunas), without any distinction (vicesha) and without limitations (upadhis), that it undefinable, alone and without a second.
Avidya, Apara Vidya and Paravya are three fold phases of experience, the three transitions in knowledge of the transforming cognizer.
Para Vidya is the knowledge of the Absolute whereas Apara Vidya is the knowledge of the world; the former has Reality as its content and possesses a unique quality of ultimacy which is singular and free from reason, senses, etc., but the latter has the phenomenal world as its content.
The aim of integral education is to integrate all dichotomies, to integrate the material and spiritual dimensions of the human personality; it does not recognize the description of vidya as Para Vidya (higher spiritual knowledge) and Apara Vidya (the knowledge of the senses and the surface mind) because the latter without the light and influence of the former is avidya or false knowledge.