Avidyā (Buddhism)

Avidyā (Sanskrit: अविद्या; avijjā; Tibetan phonetic: ma rigpa) in Buddhist literature is commonly translated as "ignorance". The concept refers to ignorance or misconceptions about the nature of metaphysical reality, in particular about the impermanence and anatta doctrines about reality. It is the root cause of Dukkha (suffering, pain, unsatisfactoriness), and asserted as the first link, in Buddhist phenomenology, of a process that leads to repeated birth. Avidyā is mentioned within the Buddhist teachings as ignorance or misunderstanding in various contexts: Four Noble Truths The first link in the twelve links of dependent origination One of the three poisons within the Mahayana Buddhist tradition One of the six root kleshas within the Mahayana Abhidharma teachings One of the ten fetters in the Theravada tradition Equivalent to moha within the Theravada Abhidharma teachings Within the context of the twelve links of dependent origination, avidya is typically symbolised by a person who is blind or wearing a blindfold. Avidyā is a Vedic Sanskrit word, and is a compound of a- prefix and vidya, meaning "not vidya". The word vidya is derived from the Sanskrit root vid, which means "to see, to knowingly-see, to know". Therefore, avidya means to "not see, not know". The vid*-related terms appear extensively in the Rigveda and other Vedas. In Vedic literature, avidya refers to "ignorance, spiritual ignorance, illusion"; in early Buddhist texts, states Monier-Williams, it means "ignorance with non-existence". The word is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *weid-, meaning "to see" or "to know". It is a cognate with the Latin verb vidēre ("to see") and English wit. Avidya is explained in different ways or on different levels within different Buddhist teachings or traditions. On the most fundamental level, it is ignorance or misunderstanding of the nature of reality; more specifically about the nature of not-Self and dependent origination doctrines. Avidya is not lack of information, states Peter Harvey, but a "more deep seated misperception of reality".