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Avidya -- Facts, Info, and Encyclopedia article

Avidya is the (One who follows the teachings of Buddha) Buddhist term for ignorance.
According to Buddhism ignorance is at the root of greed, anger, and craving.

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/a/av/avidya.htm (27 words)



Hinduism Glossary

Avidya literally means "ignorance," and is the opposite of Vidya.
Avidya is the delusion of both the intellect and the spirit.
The god Vishnu has two main avatars: Krishna and Rama.

http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/hinduism/HGLOSSRY.HTM (2420 words)



Avidya

Avidya, in Hinduism, means ignorance, or individual ignorance.
Avidya when used as a Theosophical term denotes the ignorance of the mind that causes those commencing on the spiritual pathway to expend vain effort and pursue vain causes.
Avidya, according to Samkara, is endless but can end at any moment when man attains spiritual illumination.

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/avidya.html (379 words)



[No title]

"Avidya is considered the root of everything unwholesome in the world and is defined as ignorance of the suffering-ridden character of existence.
According to the Mahayana view, *avidya* with regard to the emptiness (*shunyata*) of appearances entails that a person who is not enlightened will take the phenomenal world to be the only reality and thus conceal from himself the essential truth.
In the Yogachara view *avidya* means seeing the object as a unit independent of consciousness, when in reality it is identical with it." _The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen_, p.

http://www.luckymojo.com/esoteric/religion/buddhism/zen/9410.zentrms.tn (2345 words)



Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali 2

The cause of this association is ignorance or avidya.
Avidya (ignorance) is the cause of all the other obstructions whether they be latent, in process of elimination, overcome, or in full operation.
These are the difficulty producing hindrances: avidya (ignorance), the sense of personality, desire, hate and the sense of attachment.

http://www.thenazareneway.com/yoga_sutras_of_patanjali_2.htm (1053 words)



Avidya and Maya

Avidya and Maya lose their value and substance; they lose their existence, only after the ignorance of superimposition of Atman and non-Atman is destroyed.
There is no need to perform two acts, or not that the two acts are involved in gaining the knowledge: one to destroy the ignorance and then two, to seek the knowledge.
As soon as the avidya is overcome, the Knowledge of its own shines in its full glory.

http://www.geocities.com/neovedanta/a87.html (879 words)



Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 2.1-2.9: Minimizing gross colorings that veil the Self

It is a journey of yoga meditation and contemplation, leading one from the ignorance or avidya of the not-self to knowing that, which we truly are.
Avidya (2.4, 2.5) = spiritual forgetting, ignorance, veiling, nescience
Avidya gets us entangled in the first place: In relation to individual thought patterns, it is Avidya (spiritual forgetting) that allows us to get entangled in the thought in the first place.

http://www.swamij.com/yoga-sutras-20109.htm (6537 words)



Avidya

Avidya: In Hinduism this is one of the conditions involved in samsara and reincarnation, meaning ignorance.
The origin of tanha (craving) is avidya (ignorance), where tanha is what keeps the living in the cycle of samsara.
Avidya (Sanskrit) (from a not + vidya knowledge, wisdom)

http://www.experiencefestival.com/avidya (597 words)



On Yoga Philosophy

Thus, avidya may be regarded as a congenital tendency to perceive things as they are not and not to perceive things as they are (contrary perception).
It is avidya that, according to yoga philosophy, is the cause of our body-based identity leading to limited self-esteem.
It is avidya that makes us regard our temporary pleasures as the means of enduring happiness.

http://www.spiritualeducation.org/Library/Talwar_Yoga.htm (1889 words)



Atma Bodha Verse 03

But, he is saying that action **in the realm of avidya** cannot dispel avidya as it is not opposed to avidya.
Because it alone is not in the realm of avidya and is **directly opposed** to avidya.
Because they are in the realm of avidya, they cannot remove avidya.

http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/series/pgs/atma_bodha_verse_03.htm (252 words)



BHAGAVATAM

In both the Avatars, the lord first kills women (Thataka in Rama Avatar and Putana in the Krishna's Avatar) illustrating that avidya is the first enemy to realization of God.
The relationship between jiva and avidya is comparable to the one between the fire and smoke, mirror and dust, and foetus and womb.
In the discourse Tirukkudanthai Srimad Andavan Swami said, this truth was exemplified in Krishna Avatar.

http://www.mypurohith.com/Epics/Bhagavatam1.asp (1634 words)



to CHAPTER XIV

Avidya (i.e., ignorance) being the root-cause of creation, its origin is first elucidated and it will be followed up by the thirty-six fundamentals.
This phenomenon is called avidya or tamas (ignorance or darkness).
In answer to this the sadkaarya vadis say:

http://www.starwon.com.au/~soham/tripura/appendixto14.htm (772 words)



Re: Problems in Advaita

Practice of religion is for the sake of citta-Suddhi.
If you do not doubt it, but still are not able to say it yourself with any conviction, how else do you describe this, except as ignorance of the truth that Sruti states i.e.
That is all there is to the question of avidyA.

http://www.hindunet.org/srh_home/1996_2/msg00261.html (1923 words)



Karma

Avidya literally means without-knowledge, as the a- means without, and vidya means knowledge (See Yoga Sutra 2.5).
Avidya is an ability: This Avidya or Ignorance is actually an ability or skill, in addition to being the most subtle obstacle; it is not all bad.
If we were masters of non-attachment (See Yoga Sutras 1.15-1.16), then we could be completely open, with no Avidya or Ignorance, and we would be unaffected by that flood of thoughts.

http://www.swamij.com/karma.htm (5592 words)



Pada Four Kaivalyam: Yoga Sutras

This is vidya or jnana which is the antitheses of and antidote to avidya (ignorance).
It should suffice that its general cause is a primal ignorance (avidya) and false identification which gives birth to what appears as a primal desire.
It is not separate from embodiment, rather ingrained and programmed ignorance (avidya) makes it seem so.

http://www.rainbowbody.net/HeartMind/Yogasutra4.htm (12585 words)



Atma Bodha Verse 04

Avidya is the primal ignorance of the jIva which thinks of itself as finite, mortal etc. not realizing its true Self (Atman) which is infinite, immortal etc. How should this avidya be removed?
This verse is in continuation of the theme of the prior verses; namely, the explanation of Atman, jnAna, avidya etc. To sum, bhagavatpAda has so far taught us that mOksha is the prime goal of life, mokshA can be attained by jnAna alone and that jnAna leads to removal of avidya.
This Self appears to be finite due to ignorance(ajnAna); when ignorance is destroyed, the Self which is self-luminous is known, just as the radiance of the Sun is known after the clouds pass away.

http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/series/pgs/atma_bodha_verse_04.htm (287 words)



The Secret of the Katha Upanishad by Swami Krishnananda

We call it ignorance, or nescierice, or the absence of knowledge, or darkness, etc. This ignorance, Avidya, breeds a desire for the external objects of sense - Kama.
Three forms of Tapas or austerity have to be undergone with three aids and with the help of three Sadhanas or spiritual practices.
An ignorance of the true and ultimate nature of things is called Avidya.

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/katha/ka_3.html (2772 words)



ipedia.com: Guru Article

Another etymology claimed in Hindu scriptures is that of dispeller of darkness (wherein darkness is seen as avidya, lack of knowledge both spiritual and intellectual): 'gu' meant darkness and 'ru' meant remover.

http://www.ipedia.com/guru.html (1562 words)



Re: avidyA and advaita

Note that the predication of avidyA comes after the process of anvaya-vyatireka.
I will not be giving the original Sanskrit verses.
avidyA is not established by any of the means of knowing (pramANA-s).

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/jul99/0079.html (1019 words)



I to O

In short, avidya is the belief that ‘There exists a reality which is not Brahman or cosmic consciousness’; when there is the certain knowledge that ‘This is indeed Brahman’, avidya ceases.
All prosperity and all adversity, childhood, youth, old age and death, as also suffering, what is known as being immersed in happiness and unhappiness and all the rest of it: all these are the extension of the dense darkness of ignorance.

http://www.yogavasistha.com/itoo.htm (1552 words)



ISRC -BOOKS

Thus do we start from avidya (ignorance) and pass through vidya (knowledge) on to that which is neither avidya nor vidya but beyond both.
That means when the veil of ignorance is torn off, avidya and vidya are both gone.
Thus avidya (ignorance) has no existence without vidya (knowledge) and vidya without avidya.

http://www.sriramchandra.org/books/Chapter.asp?book=PG&chap=18 (462 words)



Chapter Nineteen: Creation as Explained in the Non-dualist Tantras

The ever-changing world is, when viewed by the spiritually wise (Jñani), the form imposed by Avidya on the Changeless Sat.
The Parameshvara is, he adds, described as Sacchidananda in order to affirm that even when the Brahman is associated with Avidya, its own true nature (Svarupa) is not affected.
Nature, in the second sense, that is the phenomenal world, which is a product of Mulaprakriti is the compound of the evolutes from this root substance which are called Vikritis in the Samkhya and Tantra, and name and form (Namarupa) by the Vedantins, who attribute them to ignorance (Avidya).

http://www.allstarz.org/religioustext/tantra/sas/sas19.htm (8618 words)



Verse Seven - The Process of Performing Bhajana of Sri Krishna's Name and Pastimes

Those whose tongues are afflicted by the jaundice of avidya (or, in other words, those who are afflicted by the ignorance born of being indifferent to Sri Krishna from a time without beginning) cannot relish the nectarine names, form, qualities and pastimes of Sri Krishna, which are compared to the sweetest sugar-candy.
In this verse such avidya is compared to the disease of jaundice.
Being indifferent to Sri Krishna since beginningless time is called avidya, or ignorance.

http://members.surfeu.fi/harekrishna/kirjallisuutta/id91.htm (872 words)



YogaLife: The Five Afflictions Of Living

Patanjali describes avidya as anityashuchi-duhkhanatmasu nitya-shuchi-sukhatmakhyatir avidya, "Ignorance is the belief that the impermanent, the impure, the painful, are the permanent, the pure, the pleasurable, that the non-Self is the Self."
Sage Patanjali mentions the five kleshas in Yoga Sutra 54 (Pada 2, Sutra 3), avidyasmita-raga-dveshabhiniveshah kleshah, "The afflictions are ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion and the tenacious clinging to existence."
We must remove ignorance by being honest with ourselves and others, and devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to a spiritual discipline that reveals Self-knowledge.

http://americanswami.typepad.com/yogalife/2005/07/all_suffering_a.html (541 words)



Mayavadi Philosophy

Mayavadis say there is a sakti of avidya called jadatmika avidyasaktih, and this potency transforms itself into the visible material manifestations of objects.
So, when ignorance is destroyed, then the jadatmika sakti must also be destroyed, the object itself would be destroyed.
Vadiraja asks another question: Mayavadis say out of the avidya came the covering of the whole.

http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/mayavada.htm (4647 words)



Uprooting the Tree of Ignorance- by Asoka Selvarajah, Ph.D.

The fourth and last branch on the tree of Avidya is called abhinivesa or Fear.
This article explores various branches of Avidya, as well as Yoga teachings regarding its progressive removal from our lives.
Regular Yoga does progressively diminish the force of Avidya in our lives.

http://www.lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/August/feature3.htm (1178 words)



Slokam 69

“avidyA (Ignorance) is an irresistible folly of the wheel of Time;
SrI M. rAmAnujAcArya explains that kAlanemi – the wheel of Time- refers to the bane of kali, and since He destroys the effect of kali, namely avidyA, by firmly residing in the holy places and shrines, He is called kAlanemi-nihA.
The nine-syllabled mantra containing this nAma “om kAla-nemi-nighne namah” removes the root-cause of avidyA or ignorance, as summarized by the author of nirukti:

http://home.comcast.net/~chinnamma/sahasra/sloka69.htm (2989 words)



Chapter 11

Sthula Avidya or gross ignorance is enveloping all objects.
It is through Avidya or ignorance that you identify yourself with Vritti as, for instance, when you say: "I am angry."
The function of a Vritti in the mind is to cause Avarana-Bhanga (removal of the veil of ignorance covering objects).

http://www.starwon.com.au/~soham/MIND/mindchap11.htm (1125 words)



Yoga Journal : 200 Key Sanskrit Yoga Terms

Prajna ("wisdom"): the opposite of spiritual ignorance (ajnana, avidya); one of two means of liberation in Buddhist yoga, the other being skillful means (upaya), i.e., compassion (karuna)
Avidya ("ignorance"): the root cause of suffering (duhkha); also called ajnana; cf.
Bhagavata-Purana ("Ancient [Tradition] of the Bhagavatas"): a voluminous tenth-century scripture held sacred by the devotees of the Divine in the form of Vishnu, especially in his incarnate form as Krishna; also called Shrimad-Bhagavata

http://www.yogajournal.com/newtoyoga/159_1.cfm (3809 words)



Revelation -- True and False (6 of 25)

This valuable help is always available for the earnest and sincere man who seeks for Truth and is not satisfied with a creed, who demands Knowledge and rejects mere belief, who follows the faith of his Inner God and not of the father of his body.
Absolute Knowledge is a matter of illumination, which follows the search in higher regions, and during which "man is at one with the Universal Mind," which as we have seen before is Sophia, Shakti, Daiviprakriti.
Leaving aside Agnosticism, Nescience, Avidya, let us say a word or two about Relative Knowledge, Apara Vidya.

http://www.wisdomworld.org/additional/StudiesInTheSecretDoctrine/RevelationTrueAndFalse.html (2938 words)



Moksha Gita by Swami Sivananda, Commentary by Swami Krishnananda, The Divine Life Society

Every way of spiritual effort is centred in the breaking open of the ego which is the root of the passion for living.
These afflictions can be eradicated through a turning to the Source of Eternal Life through regulation of conduct and meditation on the spiritual Ideal.
The faith pinned on untruth transforms untruth to appear like truth and Jiva is thus deceived by its own thought-constructions.

http://www.geocities.com/aum_meditation (14712 words)



Maya

In the imperishable infinite realm of Brahman the two establishments are Vidya (knowledge) and Avidya (ignorance or the source of delusion).
In his commentary on Brihadaranyaka Upanishad he states, "We admit that Brahman is not the product of Avidya or is itself deluded, but we do not admit that there is another deluded conscious being besides Brahman which could be the producer of ignorance."
In The Bhagvad Gita (IV, 6) Lord Krishna states: "Unborn am I, changeless is my self; of (all) contingent beings I am the Lord!

http://www.mahanadi.com/kasturi/maya.asp (1073 words)



Vedanta for Beginners

Raga and Dvesha are the modifications or effects of Avidya or ignorance.
Avidya can be destroyed by knowledge of the Imperishable or Brahman, and not by indiscriminate suppression of the senses.
Due to the multifarious nature of Avidya, Jivas are too many, and being individualised and separated from one another, they are swayed by Avidya or ignorance.

http://www.dlshq.org/download/vedbegin.htm (17741 words)



Ramanuja - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ramanuja regards this as an absurdity: given that Advaita claims that Brahman is pure self-luminous consciousness, obscuration must mean either preventing the origination of this (impossible since Brahman is eternal) or the destruction of it - equally absurd.
But Ramanuja denies the existence of undifferentiated {nirguna} Brahman, arguing that whatever exists has attributes: Brahman has infinite auspicious attributes.
Brahman is knowledge; Avidya cannot co-exist as an attribute with a nature utterly incompatible with it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramanuja (1440 words)



BG09

This sovereign wisdom or vision is direct and revealed and the revelation is selective and depends on the depth and sincerity of pursuit in yoga, bhakti, prapatti, and saranāgati.
In the dark depths of the ocean of ignorance, there is a (sightless) creature by name Asat with avidya (ignorance), and unused eyes.
Karma, avidya, ahankāra are productive of bondage; avidya is ignorance and ahankāra is mine-ness.

http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/bg09.htm (7078 words)



Karuna Yoga - Frank Jude's Karuna Notes

When I teach about avidya defined as "ignorance," I stress that experientially, this is more ig-nore-ance, than some mere lack of knowledge or understanding.
Earlier I used the word "denial" as a synonym for ignorance to emphasize that it is not a mere lack of knowledge we are talking about here.
But just to clarify before moving on to The Third Noble Truth, which is the prognosis for the human condition, it is pretty clear that the Buddha and Patanjali agree that the primary existential cause of duhkha is avidya or ignorance.

http://www.judekaruna.net/archives/2004_05_30_archive.html (702 words)



Concept of "Maya"

At this stage Ignorance (Avidya) intervenes to confuse the human mind and intellect by mistaking the Finite form of Brahma with its Infinite form.
The inherent ignorance of jiva makes it also a permanent affair with him; As long as 'Jiva' is a part of deluding universe, be cannot get rid of it, he can not be emancipated.
The originator of Sankhya system of philosophy Kapila substitutes Maya with the avidya (ignorance) aspect of intellect (Buddhi).

http://www.koausa.org/Glimpses/Maya.html (2699 words)



Chapter 17

The mind itself is a creation of Avidya (ignorance).
There is no Avidya apart from the mind.
On destruction of the mind, all is destroyed.

http://www.upnaway.com/~bindu/anantayogaweb/mind/mindchap17.htm (1036 words)



Zen Terms

The Second Nobel Truth of Buddhism, that the cause of suffering (of chronic frustration) is this clinging or grasping at what cannot be grasped or clung to, is based on avidya, ignorance.
This is why the egocentric attempt to dominate the world, to bring as much of the world as possible under the control of the ego, has only to proceed for a little while before it raises the difficulty of the ego's controlling itself." (Alan Watts, The Way of Zen, Vintage Books, 1985.
For to one who has self-knowledge, there is no duality between himself and the external world.

http://www.yakrider.com/Buddha/Zen/zen_terms.htm (3338 words)



Jiva-Atma-page

The 'mayavadi' follower of Sankara, Vidyaranya in his book Panchadasi says that the 'Jiva' is a reflection of 'Chit' knowledge, and according to relative gradation of 'avidya', ignorance and the influence of 'prakrtik' modes of impurifications fo 'rajas' and 'tamas' maintain plurality of souls.
But from the endless past it is covered up by 'avidya' or ignorance of its real relationship with 'Brahman', and as a consequence it is filled with a false sense of independence.
This carries the causal potentialities that lead to a number of future lives, in the fulness of time; (ii) 'Prarabdhakarma' or 'karma' which has begun to bear fruit; (iii) 'Kaama' or desire which is the seed of activity; and (iv) positive ignorance ('bhavarupajnana') or 'avidya' which is both real and destructible.

http://www.salagram.net/Jiva-Atma-page.htm (17272 words)



Idyll of the White Lotus by Mabel Collins

He stood by the door of the holy of holies; his eyes were on me. Kamen [a servant of the dark goddess [Avidya- the dark side of human nature] stood nearer to us, and he was gazing at the closed door of the sanctuary, and his lips were moving as if he were repeating words.
Kamen [a servant of the dark goddess [Avidya- the dark side of human nature] came close to me, and when I flung aside the one I wore, put this upon me with his own hands.
Among them were Agmahd [a servant of the dark goddess[Avidya- the dark side of human Nature] and Kamen [a servant of the dark goddess [Avidya- the dark side of human nature] and the others shared with them the strange immobility of expression which had affected me so deeply.

http://www.tphta.ws/MC_IDYWL.HTM (22248 words)



HERE-NOW4U :Balasubramanian, Dr. R. :Being And Beings - Some Epistemological And Metaphysical Considerations

Whereas an ignorant man affirms the reality of the world because the world alone is existent to him one who has realised the truth declares the reality of Brahman and cognises everything as Brahman.
In order to explain the causal relation between the immutable Brahman and the manifested world, there is the need to bring in an additional factor which is called Maya or Avidya whose ontological status is neither real nor non-real.
Since the saving knowledge which is capable of destroying ignorance can be attained here in this life, Advaita advocates the doctrine of liberation-in-life (jivan-mukti).

http://www.here-now4u.de/eng/being_and_beings__some_epistem.htm (9719 words)



Ganesha Charanam Parama Pavanam

Avidya means that which is the opposite of knowledge.
The sacred texts (srutis) have also declared that the universe is made up of these three qualities.
Avidya is the cause of Man's inability to comprehend his true form.

http://www.hindunet.org/alt_hindu/1995_Jun_2/msg00007.html (1937 words)



[No title]

pages and pages of sutras, hours and hours of lectures, detail the many fabulous qualities of what is often translated 'wisdom' and 'spiritual knowledge', but only those of the Avidyana tradition have come to understand the supreme importance of avidya.
To: NondualitySalon@onelist.com (Nonduality Salon) Subject: The Glory of Ignorance (Avidya; LONG) Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 12:59:25 -0700 (PDT) From: (nagasiva@luckymojo.com) !

http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/dozen/ignorance.tn (510 words)



Problem of Evil

First of all, it is avidyA (ignorance) and not the ego that 'prevents us from realisation'.
It has lost its innate bliss, and thus arises the desire for happiness and pleasure (kAma).
It is only avidyA (ignorance) that generates the false notion of limitedness, and it is because of the thraldom of this notion that it tries to gain something which it thinks it is lacking.

http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/chittaranjan/evil_chittaranjan.htm (720 words)



SriPedia: Cit

According to Vishishtadvaita Doctrines, the Jivans, which are infinite in number are quite different from one another, based on their Karmic history.The three types of Jivans are : Baddha, Mukta and Nitya Jivans.
BADDHA JIVAN OR SOULS IN BONDAGE: they are associated with bodies as a result of unexpended Karmas from previous births The birth of the Jivans in the world is due to Avidya or Nescience in them.
This embodiment causes further Avidya and consequent Karma.

http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/cgi-bin/kbase/action=browse&id=Cit&oldid=Jiva (709 words)



Ishvara

One does not attain to the desired result through avidya, for by definition avidya is lack of knowledge.
Inertia cannot bring forth; it can only mask and hide.
The seeing of the Seer is not avidya.

http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/chittaranjan/ishvara_chittaranjan.htm (2418 words)



Advaita Trends in Jainism

Thus the distinction between the practical and real standpoint of view is a common feature of Vedanata and Jainism, may even of Buddhism of the Upanisads.
James has prescribed it; Bergson admitted it; Plato affirmed it; Vedas and Upanisads have proclaimed it; Buddhists and many others formulated it; Jainas and Advaita too have recommended it.
Deussen rightly says that "the Para-vidya is nothing but metaphysics in an empiric dress, i.e., Vidya as it appears considered from the standpoint of Avidya, the realism innate in us.

http://www.jainworld.com/jainbooks/ramjees/advaita.htm (2640 words)



THE ISAVASYA UPANISHAD

Oh God of fire, when you consume this body, destroy all that was bad in us, and lead us through the path of enlightenment to whatever rewards we deserve.
He who understands both vidya and avidya together attains to the true nature
He who understands the limitations imposed by lack of knowledge or partial knowledge, is able to identify them and identify himself with the Eternal and

http://education.vsnl.com/vidyavrikshah/isa2.html (455 words)



Ashram

This knowledge, to think over that for what purpose we have got this human birth, is being bestowed by YOGI GURU.
The shastaras, as also THE VICHAR KAAND OF YOG MAHADIVYA RAMAYAN, have explained the KALESH being of five types - Avidya, Asmita, Rag, Davesh and Abhinivesh.
AVIDYA is the knowledge of worldly lusts, one who got trapped in these may get monetary benefits but he remain entrapped in AWAGAMAN and VIDYA is the knowledge which frees us from this vicious cycle of births and rebirths.

http://yogsadhanashram.8k.com/teachings.htm (2558 words)

Topic: Avidya

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