DESCRIPTION OF AVIDYA

Avidya, or ignorance and illusion, is to live with desires and dualities. The mind is a thought-manufacturing machine that manufactures thoughts to intensify desires through sensual pleasures to an insatiable level. Avidya generates states of opposites—happiness and distress, hot and cold, light and darkness, prosperity and poverty, etc.—and never lands in a state of unity. Vidya is the knowledge of unity through the extirpation of desires and dualities, affirms Yoga-Vasistha (Ch. CXIII). In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (14.5-14.27), Avidya refers to a state of ignorance or nescience that leads to attachment, illusion, and the cycle of birth and death. The Bhagavad Gita describes Avidya as the root cause of suffering and bondage, contrasting with Vidya, or knowledge. Avidya obscures our true nature and the nature of reality, leading to a false sense of self and an attachment to the material world. Ignorance (Tamas) is a state of delusion and a primary impediment to spiritual advancement, contends the Bhagavad Gita. It contrasts ignorance with knowledge (Sattva), highlighting how ignorance obscures true reality and leads to suffering. It identifies ignorance (Tamas) as one of the three modes of material nature, along with goodness (Sattva) and passion (Rajas). These modes influence individuals' perceptions, actions, and destinies. The Bhagavad Gita describes the mode of ignorance as a state of delusion where individuals are unable to understand the true nature of reality. Illusions and attachments easily sway them, impeding their ability to act in accordance with Dharma (righteousness). The Gita also emphasises that knowledge, gained through understanding and devotion, can dispel the darkness of ignorance. Avidya is not simply a lack of knowledge but rather a distorted understanding of reality, characterised by delusions and attachments. It is often associated with Maya, the cosmic illusion that obscures the true nature of Brahmān and the individual soul. Avidya is the primary reason for the Samsara Chakra (cycle of birth and death), as it leads to Karma (duties) and the constant rebirths in the material world. Avidya is also connected to the tri-gunas, the three qualities of material nature (Sattva-purity or goodness, Rajas-activity or desire, and Tamas-darkness and passion), which further influence and perpetuate the cycle of ignorance. Avidya is contrasted with Vidya, which represents true knowledge, understanding, and liberation. Vidya dispels the darkness of Avidya and leads to the realisation of Self.

1. Outline

Avidya is ignorance, or a lack of true knowledge that one should possess, and unlike nescience, it is not a neutral term of simply lack of knowledge. Avidya is a fundamental cause of suffering and bondage. It is the opposite of Vidya, which is Self-knowledge or awareness of Self, or Atman, leading to liberation. Vidya is to have knowledge that Cosmic Self, or Brahmān, is Absolute, One, indivisible, imperishable, and eternal (the Ultimate Reality). Avidya is considered the root cause of the perceived separation and diversity in the world, leading to the illusion of a separate self and the cycle of birth and death. "Avidya-trayam" refers to ignorance of the true nature of Atman, or Self, ignorance of Jagat, or the cosmic universe; and ignorance of the relationship between Atman and Jagat. Ignorance of Atman refers to the misconception that Jiva, or individual self, is separate from Brahman, or Cosmic Self, the Ultimate Reality. It's the mistaken belief that the individual self is limited and finite, rather than being identical to the universal consciousness. Ignorance of Jagat, or the cosmic universe, refers to the belief that the universe is real and permanent when, in fact, it is a manifestation of Maya, or cosmic illusion. It's the misunderstanding that the world of objects and experiences has a separate and independent reality from the Self. Ignorance of the Relationship: This phenomenon refers to the misconception about the relationship between the individual self and the world. It's the misunderstanding that the individual self is either subject to or separate from the world, rather than being fundamentally connected to it. Avidya leads to the Samsara, or cycle of birth and death. Avidya can be overcome by the cultivation of Vidya through knowledge, meditation, and other spiritual practices, ultimately leading to Moksha, or liberation.

2. Scriptures

The false desires that continually rise in the breast, according to Yoga-Vasistha (3.113.1), are like the appearance of false moons in the sky and should be shunned by the wise. There exists nothing real or unreal anywhere, affirms Yoga-Vasistha (3.113.4-5), except the only true essence of God, as there is no substantiality in the continuity of the waves, besides the body of waters. It states that there is no reality in anything, whether existent or non-existent, all of which are mere creations of your shadowy ideality; therefore, do not impute any shape or figure to the eternal, boundless, and pure spirit of God. If truth is delectable and untruth is odious, contends Yoga-Vasistha (3.113.9-11), then remain firm about what is good and be employed in your duties. But as the whole world is a gallery, a magic and an unreality, then say, What reliance is there in it, and what signifies pleasurableness or unpleasurableness to anybody?' It teaches this ovum of the world to be a delusion, and being inexistent in itself, it appears as a real existence to others.The Srimad Bhagavad Gita (7.27) aphoristically teaches that illusion arises from the dualities of desire and aversion, and all living beings in the material realm are deluded by these. But one who controls the mind and is free from attachment and aversion, even while using the objects of the senses, attains the Grace of God, proclaims the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (2.64). By His grace, according to Swami Mukundananda, God grants divine energies – divine knowledge, divine bliss, and divine love – to the soul at the time of God-realisation. To overcome avidya, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (Chs. 2, 3, 12, 14, and 18) teaches that we need to gain true knowledge, or jnana, practice devotion, and engage in self-inquiry, which means understanding the nature of Brahman. Inquiry and practice can lead to the dispelling of Avidya. Through introspection, one can gradually become aware of the false sense of self and the illusory nature of the material world. The Bhagavad Gita emphasises that Avidya is a significant obstacle on the path to liberation, and its eradication through knowledge, devotion, and self-inquiry is crucial for achieving spiritual enlightenment. The Gita emphasises that ignorance prevents individuals from achieving self-realization and spiritual liberation. It obscures the path of knowledge and true understanding, leading to a cycle of suffering and rebirth. Seeking knowledge through study, contemplation, and questioning one's own understanding can lead to a clearer perception of reality. Fostering a deep connection with the divine through devotion can purify the heart and dispel the darkness of ignorance. Embracing virtues like humility, detachment, equanimity, forbearance, truthfulness, honesty, and self-control can help us overcome the influences of ignorance. It posits the vices are an obstacle to spiritual growth and self-knowledge.In a similar vein, the Isha Upanishad (1) says do not covet. Why? ‘Whose is wealth?’ is used in the sense of an objection, for nobody has any wealth which could be coveted. The contemplation of Isvara renounces all this, affirming that the Atman is all. All this, therefore, belongs to the Atman, and the Atman is all. The contemplation of God renounces all this, affirming that the Atman is all. All this, therefore, belongs to the Atman, and the Atman is all. All this universe, movable and immovable, unreal in absolute truth, should be covered by His Self, the Lord, Paramatman, with the idea, “I alone am all this as being the inner self of all.” Just like the pleasant smell from sandalwood and agarwood, which comes from rubbing them together and hides the scent of moisture, everything on earth that seems different because of names, shapes, and actions will be let go when we focus on the true self, the Atman, beyond the confusion created by ignorance and the idea of being separate doers and enjoyers.

īśāvāsyamidaṃ sarvaṃ yatkiñca jagatyāṃ jagat |

tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya sviddhanam || Ishavasya 1||

andhantamaḥ praviśanti ye'vidyāmupāsate |

tato bhūya iva te tamoya u vidyāyāṃ ratāḥ || Ishavasya 9 ||

anyadevāhurvidyayā'nyadāhuravidyayā |iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ ye nastadvicacakṣire || Ishavasya 10 ||

vidyāṃ cāvidyāṃ ca yastadvedobhayaṃ saha |avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtamaśnute || Ishavasya 11 ||

All this—whatsoever moveth on the earth—should be covered by the Lord. That was renounced; enjoy. Covet, not anybody’s wealth. The Ishavasya (9) proclaims Avidya is darkness, but those who are in Vidya are even worse if not applied properly. They who worship Avidya alone fall into blind darkness, and they who worship Vidya alone fall into even greater darkness. Vidya predicates one result, while Avidya predicates another. We have heard from wise men who taught us both Vidya and Avidya. They say that by Vidya, some distinct result is produced according to the Srutis, “by knowledge is Devaloka attained” and “by knowledge they climb to it”. According to the text, Avidya (Karma) produces other results, achieving the abode of the manes. He who simultaneously knows both Vidya and Avidya gets over death by Avidya and attains immortality by Vidya. Vidya is the knowledge of the deities; Avidya is Karma. Whoever knows that both these should be simultaneously followed by the same person, he alone can combine the two to gradually secure the one desirable end. ‘By Vidya’ means ‘knowledge or wisdom, often associated with spiritual practices like Agnihotra, etc.’ ‘Death’ means ‘action and knowledge induced by Prakriti (nature).’ ‘Tirtva’ means ‘having got over’. ‘By Avidya’ means ‘by the knowledge of the deities’. ‘Asnute’ means ‘attains’. Amritam defines immortality as becoming one with the deities. According to sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, knowledge of an object and the object of knowledge are different. They are never identical. This is their established view. And its validity is accepted by all. They say that vidyā and 'avidyā have different meanings. The latter, avidyā, is useful in the world of actions performed under motivation and which, therefore, bear fruits. Motivated actions appear acceptable, as they are But if we follow this interpretation, we may misinterpret the rest of the verse. The verse states that we should equalise jñāna and ajñāna and not adhere to either one alone. 

3. Remarks

There is a stanza in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (2.72) that says

eṣhā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṁ prāpya vimuhyatisthitvāsyām anta-kāle ’pi brahma-nirvāṇam ṛichchhati (2.72)

Such is the state of an enlightened soul that, after attaining it, one is never again deluded. Being aware of this at death frees one from the cycle of life and death and leads to God's Supreme Abode. At the same time, Swami Mukundananda explains, God liberates the soul from the bondage of Maya. The Sañchit Karmas (account of Karmas of endless lifetimes) are destroyed. The Avidyā, ignorance within, from endless lifetimes in the material world, is dispelled. The influence of tri-guṇas, three modes of material nature, ceases. The tri-doṣhas, three defects of the materially conditioned state, come to an end. The Pañcha-kleśhas, five defects of the material intellect, are destroyed. The Pañcha-kośhas, five sheaths of the material energy, are burnt. And from that point onwards, the soul becomes free from the bondage of Maya for the rest of eternity.