Avidyā – Ignorance (misapprehension of reality)
In yoga philosophy, Avidya is the fundamental ignorance of the true Self—mistaking the temporary for the eternal, the ego for the Atman. It’s not just lack of knowledge; it’s misidentification.
Sūtras 2.3 – 2.5
Avidyā is defined as the misidentification of the non-Self with the Self, and it gives rise to:
- Asmitā (ego)
- Rāga (attachment)
- Dveṣa (aversion)
- Abhiniveśa (clinging to life)
These kleshas create mental agitation and bind us to suffering.
Avidya in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
Patanjali defines Avidya as follows:
Yoga Sutra 2.5
“Avidya is seeing the non-eternal as eternal, the impure as pure, suffering as happiness, and the non-Self as the Self.”
Avidya is a spiritual ignorance that causes misidentification with the changing aspects of existence (prakriti) rather than the eternal consciousness (purusha).
This encapsulates the essence of avidya – it’s a fundamental misperception of reality and of our true nature.
The root cause of all hindrances, Avidya is “the darkness of unwisdom” leading to the misperception of what is transient as eternal, impure as pure, and painful as pleasurable.
Maya:
Avidya is the root of Maya, the illusory power that veils reality and creates the appearance of a separate, individual self (ego).
Bondage:
It’s the cause of attachment, desire, aversion, and the cycle of birth and death (samsara).
Attachment (Abhinivesa) (Book II, Sutra 9):
Fear of death and clinging to life, even among the wise.
The Path of Avidya perpetuates:
Identification with the Ego:
Self-Assertion (Asmita) (Book II, Sutra 6):
Seeing the Seer (spiritual self) and the instrument of vision (psychic self) as one. It creates a sense of separate ego.
Mistaking the body, mind, and emotions for the true Self.
Worldly Pursuits:
Chasing temporary pleasures and material possessions under the illusion of lasting fulfillment.
Suffering (Book II, Sutra 15):
All personal life becomes misery due to impermanence, restlessness, and internal conflicts between desires.
Remaining trapped in the cycle of desire, attachment, and inevitable disappointment.
Lust (Raga) (Book II, Sutra 7):
A longing for sensory pleasure based on attachment to past enjoyable experiences.
Hate (Dvesa) (Book II, Sutra 8):
Aversion towards anything that brings pain.