Sanskrit Noun
avidyā
ignorance
अविद्या
མ་རིག་པ་
無明
Basic Meaning
Literally "unknowing," it refers to a lack of knowledge or misunderstanding of the nature of reality. As such, it is considered to be the root cause of suffering and the basis for the arising of all other negative mental factors.
| Term Variations | |
|---|---|
| Key Term | avidyā |
| Topic Variation | avidyā |
| Tibetan | མ་རིག་པ་ ( marikpa) |
| Wylie Tibetan Transliteration | ma rig pa ( marikpa) |
| Devanagari Sanskrit | अविद्या |
| Romanized Sanskrit | avidyā |
| Chinese | 無明 |
| Chinese Pinyin | wú míng |
| Japanese Transliteration | mumyō |
| Buddha-nature Site Standard English | ignorance |
| Karl Brunnhölzl's English Term | ignorance |
| Richard Barron's English Term | nonrecognition of awareness, ignorance (i.e., one of twelve links of interdependent connection) |
| Jeffrey Hopkin's English Term | ignorance, misconception, misapprehension, nescience |
| Dan Martin's English Term | ignorance, unawareness |
| Gyurme Dorje's English Term | fundamental ignorance |
| Term Information | |
| Source Language | Sanskrit |
| Basic Meaning | Literally "unknowing," it refers to a lack of knowledge or misunderstanding of the nature of reality. As such, it is considered to be the root cause of suffering and the basis for the arising of all other negative mental factors. |
| Term Type | Noun |
| Definitions | |
| Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism | See page 86: In Sanskrit, “ignorance”; the root cause of suffering (duḥkha) and one of the key terms in Buddhism. Ignorance occurs in many contexts in Buddhist doctrine. For example, ignorance is the first link in the twelvefold chain of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) that sustains the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra); it is the condition that creates the predispositions (saṃskāra) that lead to rebirth and thus inevitably to old age and death. Ignorance is also listed as one of the root afflictions (S. mūlakleśa) and the ten “fetters” (saṃyojana) that keep beings bound to samsāra. Avidyā is closely synonymous with “delusion” (moha), one of the three unwholesome roots (akuśalamūla). When they are distinguished, moha may be more of a generic foolishness and benightedness, whereas avidyā is instead an obstinate misunderstanding about the nature of the person and the world. |
| Tshig mdzod Chen mo | rtsa nyon drug gi nang gses/ rig pa shes rab kyi mi mthun phyogs rten khams gsum la yod pa'i las 'bras dang bden pa sogs kyi tshul ji lta ba mi shes par kun nyon skyed par byed pa'o/ ... ming gi rnam grangs la nga yir 'dzin dang/ ngar 'dzin/ dngos 'dzin/ bdag 'dzin/ mi shes bcas so/ |
