avidya

Avidya, from Sanskrit a- “not” and vidya “knowledge,” is a term used in Indian philosophy to denote fundamental ignorance or misperception. It refers to a cognitive misapprehension that veils the true nature of reality and leads to mistaken identification with the body, mind, and external phenomena.

In Advaita Vedanta, avidya is the root cause of samsara. It is the ignorance that hides the self (atman) from realizing its essential nonduality with Brahman. This ignorance is often linked to maya, the seeming power that projects the world of appearances. Liberation (moksha) is achieved through the destruction of avidya by self-knowledge (jnana), cultivated through inquiry (vichara), scriptural study, and contemplative practices that discriminate between the real and the unreal (viveka) and cultivate dispassion (vairagya).

Other Indian philosophical schools, notably Samkhya and Yoga, treat avidya as the primordial ignorance that conceals the distinction between purusha (spirit) and prakriti (nature). This misperception generates bondage through the attachment of the mind and the unfolding of karmic impressions (vasanas). The yogic and contemplative disciplines aim to dispel avidya through disciplined practice, discernment, and detachment, leading to liberation by realizing the separation of purusha from prakriti.

The term is commonly translated as “ignorance” or “ignorance of the true nature of reality.” Some discussions distinguish avidya from general ignorance by emphasizing its root, subconscious character, and its central role in the process of conditioning and liberation.