ignorance

Ignorance is the fundamental cause of our non-enlightenment.

"Ignorance is merely a false mark. It is not real, and so it is subject to production, extinction, increase, decrease, defilement, purity (see Heart Sutra - Prajna Paramita Hridayam), and so on. Ignorance is empty and unreal. It has no real substance. It is only a name and corresponds to nothing in reality. It cannot be grasped or seen. It causes us to undergo birth, old age, sickness, and death, worry, grief, and misery." (DFS II 374)

Ignorance is the first link in the Twelve-fold Dependent Arising.

(Source: Epstein, 2003: p. 115)

Venerable Master Hsuan Hua states that the "ultimate ignorance is lust."

1) Chinese Mandarin: wu ming , 2) Sanskrit: avidya, 3) Pali: avijja, 4) Alternate Translations: lack of knowledge, nescience, wrong views.

Buddhist Text Translation Society (http://www.BTTSonline.org) References: DFS III 374.

: Search Results

(mwd)	=	Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon
(cap)	=	Capeller's Sanskrit-English Dictionary
(otl)	=	Cologne Online Tamil Lexicon
(cpd)	=	Concise Pahlavi Dictionary

1	(mwd)	avidya	mfn. unlearned , unwise Mn. ix , 205 , &c. ; (%{avidyA}) f. ignorance , spiritual ignorance AV. xi , 8 , 23 VS. xl , 12-14 S3Br.xiv ; (in Veda1nta phil.) illusion (personified as Ma1ya1) , ignorance together with non-existence Buddh.
2	(cap)	avidya	a. ignorant, without knowledge.
3	(cap)	avidyA	f. want of knowledge, ignorance.
4	(cap)	yaj¤avidyA	f. skill in sacrifice.

: Search Results

(mwd)	=	Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon
(cap)	=	Capeller's Sanskrit-English Dictionary
(otl)	=	Cologne Online Tamil Lexicon
(cpd)	=	Concise Pahlavi Dictionary

1	(mwd)	vidya	1 (for 2. see p. 965 , col. 1) = %{vidyA} (ifc. ; see %{a-v-} %{-kRta-vidya} , %{samAna-vidya-tA}).
2	(mwd)	vidyA	f. knowledge (cf. %{kAla-jAta-v-}) , science , learning , scholarship , philosophy RV. &c. &c. (according to some there are four Vidya1s or sciences , 1. %{trayI} , the triple Veda ; 2. %{AnvIkSikI} , logic and metaphysics ; 3. %{daNDa-nIti} , the science of government ; 4. %{vArttA} , practical arts , such as agriculture , commerce , medicine &c. ; and Manu vii , 43 adds a fifth , viz. %{Atma-vidyA} , knowledge of soul or of spiritual truth ; according to others , Vidya1 has fourteen divisions , viz. the four Vedas , the six Veda1n3gas , the Pura1n2as , the Mi1ma1n6sa1. Nya1ya , and Dharma or law [964,1] ; or with the four Upa-vedas , eighteen divisions ; others reckon 33 and even 64 sciences [= %{kalAs} or arts] ; Knowledge is also personified and identified with Durga1 ; she is even said to have composed prayers and magical formulas) ; any knowledge whether true or false (with Pa1s3upatas) Sarvad. ; a spell , incantation MBh. Ragh. Katha1s. ; magical skill MW. ; a kind of magical pill (which placed in the mouth is supposed to give the power of ascending to heaven) W. ; Premna Spinosa L. ; a mystical N. of the letter %{i} Up. ; a small bell L. (cf. %{vidyAmaNi}). 1.
3	(mwd)	vidya	2 n. finding , acquiring , gaining (see %{pativ-} and %{putra-v-}).
4	(mwd)	vidya	1 %{vidyA} &c. see p. 963 , col. 3.
5	(mwd)	vidya	2 %{vidyamAna} &c. see p. 965. [966,3]
6	(cap)	vidya	1 n. finding, getting.
7	(cap)	vidya	2 (adj. ---) = seq.; abstr. {-tA} f.
8	(cap)	vidyA	f. knowledge, learning, a discipline or science, esp. sacred knowledge (threefold) or magic, spell.

Source: http://webapps.uni-koeln.de/tamil/

(NOTE: Numerous corrections and enhancements have been made under Shastra tradition and "Fair Use" by an Anonymous Buddhist Monk Redactor (Compiler) of this Online Buddhist Encyclopedia Compilation)

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Compilation Sources for the Above Material on the Teachings of the Buddha:

Primary Compilation Source: Epstein, Ronald B., Ph.D, compiler, Buddhist Text Translation Society's Buddhism A to Z, Burlingame, California: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2003. ISBN: 0881393533 Paperback: 284 pages. www.BTTSOnline.org www.Amazon.com
http://www.bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=118 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881393533/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20

Secondary Compilation Source: The Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism, 2nd ed., San Francisco, California: Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, 1998: www.budaedu.org.tw

Secondary Compilation Source: Muller, Charles, editor, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism [DDB], Toyo Gakuen University, Japan, 2007: Username is "guest", with no password.
http://buddhism-dict.net/ddb - Based in large part on the Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms with Sanskrit and English Equivalents (by Soothill and Hodous) Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass, 1997.

Secondary Compilation Source: Ehrhard, Diener, Fischer, et al, The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications, 1991. 296 pages. ISBN 978-0-87773-520-5 www.Shambhala.com, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0877735204/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20,
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-0-87773-520-5.cfm

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Updated July 17, 2008