avidya
|a-vid-ya|
/əˈvɪdjə/
fundamental non-knowledge; spiritual ignorance
Etymology
'avidya' originates from 'Sanskrit', specifically the word 'avidyā', where 'a-' meant 'not' and 'vidyā' meant 'knowledge'.
'avidya' changed from the Pali word 'avijjā' and other Indic forms and eventually entered English as the transliterated Sanskrit term 'avidya' through translations and studies of Buddhist and Hindu texts.
Initially, it meant 'non-knowledge' or 'absence of knowledge'; over time it has retained that core sense but in English usage often emphasizes 'spiritual' or 'philosophical' ignorance.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in Buddhism, the fundamental ignorance or nescience that obscures the true nature of reality and is the root cause of suffering (dukkha).
In Buddhism, avidya is regarded as the primary cause of samsara and suffering.
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Noun 2
in Hindu (Vedantic) contexts, nescience or spiritual ignorance — the lack of true knowledge (vidyā) that prevents realization of the self or Brahman.
Vedanta teaches that avidya causes the perceiver to misidentify the self with the non-self.
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Noun 3
academic or general usage borrowed into English to denote deep or philosophical ignorance, especially regarding spiritual or metaphysical matters.
The scholar used 'avidya' to describe a culturally specific form of ignorance not captured by the English word 'ignorance' alone.
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Last updated: 2025/12/02 12:54