The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (305 page)

Read The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions Online

Authors: John Bowker

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
10.06Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
(Skt.)
or avijja
(P
li), Literally ‘non-knowledge’ or ignorance. A term in Indian religions which, in its broadest connotation, means that which keeps a person bound on the wheel of transmigration (
sa
s
ra
) due to his/her action (
karma
) and so is a condition of suffering (
du
kha
).
1.  Avidy
in Hinduism.
In the
Vedas
avidy
means ignorance of ritual and moral obligations and so implies absence of knowledge rather than an ontological condition of bondage. In the
Upani
ads
it comes to mean spiritual delusion and the non-knowledge of
Brahman
. In
S
khya
-
yoga
ignorance, which is the cause of bondage and suffering, is regarded as the non-discrimination of the individual self (
puru
a
) from matter (
prak
ti
) in which it appears to be entangled. For
Advaita
Ved
nta bondage is similarly due to beginningless ignorance which, in contrast to S
khya, is the creation of distinctions where none exist; in reality there being only Brahman. For
R
m
nuja's
Vi
i

Other books

No Knight Needed by Stephanie Rowe
His Forbidden Bride by Sara Craven
Why Dogs Chase Cars by George Singleton
Shallow Pond by Alissa Grosso
Astarte's Wrath by Wolfe, Trisha
Blackbirds & Bourbon by Heather R. Blair