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XIV] The Ethics of the Gita and the Buddhist Ethics 499
then the whole cycle stops. But, though in this causal cycle ignorance and desires are far apart, yet psychologically desires proceed immediately from ignorance, and a frustration of desires produces anger, hatred, etc. In the Gita the start is taken directly from attachment and desires (kāma). The Buddhist word tṛṣṇā (tanha) is seldom mentioned in the Gita; whereas the Upanisadic word kāma takes its place as signifying desires. The Gitā is not a philosophical work which endeavours to search deeply into the causes of attachments, nor does it seek to give any practical course of advice as to how one should get rid of attachment. The Vedanta system of thought, as interpreted by Sankara, traces the origin of the world with all its evils to ignorance or nescience (avidya), as an indefinable principle; the Yoga traces all our phenomenal experience to five afflictions, ignorance, attachment, antipathy, egoism and self-love, and the last four to the first, which is the fountain-head of all evil afflictions. In the Gita there is no such attempt to trace attachment, etc. to some other higher principle. The word ajñāna (ignorance) is used in the Gitā about six or eight times in the sense of ignorance; but this "ignorance" does not mean any metaphysical principle or the ultimate startingpoint of a causal chain, and is used simply in the sense of false knowledge or ignorance, as opposed to true knowledge of things as they are. Thus in one place it is said that true knowledge of things is obscured by ignorance, and that this is the cause of all delusion1. Again, it is said that to those who by true knowledge (of God) destroy their own ignorance (ajñāna) true knowledge reveals the highest reality (tat param), like the sun2. In another place jñāna and ajñāna are both defined. Jñana is defined as unvacillating and abiding self-knowledge and true knowledge by which truth and reality are apprehended, and all that is different from this is called ajñāna3. Ajñāna is stated elsewhere to be the result of tamas, and in two other places tamas is said to be the product of ajñāna1. In another place it is said that people are blinded by ignorance (ajñāna), thinking, "I am rich, I am an aristocrat, who else is there like me? I shall perform sacrifices make gifts and enjoys." In another place ignorance is said to
1ajñānenāvṛtam jñānam tena muhyanti jantavaḥ. v. 15.
2 jñānena tu tad-ajñānam yeṣām nāsītam ātmanaḥ. V. 16.
3 adhyatma-jñāna-nityatvam tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam etaj-jñānam iti proktam ajñānam yad ato 'nyatha. Gita, XIII.12
1 Ibid. XIV. 16, 17; X. 11; XIV. 8.
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5 Ibid. v. 16.
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