________________
III. VII]
AVIDYA IN THE BUDDHIST SCHOOL
127
avidyā (ignorance) is the father.' Maitreyanātha gives a very impressive idea of the functions of the twelve factors of avidyā, sarskāra etc. when he says: “The world is afflicted due to the obscuration of the intuition of truth by avidyā), implantation (of the vāsanā or will to live due to the sarskāras), transference of the vāsanā-seed to the place of birth by vijñāna), the consequent formation (of the nama-rūpa or body and mind), development (of the sadāyatana), the threefold feeling (due to the mutual contact (sparśa) of the senses, the object and the consciousness), enjoyment or suffering (due to vedanā), acquisition (of rebirth due to tysnā), tying down (of the vijñāna to desires by the upādānas), turning towards (fruition of the past action due to bhava), and sorrow (caused by jäti and jarāmarana).'? Avidyā covers the capacity of intuiting the truth. It is of the nature of adarśana (nonintuition)." Avidyā is the cause of perversion (of truth).5 One under the sway of avidyā mistakes the impermanent for the permanent because of one's delusion about truth.6 Samskäras (predispositions) can lead to rebirth only if there is avidyā. Otherwise they are unproductive. Saṁskāras implant the seed of rebirth in the vijñāna which then takes the seed to the place of rebirth. The mind and body (nāma-rupa) form themselves. And so the process of origination goes on. The avidyā is also called delusion (moha).' Nāgārjuna says: 'It is due to thinking the things which have no independent nature as eternal, possessed of self, and pleasant (nityā-'tma-sukha-sanjñā) that this ocean of existence (bhava) appears to one who is enveloped by the darkness of attachment and delusion (moha).'8 In another place he says: The aggregates do not arise from desire, nor from time, nor from nature (prakrti), nor from themselves (svabhāvāt) nor from Lord (iśvara), nor yet are they without cause ; know that they arise from ignorance (avidyā) and desire (tysnā).'9 Avidyā ceases when the knowledge of the reality (dhamma) dawns. 'Even as a man
i Cf. tatra Mahảmate mātā katamā sattvānam yad uta trşņā paunarbhaviki nandirāga-sahagatā mātstvenotişthate avidyā pitrtvenā yatanagrāmasyo 'tpattaye, etc.--LA, P. 138.
2 chādanād ropaņāc cai 'va nayanat samparigrahāt
pūraņāt (triparicchedād) upabhogäc ca (sangrahāt) nibandhanād abhimukhyād duḥkhato kliśyate jagat.-MVS, I. 11-12a-b. 3 avidyāyā yathābhūta-darśana-vibandhanād iti-MVSBh, p. 29. 4 avidyāyā hy adarśanatmakatvad-MVSBT, p. 29. 5 viparyāsahetur avidyā-MVSBh, p. 35.
6 avidyāgato hi tattvasammohad anityādin nityădirūpena viparyasyati ---MVSBT, p. 35. Cf. tattve 'pratipattir mithyäpratipattir ajñānam avidyā. Sālistambasūtra quoted in SS, p. 222 ; BAP, p. 352 ; MKV, p. 564. 7 Visuddhimagga, XVII. 293
8 Mahāyānavimśikā, verse 21. 9 Stanza 50 from Nāgārjuna's Suhrllekha as translated by Wenzel (PTS, 1886) from the Tibetan translation. Dr. Dasgupta's A History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. I, pp. 144-5.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
