avijjã: Fundamental ignorance. This ignorance is the central factor in the delusion about the true nature of oneself and therefore the essential factor binding living beings to the cycle of rebirth. Avijjã exists entirely within the citta (the one who knows). Being an integral part of the citta”s con­scious perspective since time-without beginning, it has usurped the citta”s “knowing nature” and distorted its intrinsic quality of simply “knowing” by creating the false duality of the “knower” and the “known”. From this inpidual viewpoint spring right and wrong, good and evil, heaven and hell, and the whole mass of suffering that comprises the world of samsãra. Thus avijjã is the seed of being and birth, the very nucleus of all existence. It is also the well-spring from which all other mental defilements arise.

　　Far from appearing dark and menacing, avijjã is the epitome of all the mental and spiritual virtues that living beings hold in the very highest esteem. This is its beguiling allure, the reason why living beings cannot se, e it for what it actually is—the great lord and master of birth and death. Appearing at first to be the ultimate in virtue and happiness, the citta”s true abiding sanctuary, when wisdom finally penetrates to its core and exposes its fundamental deception, avijjã promptly dissipates, revealing the pure, unblemished citta, the true Supreme Happiness, Nibbãna.

　　無明(avijjā)：根本無知。這無知是對自我真正的本質産生迷惑的核心根源，所以它也是衆生輪回生死的根本原因。無明完全存在于知道者——心(citta)——中。無始以來它就混合成爲心認識作用的一部分，它篡奪心知道的特性，使本來只是單純的知道功能被扭曲，産生二元對立的“能知者”與“所知者”。並從這個自我的觀點産生對錯、善惡、天堂與地獄乃至純大苦聚，構成輪回的世間。所以無明是“有”和“生”，一切存在的核心。它也是其他一切煩惱的根源。它顯現出來的絕不是黑暗或恐嚇性的形象。相反的，它以衆生極端尊重的善良和崇高的心靈這種形象出現，令人迷惑的受引誘，這是衆生無法看透它真面目——生與死的最終統治者——的原因。它一開始就僞裝成最崇高的善和快樂、心真正的歸依處來顯現自己。當智慧最終滲透它的核心，暴露出它的根本欺詐時，無明就被熄滅。此時，純淨圓滿的心、真正的快 樂——涅槃——就顯露出來。