In Buddhism, ignorance or delusion, especially the fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of reality that leads to suffering.
From Pali avijjā, from a- (not) + vijjā (knowledge), related to Sanskrit avidyā. The term evolved in Buddhist philosophy to describe the root cause of suffering in the cycle of rebirth.
This word captures something profound: Buddhism teaches that most human suffering comes not from bad luck but from actively misunderstanding how reality works—we're ignorant without knowing we're ignorant, like someone wearing glasses that distort everything they see.
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