Branches of Avidyā Flashcards
Avidyā
Literally means “incorrect comprehension” or false perception or a misapprehension.
Root cause of the obstacles that prevent us from recognizing things as they really are. The obstacles are asmitā (ego), rāga (attachment), dvesa (refusal), and abhiniveśa (fear).
Opposite of vidyā
Rāga
The obstacle of attachment in avidyā
Devsa
The obstacle of refusal in avidyā
Abhiniveśa
The obstacle of fear in avidyā
Asmitā
The obstacle of ego in avidyā
Parinmavāda
Concept of continual change
Satvāda
Concept that everything we see, experience, and feel is not an illusion; it is true and real. Including dreams, ideas, fantasies, and avidyā
Purusa or drastar
Meaning “that which sees” or “that which can see correctly”
The wellspring deep within us that is not subject to change.
Svādhyāya
Sva means “self”
Adhyāya translates to “study or investigation”
A means by which we can discover the state of yoga, get to know ourselves, and answer; Who are we? What are we? What is our relationship with the world?
Tapas
Root word tap means to “heat” or “cleanse”
It is the means by which we keep ourselves healthy and cleanse ourselves inwardly. The Yoga Sutra describes it as the practice of asanas and prānāyāma which remove blocks and impurities in our system
Īśvarapranidhānā
Interpreted as “love of God” but also means a certain quality of action
It is better to become slightly detached from our expectations and to pay more attention to the actions themselves as we can never be sure of the fruit of our actions.
Kriyā yoga
Kriyā comes from root word kr, meaning “to do”
The yoga of action
The means by which we achieve yoga as a state of being. Happens when we work to reduce avidyā through tapas (health), adhyāya (inquiry), and īśvarapranidhānā (quality of action).
Vidyā
Means “correct understanding”
Opposite of avidyā
Sam skāra
Habituation in our action and perception that the mind becomes dependent on and allows avidyā to obscure our clarity of consciousness with a flimsy layer
