Part 10 - Afflictions: Avidya v/s Mithyattva

Patanjali has nicely explained Avidya^[1] as the breeding ground and root of all klesas (afflictions) which is cognition of impermanent as permanent, impure as pure, pain as pleasure and non-self as self, due to lack of awareness.

Avashyak sutra^[2], one of the most important Agamas in Jain’s literature has described twenty five types of misconceptions as Mithyattva. The prime ones mentioned below of these are similar to Patanjali’s avidya.

To believe jiva (self) as ajiva (non-self) and ajiva as jiva, dharma as adharma and adharma as dharma, have doubtful and impure knowledge, to understand worldly path as path of liberation and vice-versa.

Avidya is also explained by Yashovijayji, a Jain Acarya, later in his scripture “Jnanasara”^[3] as conscience when one recognizes and finds eternality, purity and soulness where there is non-eternality, non-purity and non-soulness. According to him, avidya, klesa and karma are causes of birth-death cycle^[4].

Both the philosophies insist that the main remedy for these hurdles on the path of liberation is to remove or attenuate these klesa or kasaya (Avidya or Mithyatva). Each philosophy has given practices like Kriyayoga, awareness, meditation and practicing Samyak darsana-jnana-caritra towards the same goal.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

anityaśuciduḥkhānātmasunityaśucisukhātmakhyātiravidyā I Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.25I

[2]:

Avashyakasutra, Shri Akhil Bharatiya Sudharma Jain Sanskriti Rakshak Sangh, Jodhpur, 2007, pp.251-52

[3]:

nitya śucyātmatākhyātiranitya śucyanātmasu | avidyā tatvadhirvidhyā yogācāryoḥ prakīrtitā | 105

[4]:

Yashovijayji, Jňanasara, Sri Raj-Saubhag Satsang Mandal, Sayla, p.566, 2004