(Ajnāna) The opposite of JÑANA. Since jñana is knowledge, ajñana is usually translated as “ignorance.” More importantly in both Indian philosophy and theosophy, it is not just ignorance of specific facts, but a fundamental ignorance of our true spiritual nature. As a result of this ignorance of who we really are, we become egocentric and make trouble for ourselves and others. Getting rid of this fundamental ignorance, i.e., attaining Self-Realization, is the basic purpose of our existence. Ajñana is often used synonymously with AVIDYA.

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