binds the individual to phenomenal experience. There are principally four ways in
which it works, though in detail it can work in many other ways also. The first action
of ignorance is to create a consciousness of the ‘not-Self’. The Self appears as the not-
Self—this is the first blow it gives. Then, the impermanent looks permanent—another
blow is given over that. Next, pain looks like pleasure—a third blow. Lastly, the
impure looks pure. Four hits are given, and then down we go. This is the definition of
avidya given by the sutra of Patanjali: anitya aśuci duḥkha anātmasu nitya śuci sukha
ātma khyātiḥ avidyā^ (II.5).^
It is not true that things are really outside us, but we are made to believe that it is so.
This is a basic trait of avidya, and this is the most difficult thing to understand. It is
the strongest of weapons and, therefore, it is the last thing that we can get rid of.
Because of the very difficulty of the nature of the case, we have naturally to take up
the easier ones first, and the stronger ones have to be dealt with subsequently. But,
when we actually touch a difficulty, we will find that each one has its own peculiarity,
and none can be regarded as inferior or superior to the other. Every problem is
unique in its nature; it has a speciality of its own. Every day we see people being born
and people passing away. Any day, anything can happen. There is impermanence
reigning supreme as a law of the transition of the world process.
We cannot see any single atom sitting at rest in one place. Everything is moving.
Static things are unknown. Everything is in motion. Everything is a tendency towards
something else. Everything undergoes transformation, change and modification.
There is birth; there is growth; there is change; there is decay; there is destruction.
This is the process which is undergone by everything in this world, whether it is
living or non-living. We see things passing away before our very eyes. Things which
we regard as permanent and stable vanish like mist before the sun. What can be a
greater wonder than this, that things which cannot stand in a single location, even for
a moment, are mistaken for realities? “What can be a greater surprise in this world
than this phenomenon—that every day we see people going to the abode of Yama,
and yet, the remaining ones think they are immortal?” said Yudhisthira. “This is the
greatest of wonders!”
The reason is that there is a mix-up of values in our experience, and the truth cannot
be visualised. There is a complete shaking up of the various constituents of our
perceptional process, and due to this mix-up we are unable to distinguish between
the permanent element and the impermanent element. The passing phenomena are
regarded as real on account of an element of reality getting infused into these
phenomena, just as motion pictures look real on account of the background of a
screen that is behind. If the screen is not there, we will not see the motion pictures.
But the screen is not seen—we see only the movement of the pictures. The
transference of the quality of permanence that is behind—in the screen—upon the
movement of the pictures is the reason why we see a continuity of the movement of
the pictures. We cannot have only movement without some background of reality.
But this peculiar mix-up is not easily visible, and it is precisely because of this
inability to distinguish between the two factors involved in this perception that we
enjoy the picture. All enjoyment is a confusion. It is not wisdom. It is not based on an
understanding of the truths of things; it is based totally on a mix-up of values.
It is not true that anything is permanent in this world. So, how is it that we see
everything as permanent? We see a tree, a wall or a building, and we see people living