What Does Ignorance Refer To?

Ignorance (avidyā) is a unreal dharma, not a truly existent dharma; it has no substance, just like duckweed. Ignorance is a state of the mind that is unclear, unfocused, and unknowing; a state is constantly changing and can also disappear. After ignorance disappears, the mind becomes clear, lucid, and wise. A real dharma, on the other hand, truly exists, is unchanging, and cannot be extinguished. For example, tathatā (suchness), self-nature, and tathāgatagarbha are dharmas that precede heaven and earth, truly existent dharmas, not dharmas born later; therefore they cannot be extinguished.

Wisdom and ignorance are opposing dharmas: where there is ignorance there is no wisdom, and where there is wisdom there is no ignorance. The substance of the tathāgatagarbha is a body of great wisdom, not deluded about any dharma; therefore it has not a trace of ignorance. The seven consciousnesses, lacking great wisdom, are obscured by ignorance; and because they are obscured by ignorance, they lack great wisdom. When the ignorance of the seven consciousnesses is completely extinguished, the four wisdoms become perfectly clear.