[Advaita-l] avidya vs maayaa - What is the difference?

[H S Chandramouli]

Pranams Sri Sadananda Ji,



Reg  << Here, Iwould like to distinguish between avidya and maaya -
although they have beenused interchangeably by many advaitins >>,



It is Sri Bhagavatpada who has stated avidya and maaya as synonymous. Yet
it is true  many advaitins still consider them to be different.



Reg  << Ignorance has the power ofprojection does not really make sense
since ignorance is inert since it is removed.>>,



This is just taking the literal meaning (in English ) of avidya as
“ignorance”. As per the bhashya of Sri Bhagavatpada, avidya is a technical
term having  a much wider significance than just what is indicated by the
term “ignorance” in English language. It is a vastu (which “ignorance” of
English language is not) synonymous with the terms
maaya/avyakruta/avyakta/prakriti/kaarana
etc. All are inert including maaya. The differences you have tried to
pointout considering avidya and maaya as different are considered in the
bhashya as different aspects of the same vastu mentioned above. Not as
different vastus. Is there anything in what you have elaborated upon which
cannot be explained by considering avidya and maaya as the same vastu
endowed with different aspects as broughtout in the bhashya and can be
explained only by considering them as different entities ( I have avoided
using the word vastus in respect of your concept as you do not appear to
consider avidya as a vastu ).



Regards