May 2025 | Avidya/Ignorance
Om Namah Sivaya
Blessed Self,
I was very inspired by a recent visit to Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, and warm welcome there. What amazed me was the satsang hall, where photos of Swami Sivananda’s disciples were displayed. Among the photos, the most striking was of our teacher Swami Vishnudevanandaji alongside his contemporaries. Our Swamiji had a great skill for observation that made him exceptional among all his Gurubhais. Swamiji used to say: do not teach what you know (or want) but always teach what people need. This observational skill is what made it possible for him to brin the scriptural teachings into fast-moving mundane life, without changing them. Swamiji’s programmes, like Yoga Vacation and other courses remain popular even today, because they give tools for people to take the teachings into their own life, and making life more purposeful, happy, and content.
One of the programmes started many years ago by Swamiji was the Yoga Kids Camp. In the beginning, it was seen as a necessity so that parents could come to the ashram and fully take part in a programme of their liking while their kids were taken care of and moulded in right living and self-discipline. Later it was understood that those very kids who had started at a young age, graduated to Teen Camps, and eventually into Teachers’ Training Courses, with some even turning to the spiritual path completely. We are glad to be continuing that tradition. As I write we have started a kids camp in our Ashram in Neyyardam, which will be followed by a kids camp and Teen camp in our ashram in Madurai.
We continually observe how each person–whether 7 years old or 100 years old–visiting the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams and Centres in India, finds the way to be happy inside. As staff, we are fortunate to watch this, as it motivates us in our own practice and service.
We thank you all for staying connected to the Sivananda family.
Please check in regularly for new offerings both online and onsite. The new issue of the Sivananda Yoga Sandesha Magazine is out! You can read it online at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eGd-drtmuAw7rG_fL9kaKsu5iE68RilV/view
or pick up a print copy at any of our Ashrams or Centres.
May Master and Swamiji’s blessings be with you always.
Pranams,
Prahlada
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams & Centres, India
Avidya is usually translated as ‘ignorance’, the opposite of vidya (knowledge). It is not an intellectual ignorance but a lack of wisdom, a sort of spiritual ignorance or our own true self, who we really are. Exactly what the yoga practices try to remind us. Over the next few newsletters, we will focus on the five kleshas, or afflictions of the mind which form the root of suffering: avidya (ignorance), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment), dwesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of death). Patanjali describes the kleshas in chapter two of the Yoga Sutras.
Our ego often hides in the places where we are the most ignorant. Unaware of our own limitations, we can overestimate our abilities, be unwilling to receive feedback or hear criticism from others. Feeling that we are the only one capable of doing a job properly can lead to exhaustion and burnout. Knowledge of who we are helps. One of the practical aspects of yoga is simply remembering who we are. And, if I remember that I am a divine being, then, by extension, I remember that others are as well. Acceptance may be a helpful antidote to ignorance. At a time when acceptance of others, other ideas, other viewpoints in the world seems critically low, remembering who I am and who you are is of utmost importance.
Reflect on ignorance, reflect on ego. Try to notice where it seeps into life and practice (and teaching!). Try to focus, instead, on growth. Then, my weaknesses can be seen as opportunities for change and growth, stepping stones to a better version of myself. Meditating, cultivating a mindful attitude can help us understand our own biases. There is no way in which yoga is not a helpful solution to the afflictions of the mind, including ignorance.
Identity is something often imposed by external circumstances. The Haghia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul was once a principal church of the Byzantine Empire and later became a mosque during the time of the Ottoman Empire, later still a museum and a repository of ‘all human history’, and now a functioning mosque once again. Standing inside and viewing the Christian mosaics on the walls we feel we are at a crossroads of culture and beauty. There was a case a few years ago in India where a murti had been worshipped within a Hindu temple for many years. After discovery that the statue was of the Buddha, it was requested that the rituals be stopped, and the temple secularised. Like these remarkable sites, when we know the truth of who we are, we realise that all forms are God. Whether we worship or not, God is the same. There is no sense of mistaken identity when we discover who we are.
In this issue of Sivananda Yoga Sandesha we share both Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda’s words on the kleshas and avidya. We learn how to sit for meditation or pranayama—and how to adapt when we’re not comfortable. We learn to take inspiration from the trees around us: to be faithful, patient, devotional, and ready to serve others. We discover approaches to cleansing for spring, and how to cook foods to support the menstrual cycle.
We hope you enjoy the newsletter and take time to reflect on your practice. As usual, please feel free to reach out to us with your thoughts and feedback at: [email protected]
Snapshots: April Events & Programmes
A few snapshots of recent Vishu (Kerala New Year) celebrations around India, at the Neyyar Dam and Gudur Ashrams and at the Chennai Centre on April 14.
Links/Research: Why Inspiring Stories Make Us React
Compelling narratives cause oxytocin release and have the power to affect our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours.
Spiritual Calendar
May 8 – Ekadasi
May 12 – Full Moon
May 23 – Ekadasi
May 27 – New Moon
Upcoming Courses:
Learn, Practise & Grow with Us!
Teachers’ Training Course (TTC)
May 11 to Jun 7, 2025,
Neyyar Dam, Kerala
May 25 to June 21, 2025,
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
June 15 to July 12, 2025
Uttar Kashi, Himalayas
For more details, click here
Sadhana Intensive (SI)
October 16-29, 2025
Uttarkashi, Himalayas
For more details, click here
Panchakarma Detoxification Programme (PDP)
June 1 to 15, 2025,
Neyyar Dam, Kerala
June 16 to 30, 2025,
Neyyar Dam, Kerala
For more details, click here
Teachings Excerpt:
Avidya by Swami Sivananda
The mind itself is a creation of Avidya (ignorance). It is a Karya (effect) of Avidya. It is filled with delusion. That is the reason why it deceives and tempts you. It makes you go astray. If you can destroy the cause of the mind, Ajnana, by getting Jnana (knowledge of the Supreme Self), mind is nowhere. It dwindles into an airy nothing. Manonasa (annihilation of mind) takes place when Jnana dawns.
Avidya works through Upadhis (attributes, limiting adjuncts). All the special apparatus required by Avidya constitute the Upadhis of the soul. Mind is an Upadhi; Buddhi is an Upadhi and Ahankara also is an Upadhi.
The sea of Avidya (ignorance) is in the mind of man. The explanation of the empirical concept must be sought in the nature of our cognitive faculty. Sri Sankara explains Avidya in this way. It is Naisargika; it is innate in our mental faculty. It is Mithyajnananimitta, based on wrong knowledge; and, knowledge is a function of the mind. It is Nityapratyayarupa; it consists in the form of a wrong conception. “All Jivas-human entities-which are really non-existent, are (with all concomitant appearance of birth, death, etc.) mere results of the objectivising tendency of the mind and nothing else.”
The whole experience of duality, made up of perceiver and perceived, is pure imagination. There is no Avidya apart from the mind. On destruction of the mind, all is destroyed. The activity of the mind is the cause of all appearance. On account of Avidya or Bhranti (illusion) in the mind, you see the objects, trees, etc., outside and feel as if they are separate from you and real.
So long as there is mind, there are all these distinctions of big and small, high and low, superior and inferior, good and bad, etc. The highest Truth is that in which there is no relativity. If you can transcend the mind by constant and profound meditation on Atman, you will be able to attain the Nirdvandva state (a state beyond the pairs of opposites) wherein lies the supreme peace and highest knowledge.
There is no Avidya outside the mind. The mind itself is Avidya. Imaginations and Sankalpas are products of Avidya. Ignorance is imbedded in the mind. The mind needs thorough cleansing with Japa, Pranayama, Satsanga, Vichara and Nididhyasana, just as a rusty copper plate needs cleansing with earth, ash, tamarind, powder, etc.
Teachings Excerpt:
Raja Yoga Sutras, from Meditation and Mantras by Swami Vishnudevananda
Ch. 2, v. 3
Avidyasmita-raga-dvesabhinivesah klesah
Ignorance, egoism, attraction and aversion, and fear of death are the afflications [kleshas] which cause suffering.
Ignorance, avidya, is the lack of awareness of Reality. It is identification with the temporal world rather than with the iimperishable Atman, of Self. Egoism is the “I-ness” and “my-ness” which create the illusion that one person is different from another, bringing about conflict. Raga-dvesha translates as “likes/dislikes;” when a person is swayed by feelings of attraction and aversion, he is identifying with the material world and setting himself up for the pain of loss and disappointment. Fear of death, or clinging to life, is binding and stifling. Many who have been pronounced dead and were later revived have reported the experience of death as indescribably beautiful and peaceful. None can say when death will come. Fear of death is useless imagination, a waste of energy, and creates waves of pain which exist only in the mind.
Ch. 2, v. 4
Avidya ksetram uttaresam prasupta-tanu-vicchinno-daranam
Ignorance is the cause of (the above-mentioned afflictions) which follow it, whether they be latent, weak, suppressed or aggravated.
The suffering which comes from egoism, attraction and repulsion, and fear of death all stem from avidya, ignorance, regardless of the degree to which they manifest. As the root of the other obstacles, ignorance of the true nature of the Self is identification with the body and mind. When avidya is replaced by Enlightenment, all other causes of pain automatically disappear.
Ch. 2, v. 5
Anityasuci-duhkhanatmasu nitya-suci-sukhatmakhyatir avidya
Ignorance mistakes the perishable, impure, painful, and non-Self for the eternal, pure, good, and Self.
When in a state of ignorance, man mistakes what is mundane for what is Supreme. He cannot differentiate between that which will bring pain—the mind and body—and that which will bring immortality.
Practice and Teaching Tips:
How to Sit Cross-Legged
Learn the classical seated asanas for use in meditation or pranayama practice, as described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. We’ll show you which positions are best energetically for these practices, how to sit in Padmasana (Lotus) safely, and how to sit if none of these positions are comfortable.
Please don’t force the body. It’s always best to be comfortable in order to get benefits from the more subtle practices.
We hope the video is helpful. All best wishes for your inspired practice and teaching.
Health:
April & May, the Months for Spring Cleansing
In Ayurveda, ‘Ritu Sandhi’ is the transition time from winter to spring. This seasonal shift comes with weather changes and subtle energetic shifts in our body and mind. Ayurveda defines the dominant energy during the spring season as the kapha energy, which is the dense, heavy energy that begins to shed as the heat in nature begins to rise. As a result, Ama, the toxin created by half-digested food sitting in the gut, starts circulating through the system causing seasonal health conditions like seasonal allergies, congestion, sinus issues, bloating, sluggish digestion, water retention, fatigue, brain fog, lack of motivation, skin breakouts, inflammation, hormonal imbalances, muscular stiffness, difficulty losing weight, hormonal fluctuations, excess mucus, allergies, water retention and sluggishness.
The month of April and the beginning of May should be used to detoxify the body from the meltdown that appears in the form of various health conditions. These months ideally symbolize the need to adjust our diet and yoga practices to align with the transition of spring.
Foods:
- Reduce the consumption of heavy, fried and processed foods. Cut down on dairy saturated fats, dairy, sugar, soda, alcohol, and grains, as these may naturally congest the body, interfering with the body’s natural detox process.
- Consume a lot of water to support the detoxification organs for natural detoxification. Consume ample lemon water as lemon boosts detoxification.
- Eat light, warm, and juicy foods, but avoid mucus-building foods to prevent excessive kapha build-up, which may cause puffiness, bloating, heaviness and hormonal imbalances.
- Increase your intake of vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, during the spring transition. Green is the colour of the spring season and boosts detoxification naturally.
- Include more bitter, astringent, and warming foods during spring transition to help the body melt away accumulated kapha and shed winter stagnation, congestion, and weight gain.
- Consume herbal and green teas during this season to detox and support the body with vital nutrients that act as blood purifiers.
Yoga:
- Sweat lightly during the spring transition to shed away sluggishness. Get your blood and lungs pumping frequently to move the stagnant energy in the mind and toxins in the body.
- Practice Hatha Yoga with long holds to let the body squeeze out toxins. Sivananda yoga practice during this time helps the body become free of toxins with its long-held hatha practices, the body gets ample time to benefit from the detoxifying effects of each asana.
- Practice exercises that help massage the abdomen to stimulate the liver for detoxification.
- Practice twisting postures such as Ardha Matsyendrasana to release toxins from the abdomen and strengthen digestion.
Nutrition Tips:
Cooking in Sync with the Menstrual Cycle
Menstrual cycle days can be draining for a woman. While it just feels like the flow of unwanted blood shedding out, there is so much going on in the female body during menstruation. During this time, hormones estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest level. Energy is low as estrogen and progesterone dip. The energy hormone testosterone also dips during this phase, making women less fit for intense, demanding and heavy physical work. While this is the time to relax and unwind for a woman, it is equally important to understand what is going on at the physical level in a woman’s body and design a diet that helps her deal with the deficiencies arising in her body during this time of the year.
During menstruation, as a woman is shedding blood, she is losing iron that may significantly impact her haemoglobin levels. Her adrenal and kidney function must be boosted during this phase of the month to support her energy and vitality. Due to loss of blood, dip in estrogen and progesterone and lack of vitality, as the kidney function is already weak, she may experience signs of PMS, bloating, weight gain, menstrual cramping, lack of motivation, weakness in the body, mood swings, irritability and digestive upset. Certain nutrients can drastically help her recover from this impact, especially iron supplements that can support blood production, consuming enough liquids to support kidney function, protein and healthy fats to support hormone production, B vitamins to support energy levels and zinc to keep her immunity and vitality high.
Here is a list of foods that can support feminine health at the time of menstruation:
- Buckwheat – A gluten-free grain with a low glycemic index, buckwheat is loaded with antioxidants, fiber and helps in blood-sugar management.
- Wild Rice – Wild rice, with its rich magnesium content, supports deep relaxation and helps ease out menstrual cramps by relaxing the uterus muscles. It is a rich source of protein and keeps blood-sugar levels balanced, which is important for stable moods during menstruation.
- Blueberries – Blueberries, with their high antioxidant content, help lower inflammation in the body. Inflammation makes the menstrual pain worse. Consuming blueberries during menstruation can highly keep the inflammation levels under control.
- Beetroot – Beetroot is a great source of iron and helps replenish the lost blood during menstruation. It is a rich source of beta-carotene that supports the flow of blood to the uterus and reduces cramping
- Kidney Beans – Kidney beans are nutrient-dense beans that are loaded with iron, phosphorus and potassium. They help build healthy blood and are a great source of protein and fiber, which support energy and detox during the menstrual cycle.
Mythology & Meaning: A Tale of Trees
In the intricate weave of spiritual life, avidya (ignorance) stands like a sheer veil between us and our true nature. It clouds the mind, blurs the heart, and keeps us from seeing the sacred thread that binds all existence. In many ways, it is this forgetfulness of our divine essence that lies at the root of all sufferings. To glimpse how this plays out, let’s take a look at the fragrant story of the parijat tree, whose sacred journey brought a piece of heaven to earth and reminds us of how prakriti (nature) can inspire us to go further within and have a sweet taste of our blissful divine essence.
The parijat tree, born from the churning of the cosmic ocean, was no ordinary bloom. It was a treasure of the heavens, gifted to Indra, king of the gods, its flowers radiant with purity and grace. Yet, even amidst celestial realms, avidya — the subtle pull of ego and possession — lingered. In Dwarka, Sri Krishna lived among his queens, Rukmini and Satyabhama. When the wandering, mischievous sage Narada gifted Krishna a branch of the parijat tree, Krishna offered its flowers to Rukmini. A simple gesture, but one that stirred Satyabhama’s heart with longing and envy.
Moved by her yearning, Krishna promised her the entire tree. True to his word, he went to Indra’s garden, where he plucked the parijat. Enraged by Krishna’s action, Indra cursed the tree: its blossoms would fall to earth each dawn, and it would bear no fruit. Yet, hidden within the curse was a quiet grace — that every morning, the falling flowers would remind humans of life’s fleeting beauty and only permanence of divine consciousness.
Krishna planted the tree in Satyabhama’s garden. Yet, as life would have it, Rukmini too longed for its sacred blooms, however, not for possession, but rather devotion (for her daily prayers). In his quiet wisdom, Krishna ensured that the blossoms would drift softly into her courtyard, satisfying both hearts without deepening their divisions.
The parijat story symbolises the deepest yearning within us — a longing to own (adviya of ego), but also to become one with the divine. It mirrors the soul’s journey from avidya to awakening: a slow shedding of illusions, a surrendering of ego, until all that remains is pure bliss.
This timeless dance of ignorance and awakening ripples through all traditions. Siddhartha’s enlightenment beneath the banyan tree was the moment his deeply rooted and unwavering faith pierced through the fog of avidya. In another corner of the world, Eve’s choice at the tree of knowledge marked both a fall and the first step into conscious seeking. The tale that echoes of how even error can birth wisdom.
Whether it was Satyabhama’s jealousy, Siddhartha’s jigyasa (curiosity), or Eve’s desire, all these stories have one thing in common: the wanting for more. Now it is on us how do we channel this instinct of ascending from where we are to where we want to be. This journey from being curious to gaining ultimate knowledge; is the true purpose of this life and as we walk on this sacred path, may we be like the trees in our surroundings: deep-rooted in faith, grounded in patience, offering our blooms and fruits of devotion to the other beings while we stand tall in the quiet knowing that beyond this illusion of maya, there awaits the light to take us home, in the divine womb beyond the veil of ignorance.
“There is no ignorance apart from the mind. On the destruction of the mind, all is destroyed.”
-Swami Sivananda