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Avijjā as Mis-understanding

Greetings, Friendlies. :)

For your consideration: what about translating Avijjā as “Mis-understanding”?

“Ignorance” seems a little pejorative, “confusion” a little apathetic.

Mis-understanding may sound odd at first, but in dhamma circles we do something similar when we speak of dis-ease. We are not speaking of illness, we are speaking of _not being at ease_.

In this case mis-understand is, quite literally, to go wrong in understanding. We _do_ have an understanding of what human beings are, but that understanding has mis-ed the mark. (See what I did there?)

I also like mis-understand because, to my ear, it suggests agency and the opportunity for growth. There is something we can do to improve our current understanding.

So. Avijjā as Mis-understanding.

Your thoughts?

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