Our friend Mohan has translated  YS 2.4 which can be considered a definition of avidya(blindness,ignorance).I will to present this sutra in detail

See also now only in romanian: Sadhana Pada(The part on Spiritual practice) on causes of perturbations and suffering( kleshas) on:

http://dmtao.neosite.ro/files/pp_253778.html

Patanjali defineste Avidya(orbirea,ignoranta)in YS 2.4[sutra 4 din Sadhana Pada(cartea 2)] si o plaseaza la originea celorlalte cauze ale suferintei care impreuna sunt in numar de 5

YS 2.3. Kleshas (cauzele suferintelor;izvoarele  perturbatii(vrittis)) sunt:avidya(orbirea,ignoranta), asmita(senzatia existentei separate ca individualitate,limitarea intregului la parte),raga(atractia;atasarea, cautarea surselor de placere;inlocuirea lui a fi cu a avea),dvesha(aversiunea,repulsia,evitarea sau frica de sursele de durere),abhinivesha(atasarea de viata;frica de moarte;identificarea vietii cu aceea a corpului grosier);Kleshas  (the afflictions that cause sorrow,suffering and vrittis) are  avidya (blindness,ignorance of our true  nature), asmita (the false identification of separateness, aloneness, pridefulness, or egoism), raga (attraction;attachment;the illusion that conjoining to, identifying with, or possessing separate I-It objects will provide fulfillment i.e., ), dvesha (repulsion, dislike, hatred, anger, and aversion), and abhinivesha (the fear of death).

Commentary: the kleshas are activities which lead to dukha (pain or suffering). they are ordinarily classified by five general categories of kleshas which functional and effective yoga practice is designed to eliminate. Kleshas are emotional afflictions, taints or poisons which if acted upon increase suffering (dukha). Another way of saying this is that ignorance (avidya) of our true self nature is the basic confusion or erroneous mindset which separated us from embracing the flux of the eternal now, wherein we habitually ignore the truth of our essential true nature; i.e., svarupa

YS 2.4. Avidya(orbirea,ignoranta) este izvorul celorlalte kleshas (cauzele suferintelor;izvoarele de perturbatii(vrittis))fie ca ele sunt prasupta(adormite,latente;nemanifestate),tanu-vichinna(fluctuante, slabe, atenuate) ori udaranam(in curs de desfasurare,active,manifestate); Avidya(blindness,ignorance) is the source of all the other  kleshas (causes of suffering;the sources of mind's perturbations(vrittis))even if they are prasupta(asleep,latent;umanifest),tanu-vichinna(fluctuanting, weak, atenuated) ori udaranam(in the process of unfoldment,active,manifested);

YS 2.4.Kleshas(all the psycho-emotive afflictions, hindrances, obstructions, and impurities) abide within (kshetram) avidya (the blindness,a process of cutting the signals that results in ignorance and unawareness) and thus all the other (uttaresam) kleshas are encompassed by avidya, be they tanu  (attenuated or subtle),udaranam (active and dominant ), prasupta(dormant ), or vicchinna (temporally restrained ).

 

Commentary: Avidya (lack of awareness of" what it is") being the primary conditioned obscuration and misapprehension of the self evident Eternal Now (the Holografic Reality) which is self existing in all things and at all times.Vidya means vision or to see. Avidya is the lack of vision -- the obscuring sliver in our field of vision, the veil that filters and distorts "reality" -- it is the blinder that prevent us from seeing what is-as-it-is or Thusness. The problem of stasis arises (or rather our vision becomes obscured) when we become conditioned (habituated) to seeing the world, explaining our existence, and identifying through this distorted lens, veil, or sliver in our eye. When our familiarity and comfort with this duality becomes confused with security and "reality", then we are in trouble (dukha) because we start to demand, prefer, or mistake our obscured and limited familiar "state of reality" in favor of  REALITY AS IT IS -- unobstructed clarity, true vision, or the "real thing". Then consciousness becomes occluded and patterned (chita-vritti). Then past patterning (vritti), conditioning, and negative programming (karmic propensities) are dominant. Authentic yoga practice is thus geared to both attenuating kleshas which gives us breather space to work eventually destroying them all. Avidya is the major klesha in which all others (uttaresam) fall within its field (ksetram). Thus the goal of yoga is reached through vidya (through the removal of ignorance and the kleshas), which brings us back to our natural unobscured visionary ability to see the uncreated Light

YS 2.5. Avidya(orbirea,ignoranta) un proces cognitiv (khyati) opus celui de cunoastere nemijocita a realitatii (prin vedere directa:vidya;prajna) care ne face sa consideram efemerul (anitya) drept etern (nitya), impurul (asuchi) drept pur(suchi),dukha(ceea ce este dureros,neplacut; nefericirea) drept sukha(placut,fericire) si non-Sinele(anatman) drept Atman (Sinele veritabil)(identificarea cu simturile centrifuge care genereaza oglindirea realitatii pe ecranul mental:realitatea secunda); Thus avidya (blindness;ignorance) is that embedded, programmed, or conditioned cognitiv process(khyati) [contrary to the process of direct knowledge-using unmediated vision: vidya,prajna] where we habitually identify dukha(painful ;state of sorrow; suffering) with and fixate upon as sukha (something pleasurable ), what is transitory (anitya) with eternal (nitya), asuci  (impure) with suci (pure)[ ignoring  our true  Self (atman)  which brings true and lasting happiness].

--- In Patanjali_Yoga_Sutras@yahoogroups.com, "mohan" <yoga_4umeditation@...> wrote:
>
> The darkness of ignorance is: holding that which is unenduring, impure,
> full of pain, not the Soul, to be eternal, pure, full of joy, the Soul
>