We can see avidya in several ways, it also means avidya that exists in the beginning of the kalpa, an obscuration of consciousness that corresponds to the manifestation of world and beings, which means the buddhist view of gradual devolution of the world, from finer levels where beings exist as bodies made of light down to grosser levels of material existence. Avidya is an obscuration existing in mind or consciousness, but in buddhist cosmology before this present existence there have been other forms of existence, other levels of existence. Saying that avidya is mind does not mean it is just the present mind.pueraeternus wrote:Avidya is just non-knowing - its a quality of obscuration in consciousness, not a consciousness by itself. Which is why I said that when it comes to discussing the pratityasamutpada within the context of Yogacara, the subtext would be that it is all vijnaptimatra - this goes without saying. So what does the vijnananga specifically refers to? Personally I think it is the most active components of the eight consciousnesses - the traditional sadvijnana (six consciousnesses), or just the manovijnana itself.Aemilius wrote:Avidya is mind, or consciousness, it is not something outside of mind or consciousness.
Several writers on Yogachara have said that consciousness doesn't exist without an object of consciousness.
In this context the Vijñana that takes rebirth doesn't as yet have the six consciousnesses. We could see it as an impulse that causes the the rebirth, causes the appearance of Name and Form. I would say that it is a billet of manas and the alaya consciousness.