➥ moha:

• for moha:
  • undiscernment of reality
• for amoha:
  • discernment of reality
• for vītamoha:
  • free of undiscernment of reality
• for asammūḷho:
  • discerning of reality
• for sammūḷho:
  • undiscerning of reality

Moha: not ‘delusion’

Because moha is related to muyhati, to be deluded, it is therefore usually known as ‘delusion.’ However, this would imply that moha is:

• ‘a belief that has no evidence in fact’ (www. vocabulary.com).
• ‘a mistaken or unfounded opinion or idea’ (WordWeb)

Moha: ‘undiscernment of reality’

In this essay we will show that:

1) moha is antonymous to paññā

2) moha is synonymous with avijjā

3) moha is associated with aññāṇa

4) moha occurs in those who are ariyadhamme akovide

These four terms are shown in the Glossary to mean:

1) paññā: penetrative discernment

2) avijjā: uninsightfulness into reality

3) aññāṇa: ignorance [of things according to reality]

4) ariyadhamme akovide: those who are ignorant of the noble teaching

These associations suggest that moha means uninsightfulness, which, to discriminate it, we will call ‘undiscernment of reality.’

Moha equals avijjā

Moha equals avijjā (i.e. uninsightfulness into reality):

• ‘What do you think, Sāḷha, is there discernment of reality?’―‘Yes, bhante’―‘I call it insightfulness into reality.’

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha sāḷhā atthi amoho ti? Evambhante. Vijjā ti kho ahaṁ sāḷhā etamatthaṁ vadāmi. (AN i 195)

• This uninsightfulness into reality is indeed undiscernment of reality whereby this wandering the round of birth and death goes on for a long time.

Avijjā hāyaṁ mahāmoho yenidaṁ saṁsitaṁ ciraṁ. (Snp 730)

Moha and avijjā: same relationship to āsavas

Moha and avijjā both have the same relationship to perceptually obscuring states (āsavā):

• Moha: It is through the abandonment of perceptually obscuring states that one is discerning of reality.

Āsavānaṁ hi aggivessana pahānā asammūḷho hoti. (MN i 250)

• Avijjā: With the ending of perceptual obscuration comes the ending of uninsightfulness into reality

āsavanirodhā avijjānirodho. (MN i 55)

Moha: associated with aññāṇa

Moha is associated with ignorance [of things according to reality] (aññāṇapakkhā):

• Whatever spiritual shackles there are in the world, [or] paths of undiscernment of reality, [or] whatever is associated with ignorance [of things according to reality], [or] whatever bases for doubt [about the excellence of the teaching] there are, when they reach the Perfect One they vanish.

Ye keci ganthā idha mohamaggā aññāṇapakkhā vicikicchaṭṭhānā
Tathāgataṁ patvā na te bhavanti. (Snp 347)

Moha: opposed to paññā

Moha is opposed to paññā, penetrative discernment:

• To abandon undiscernment of reality, penetrative discernment should be developed.

Mohassa pahānāya paññā bhāvetabbā. (AN iii 446)

• They extinguish… the fire of undiscernment of reality with the penetrative discernment that leads to the profound understanding [and destruction of the great masses of greed, hatred, and undiscernment of reality].

nibbāpenti… mohaggiṁ pana paññāya yāyaṁ nibbedhagāminī. (Iti 93)

Moha and ariyadhamme akovide

Moha occurs in those who are ariyadhamme akovide, i.e. ignorant of the noble teaching:

• The fire of undiscernment of reality burns those who are undiscerning of reality, who are ignorant of the noble teaching.

Mohaggi pana sammūḷhe ariyadhamme akovide. (Iti 92)

Negative of moha

When ‘lack of moha’ is a noun, we call it ‘discernment of reality’:

• Conduct produced from, born of, due to, originated by discernment of reality is spiritually wholesome and blameless.

Yaṁ bhikkhave amohapakataṁ kammaṁ amohajaṁ amohanidānaṁ amohasamudayaṁ. Taṁ kammaṁ kusalaṁ taṁ kammaṁ anavajjaṁ taṁ kammaṁ. (AN i 263)

➥ moho: (main article see: moha)

Illustration: moho, undiscernment of reality

What is the cause and reason that unarisen undiscernment of reality arises, or that arisen undiscernment of reality increases and expands?

Ko panāvuso hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno vā moho uppajjati uppanno vā moho bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī ti?

Improper contemplation, one should reply.

Ayoniso manasikārotissa vacanīyaṁ. (AN i 200)

Illustration: moho, undiscernment of reality

What is the cause and reason that unarisen undiscernment of reality does not arise, or that arisen undiscernment of reality is abandoned?

Ko panāvuso hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno vā moho nuppajjati uppanno vā moho pahiyyatī ti.

Proper contemplation, one should reply.

Yoniso manasikārotissa vacanīyaṁ. (AN i 201)

Illustration: moho, undiscernment of reality

Bhikkhus, there are three bases for the arising of karmically consequential deeds. What three?

Tīṇi'māni bhikkhave nidānāni kammānaṁ samudayāya. Katamāni tīṇi

Greed is a basis for the origination of karmically consequential deeds. Hatred is a basis for the origination of karmically consequential deeds. Undiscernment of reality is a basis for the origination of karmically consequential deeds.

lobho nidānaṁ kammānaṁ samudayāya doso nidānaṁ kammānaṁ samudayāya moho nidānaṁ kammānaṁ samudayāya. (AN i 134)

Illustration: moho, undiscernment of reality

• They extinguish… the fire of undiscernment of reality with the penetrative discernment that leads to the profound understanding [and destruction of the great masses of greed, hatred, and undiscernment of reality].

nibbāpenti… mohaggiṁ pana paññāya yāyaṁ nibbedhagāminī. (Iti 93)

COMMENT:

Nibbedhagāminī: ‘leads to the profound understanding [and destruction of the great masses of greed, hatred, and undiscernment of reality]’: Nibbijjhati means ‘to pierce,’ which we call ‘to profoundly understand.’ At SN v 88 nibbijjhati is linked to padāleti (to destroy), and to lobhakkhandhaṁ dosakkhandhaṁ mohakkhandhaṁ (‘the great masses of greed, hatred, and undiscernment of reality’).

Illustration: moho, undiscernment of reality

For a bhikkhu whose āsavas are destroyed, attachment, hatred, and undiscernment of reality are ended.

khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno rāgo niruddho hoti doso niruddho hoti moho niruddho hoti. (SN iv 217)

➥ avītamohā: (main article see: moha)

Illustration: avītamohā, undiscerning of reality; moha, undiscernment of reality

In the theatre or arena, among beings who are undiscerning of reality, who are bound [to individual existence] by the bondage of undiscernment of reality, an actor entertains them with confusing things that excite them even more strongly to undiscernment of reality.

Pubbe kho gāmaṇi sattā avītamohā mohabandhanabaddhā tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā mohanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyo samohāya. (SN iv 307)

➥ mūḷho: (main article see: moha)

Illustration: mūḷho, undiscerning of reality; moha, undiscernment of reality

A person who is undiscerning of reality does not know what is beneficial, nor see what is righteous.

Mūḷho atthaṁ na jānāti mūḷho dhammaṁ na passati

Blinding darkness then prevails when undiscernment of reality overcomes a person.

Andhantamaṁ tadā hoti yaṁ moho sahate naraṁ.

But one who abandons undiscernment of reality is not deluded by deluding things.

Yo ca mohaṁ pahatvāna mohaneyye na muyhati

He puts an end to all undiscernment of reality like the sun dispels the night.

Mohaṁ vihanti so sabbaṁ ādiccovudayaṁ taman ti. (Iti 84)

➥ vītamoho: (main article see: moha)

Illustration: vītamoho, free of undiscernment of reality

The bhikkhu who neither longs for the cessation of individual existence nor is unintent upon it, knowing that everything is untrue [to itself], being free of undiscernment of reality, he sheds the [ties to individual existence in the] low plane of existence and the other planes beyond it, as a snake sheds its old, worn-out skin.

Yo nāccasārī na paccasārī sabbaṁ vitathamidanti vītamoho
So bhikkhu jahāti orapāraṁ urago jiṇṇamiva tacaṁ purāṇaṁ. (Snp 13)