The disturbing mental factor of ignorance (ma-rig-pa, Skt. avidyā), as the first of the twelve links of dependent arising, is the root of uncontrollably recurring rebirth (samsara). Identifying it correctly in accord with the Nalanda masters’ explanations in the context of the four Indian Buddhist tenet systems is essential for acquiring a true cessation of it. These explanations fall into two camps. According to the first, ignorance is an anti-knowing mental factor, one that obscures and darkens the mind, preventing it from knowing the sixteen aspects of the four noble truths with a seeing pathway mind. By its own force, it merely does this without also cognitively taking its object in a reversed manner. According to the second camp, ignorance is a misknowing mental factor. It obscures and darkens the mind by cognitively taking, by its own force, its object in a reversed manner and, in this way, prevents the mind from knowing these sixteen aspects with a seeing pathway mind.