This term originally means stupidity, foolishness or madness, and by extension it becomes closely associated with fascination, persistence, weirdness in dealing with people and things. Compared with shrewd, calculating worldly people, people with obsessions tend to be utterly devoted and passionate to the degree of being like fools. They engage in fond love, fond speech and fond behavior, value innocence, true self and individual character, but they seek no fame, wealth or power, and have no fear of worldly judgment. Chi (痴 moha) is also a Buddhist term, which means ignorance or perplexity. It is the benighted state of mind, being unaware of the reality of the world. Buddhism lists ignorance as one of the three poisons, the other two being greed and resentment, from which all (other) evils originate.

Jia Dao's poetic aspiration soars like mine /and his poetic talent matches that of Han Yu. / Sometimes he staggers when he walks / like a thin Zen monk. / What a pity that Li Bai and Du Fu have passed away, / unable to see how other worldly this man appears! (Meng Jiao: A Poem Playfully Written to Present to Jia Dao)

What is perplexity? It is the loss of one's true nature and the failure to see things in their true light. Perplexity prevents correct understanding, so it is the root cause of all afflictions.

(Collected Commentaries to the Perfection of Consciousness-only)