Ignorance is the absence of wisdom. Ignorance is not knowing the truth of names and forms, and the wrong identification with the body and mind as an individual 'I'. All sorts of attachments derived from this ignorance and wrong identification. All sorts of restlessness, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, fear, worry, anger, hatred and suffering derived from attachment.
In the presence of wisdom, ignorance disappears.
Knowing a lot of things or knowledge is different from knowing the truth of things as they are.
We can be knowing a lot of things through the perception of names and forms through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, from study, research, debate and discussion, but it doesn't mean that we know about the truth of all these names and forms. It doesn't mean that we are free from suffering, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, agitation, depression, fear, worry, craving and aversion that derived from ignorance.
If we truly know about the truth of names and forms, there won't be any attachments towards any names and forms, qualities or dualities. There's no craving nor clinging towards something that has the qualities of 'good', 'pleasantness', 'positive' or 'happiness'. There's no aversion towards something that has the qualities of 'bad', 'unpleasantness', 'negative' or 'unhappiness'.
There's no difference between success and failure, praise and condemn, compliment and criticism, pleasantness and unpleasantness, happiness and suffering, when we know the truth of things as they are.
We can be highly intelligent and very knowledgeable, but we can also be ignorant about the truth of things at the same time. We can be over-powered by egoism, pride and arrogance, and have lots of attachment towards the qualities of names and forms. Be disturbed and determined by whatever the mind perceives through the senses from moment to moment.
Ignorance is not what some people translate from English dictionary, which means stupid, unintelligent, lazy, or don't want to learn, or don't want to have self-improvement.
Some people see this word 'ignorant' as an insult. If somebody tells us, "You are not happy is because of ignorance.", we will be very upset and angry, as we feel insulted by these words. "What! Are you saying that I am stupid?!"
This is the ego reacts towards things that it hears that it doesn't like and disagrees with. Pride and arrogance is there, that's why we feel insulted. If we are free from pride and arrogance, or are free from egoism, we will not be disturbed, nor determined by any insults verbally, mentally or physically.
The point is, if we get upset and angry because we feel somebody's speech is insulting or criticizing us with certain kind of words that our mind believes and categorizes as insults, bad or negative, then we are truly ignorant. We don't know about the truth of names and forms. That everything is just what they are. They have no quality or intention to be something insulting or complimenting.
If we know about the truth of names and forms, we will not be disturbed, nor determined by any kind of speech, thoughts or actions coming from anybody, even if that person has the intention to insult us with some insulting speech, thoughts or actions. That is his or her freedom to say, or think, or do anything that he or she likes. We allow everyone to be free to express what they want to express. But we don't have to be disturbed, nor determined, nor influenced by it.
Om shanti.
In the presence of wisdom, ignorance disappears.
Knowing a lot of things or knowledge is different from knowing the truth of things as they are.
We can be knowing a lot of things through the perception of names and forms through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, from study, research, debate and discussion, but it doesn't mean that we know about the truth of all these names and forms. It doesn't mean that we are free from suffering, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, agitation, depression, fear, worry, craving and aversion that derived from ignorance.
If we truly know about the truth of names and forms, there won't be any attachments towards any names and forms, qualities or dualities. There's no craving nor clinging towards something that has the qualities of 'good', 'pleasantness', 'positive' or 'happiness'. There's no aversion towards something that has the qualities of 'bad', 'unpleasantness', 'negative' or 'unhappiness'.
There's no difference between success and failure, praise and condemn, compliment and criticism, pleasantness and unpleasantness, happiness and suffering, when we know the truth of things as they are.
We can be highly intelligent and very knowledgeable, but we can also be ignorant about the truth of things at the same time. We can be over-powered by egoism, pride and arrogance, and have lots of attachment towards the qualities of names and forms. Be disturbed and determined by whatever the mind perceives through the senses from moment to moment.
Ignorance is not what some people translate from English dictionary, which means stupid, unintelligent, lazy, or don't want to learn, or don't want to have self-improvement.
Some people see this word 'ignorant' as an insult. If somebody tells us, "You are not happy is because of ignorance.", we will be very upset and angry, as we feel insulted by these words. "What! Are you saying that I am stupid?!"
This is the ego reacts towards things that it hears that it doesn't like and disagrees with. Pride and arrogance is there, that's why we feel insulted. If we are free from pride and arrogance, or are free from egoism, we will not be disturbed, nor determined by any insults verbally, mentally or physically.
The point is, if we get upset and angry because we feel somebody's speech is insulting or criticizing us with certain kind of words that our mind believes and categorizes as insults, bad or negative, then we are truly ignorant. We don't know about the truth of names and forms. That everything is just what they are. They have no quality or intention to be something insulting or complimenting.
If we know about the truth of names and forms, we will not be disturbed, nor determined by any kind of speech, thoughts or actions coming from anybody, even if that person has the intention to insult us with some insulting speech, thoughts or actions. That is his or her freedom to say, or think, or do anything that he or she likes. We allow everyone to be free to express what they want to express. But we don't have to be disturbed, nor determined, nor influenced by it.
Om shanti.
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