Ignorance

(Pāli: Avijjā; Sans.: Avidyā; Chin.: Wuming ; Ar.: Jahiliah)

Ignorance is lack of wisdom, insight, right view or knowledge of the true nature of all phenomena of the multiplicity of the empirical world or the myriad things of the cosmos. The wisdom, insight, right view or knowledge refers to the knowledge of the ultimate truth of Reality concealed by the mundane knowledge of the conventional truth. In Theravāda Buddhism, ignorance can be eliminated by self-actualizing wisdom through the cultivation and realization of the Noble Eight fold Path. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, ignorance can be eradicated by wisdom developed from the wisdom of intuitively discerning the Ultimate Truth. Wisdom is the antidote of Ignorance as a fruit of successful coursing in the Six Perfections (Pāramitās) of Generosity, Morality, Patience or Endurance, Energy, Meditation and Wisdom. Both the Noble Eight Fold Path and the Six Perfections are not distinct in terms of the general principle of practice of Morality, Concentration and Wisdom. The major distinction between these two traditions is that the Theravādins emphasizes personal development and liberation whilst the Mahāyānists emphasizes both personal development and the development of others with the focus on liberation for both.

Ignorance is greatest enemy of all sentient beings because Śākyamuni Buddha as well as all other Hindu spiritual masters of Upaniṣads or Vedānta promulgate that it is the fundamental root of vexation, anguish or suffering (dukkha) and the bondage of the cycle of death and birth. It is the fundamental root of suffering of all sentient beings because it leads to cravings and clinging (upādāna). Cravings (taṇhā) are the selfish desires motivated by selfishness or egoism. Clinging is the dominance of the illusive selfish self which is superimposed by the false notion of I and Mine. As the human personality is a miniature(microcosm) of the universe or cosmos (macrocosm – the Reality of entire cosmos). Incomprehension of the microcosm is the root ignorance which gives rise to suffering due to kammic or karmic formations and the incessant cycle of birth and death. It is the ignorance of the Three Universal Characteristics of the Five Aggregates of the human personality which gives rise to greed, hatred and delusion. The Three Universal Characteristics are Impermanence (anicca), Suffering (dukkha) and Insubstantilaity (microcosm), an intuitive apprehension of the microcosm is sufficient to discern the ultimate truth of the Reality of Non-self (Anattā). The Five aggregates (pañcakkhandhas) are Form (rūpa), Feelings (vedanā), Perceptions (saññā), Volitions (saṅkhārā) and Consciousness (viññāṇa). Ignorance of the Three Universal Characteristics (tilakkhaṇas) of Five Aggregates is rooted in the fundamental ignorance of the natural principle of Dependent Co-arising (paṭiccasamuppāda). Dependent Co-arising reveals that all phenomena are conditioned by interdependent cause and conditions without any underlying permanent substance called self (attā), soul (ātma) or self/ intrinsic nature (svabhāva). But sentient beings are relative contigent phenomena. Instead, they perceive all phenomena as independent self-contained entities as separation and otherness. They are ignorant because they do not perceive the totality of interdependence. They perceive the separate self-contained entities each of which is regulated or governed by its own self or soul. But in actuality, the multiplicity of the world is a great cosmic illusion (māyā) perceived as real by the sentient beings. This is the fundamental ignorance which ought to be eradicated in order to develop wisdom (paññā) to liberate oneself from suffering caused by this basic ignorance. Ignorance is absolutely eliminated when one perceives the distinction between the conventional truth and the ultimate truth. Most importantly, Wisdom is absolutely is perfected when the Middle view of acknowledging the ultimate truth without denying the conventional truth while the secular life is lived wisely. Ignorance is truly destroyed when one is not being defiled while the six sense activities are fully being engaged in daily conventional or mundane living. Inner renunciation mirrors the complete annihilation of ignorance which annihilates the illusive selfish or egoistic self. All the enlightened masters of esoteric religions (not only Buddhism ),such as those of Hinduism or Upaniṣads, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, and Islam emerged in the world not to teach but to awaken us from the sleep of this fundamental ignorance ! Elimination of ignorance redeems the awakened worldlings to make an inward or esoteric journey to the Origin. The Origin may be dissimilarly designated as Non-grasping (anupādāna) of the Five aggregates, Emptiness (Śūnyatā), Totality, Tao, Ming Te, Brahman, Buddha, God or Allah. The completed journey is mirrored from the manifestation of wisdom which dispels ignorance while one is still living in the mundane world. But in actual fact, this ultimate Truth of Reality is ineffable and therefore cannot be designated. That, which can be designated, is not the infinite, eternal and indestructible Absolute or Essence. This Absolute or Essence is the Origin or the Centre of the Heart to which one return to from the illusive world of multiplicity to the world of Totality or Unity. This Totality or Unity or Origin is variously described as Unity with God, Communion with God, Return to Divine Origin, Home of all Tathāgatas or the Origin of all Enlightened Ones through either God-realization, Buddha-realization or self-realization. It is generally known as the interior life of self-redemption after purification of the human consciousness is consummated. One is considered fully liberated when one makes a successful return to the Origin. All esoterc religions,such as Upanis̄ads or Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Confunicianism, Neo-confucianism, Judaism, Christainity and Islam share a common esoteric truth of Ultimate Reality which governs the universe and is ineffable. The Chinese saint, Lao-tzu designates it as a Path called ‘Tao’. The Prophet Mohammad designates it as the Path of Islam called ‘Tariqah’.

Whatever designation is given, the final destination is identical, that is self- realization of the effable Truth (Pali: Sacca; Sanskrit: Satya ; Islam: Haqiqah). Dissimilar religions are mere dissimilar expedient devices or vehicles employed by dissimilar religious saints to awake us on how to returnesoterically or inwardly to Centre of human heart. The exterior life is illusive and unreal and only the interior life is real. Religious teach us to maintain an equilibrium between the exterior and the interior life utilizing both the left and right-brain thinking. The Middle Path is the highest good. This is the true definition of Nirvāṇa – the Silence or Stillness of the Mind in which selfish or egoistic self is totally annihilated. All religious saints are perfect in mind and in heart. If they are not perfect in universal intellect or wisdom and in non-discriminative, sublime love, they cannot be called saints. A false saint does not exist. How could the child of a barren woman exist? All saints preach a common message – the Truth, one and the only one.