Question: What is ignorance?
How does one understand ignorance?
Answer: Ignorance (avidya) is to mistake the
unreal as real, the non-self as Self, the impure as pure and to consider that
which leads to suffering as the source of happiness. The world is transient, ever-changing and
illusory; yet we consider it to be real and permanent. We are in reality the
pure eternal Self, yet we consider our body as the Self. The physical body is
full of impure liquids and substances but we dote on it as something pure and
desirable. Though running after wealth and progeny is the root cause of
suffering and bondage, we consider them to be the source of happiness. This is
ignorance. As long as you consider yourself to be the body and the world as real
and cling on them, you are under the influence of ignorance.
Question: You said that we are
divine. Then why do we not feel it?
Answer: Unaware of our divine nature, we behave as slaves of
senses and all worldly temptations. We mistake ourselves as matter, as
body-mind complex. Only when we get convinced of our real nature as divine that
our thoughts and actions will change.
Question: How to overcome this ignorance?
Answer: First we must hear that we are divine—only from a
person who has fully realized his or her divine nature (atman). Such a person
is called guru. Once we hear it, we must deeply ponder over it. When we
internalise this truth, our life manifests this inherent divinity.
Question: Why should one
bother about knowing the Atman? It is not necessarily practical.
Answer: Atman means Self. To know Atman means to
know who we really are. To know who we are is important because we act
according to what we think of ourselves. A human being acts like a human being
and not as an animal because he thinks that he is a human being. If you know
that you are divine, you will act accordingly. Thus, to know oneself as divine
or Atman, has a transforming effect on one’s life and personality. Said Swami
Vivekananda,
‘Teach
yourselves, teach everyone his real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see
how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity
will come, and everything that is excellent will come when this sleeping soul
is roused to self-conscious activity.’
Question: Why cannot all men
express their divinity?
Answer: The main reason is that we have forgotten
it. Having forgotten it, we then identify ourselves with senses or mind or ego.
Once we start our journey towards gaining our real identity, we struggle with
removing our wrong identities and that is what is called spiritual life.
Whether or not we express our divinity, the fact remains that we are divine.
Like a tree hidden in a seed, our divine nature remains hidden.
