VEIL OF IGNORANCE

The universe is not just conscious; it is consciousness, and this consciousness is Brahman. Ignorance veils the Consciousness to realise the supreme consciousness through self-realisation, or the realisation of the self, or the realisation of the true nature of being.

The self is the atman (inner self or inner spirit) within every being, not the objects outside. The purpose of the perceiver is to perceive the atman. The inner spirit is eternal, invisible, imperishable, and unchanging. It exists beyond the grasp of our ordinary senses and can only be perceived by a true perceiver. Self-realised beings, with their senses turned away from sense objects, see the atman within.

There are limitations to knowledge pursuit through sensory application based on the body-mind-intellect complex.

"Knowledge," or Jñāna is to remove the veil of ignorance, thus unravelling the Truth. This has been brusquely stated in various scriptures and Mahavakyas (Great Sayings) of Sanatan Dharma. The Truth is eternal and beyond time, space-causation. Its nature is Sat-Chit-Anand (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss), the three aspects of Brahman (the Supreme Being): Sat (Truth), Chit (consciousness), and Anand (eternal Bliss).

The three modes of material nature (sattvam—mode of goodness; rajah—mode of passion; tamah—mode of ignorance) bind the atman, or internal spirit, to the body-mind-intellect mechanisms. The nature of Atman is to illuminate the pathways for liberation. The veil of ignorance keeps it hidden from the purview of illumination by knowledge.

 1. Outline

In ancient Indian thought, the concept of ignorance is extensively discussed in various philosophical systems, particularly in the context of attaining knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual liberation. One significant mode of ignorance that is often mentioned is called "avidya" or "ajnana," which translates to "nescience" or "ignorance."

In the Upanishads, ignorance is referred to as "avidya," which derives from a compound of words, "a" and "vidya", meaning "not vidya". Vidya is a derivative of the Sanskrit root Vid that means "to know, to perceive, to see, to understand." Ignorance veils the true nature of beings, obstructing them from realising their divine essence, or the "Atman" (inner self or spirit). It also veils the knowledge necessary to misperceive the phenomenal world. It is seen as a fundamental obstacle to realising one's true nature and attaining enlightenment. Avidya is considered the root cause of suffering and the source of all forms of delusion and misconception.

Knowledge is the ultimate means to remove ignorance. Unity is an eternal and fundamental fact, without which all multiplicity would be unreal and an impossible illusion. The consciousness of Unity is therefore called Vidya, or Knowledge. Swami Krishnananda, in one of his lecture series, says that ignorance cannot be removed by ignorance. It will be like a thief becoming a friend of another thief. Ignorance can be removed only by knowledge. Some people say there are degrees of ignorance: gross ignorance, like tamas; light ignorance, like rajas; and transparent ignorance, like sattva. So, the transparent ignorance, though it is also a kind of ignorance, may enable the seeker to get rid of the lower ignorances of the rajasik and tamasik types. So, from that point of view, it may be somewhat correct to say ignorance can remove ignorance. He elaborates that, though there are stages of ignorance, the higher form of ignorance may help the seeker eliminate the lower forms. When that function is performed, the level of ignorance also drops. So likewise, the higher ignorance, which is sattvik in nature, can remove the lower one, which is rajasik and tamasik, which then itself settles down.

Ignorance is not bliss because it leads to poor decisions, poor actions, and terrible consequences that can have a negative impact on the quality and even quantity of life for many.

In Sanatana Dharma (eternal righteousness or eternal order), particularly in Advaita Vedanta, avidya is considered the root cause of suffering and bondage in the cycle of birth and death. It is described as a fundamental lack of awareness or understanding of one's true nature of being, leading to a misidentification with the temporary and illusory aspects of existence. Avidya is believed to be the veil that obscures the realisation of the self or beings from realising their innate divinity. It also impedes the realisation of Supreme Consciousness, or Brahman. Brahman, the Supreme Cosmic Spirit, or Absolute Reality, pervades every atom, being, and realm of the cosmos. It is beyond time-space-causation

2. Scriptures

In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, ignorance is a central pivotal theme that is addressed and discussed by Sri Krishna during His teachings on Brahma Vidya, or divine knowledge, to Arjuna. Ignorance is referred to as "avidya" in Sanskrit, which means a lack of knowledge or spiritual wisdom. Sri Krishna emphasises the importance of overcoming ignorance and attaining true knowledge for spiritual enlightenment and liberation.

The Srimad Bhagavad Gita teaches that ignorance can be dispelled through self-realisation, spiritual knowledge, and the practise of yoga or meditation. Sri Krishna encourages Arjuna to rise above ignorance by performing selfless actions, surrendering to the divine will, and cultivating spiritual awareness.

sarva-dvāreṣhu dehe ’smin prakāśha upajāyate

jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛiddhaṁ sattvam ity uta

lobhaḥ pravṛittir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśhamaḥ spṛihā

rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe bharatarṣhabha

aprakāśho ’pravṛittiśh cha pramādo moha eva cha

tamasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe kuru-nandana

When all the gates of the body are illumined by knowledge, know it to be a manifestation of the mode of goodness. When the mode of passion predominates, O Arjun, the symptoms of greed, exertion for worldly gain, restlessness, and craving develop. O Arjun, nescience, inertia, negligence, and delusion—these are the dominant signs of the mode of ignorance.

Sri Krishna is talking about unnecessary and undesirable aggravation of modes within the competition of three modes (sattvam—mode of goodness; rajah—mode of passion; tamah—mode of ignorance). When one of the modes becomes predominant, that shakes up the person, and that makes the person act in undesirable ways. In goodness, it may be somewhat better; it will be desirable in some ways, but even that keeps us in bondage; in passion and ignorance, it is much worse.

  tamas tv ajñāna-jaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām

pramādālasya-nidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārata

Sri Krishna says, O Arjun, tamo guṇa, which is born of ignorance, is the cause of illusion for the embodied souls. It deludes all living beings through negligence, laziness, and sleep.

Ignorance is born of ignorance, so first there is ignorance, and when we act in ignorance, we get more entangled in ignorance, and in that way, we complicate our lives. So from basic ignorance, we go into deeper ignorance. So the trouble will come back in a far more troubling form than at present. So there is no limit to how low a person can be dragged because of ignorance.

Sri Krishna also discusses the three gunas, or qualities of nature—sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance). He explains that tamas, the mode of ignorance, binds a person to delusion, laziness, and ignorance. It is the state where one is disconnected from their true nature and the divine.

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛiti-sambhavāḥ

nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam

Having explained that all life forms are born from puruṣh and prakṛiti, Shree Krishna now explains how prakṛiti binds the soul. Although it is divine, its identification with the body ties it to material nature. The material energy possesses three guṇas—goodness, passion, and ignorance. Hence, the body, mind, and intellect that are made from prakṛiti also possess these three modes.

Sri Krishna describes the characteristics of a person who has transcended ignorance. He states that those who have attained self-realisation see the Supreme Self as equally present in all beings and possess a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of all things. Such individuals are not swayed by the temporary material world and are established in spiritual wisdom.

nādatte kasyachit pāpaṁ na chaiva sukṛitaṁ vibhuḥ

ajñānenāvṛitaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ

The omnipresent God does not involve Himself in the sinful or virtuous deeds of anyone. The living entities are deluded because their inner knowledge is covered by ignorance.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna describes jnani (those in knowledge) as the highest of beings.

udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam

āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā mām evānuttamāṁ gatim

All those who are devoted to Me are indeed noble. But those in knowledge who are of steadfast mind, whose intellect is merged in Me, and who have made Me alone their supreme goal, I consider My very self.

Swami Krishnananda, in his commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita, says jnani (those in knowledge) do not exist at all apart from Me. The other devotees (Arta-distress, Arthathi-material seekers and Jigansu-desire to know) exist as recipients of the bounties and abundances that they expect from Me. The jnani does not exist at all. He has vanished into thin air and become Me, so he stands as the I of the Supreme Lord.

 Śukadeva Gosvāmī, son of Maharshi Vyasadeva, in the Srimad Bhagavatam observes, real atonement is enlightenment in perfect knowledge, Vedānta, by which one understands the Supreme Absolute Truth. says, "My dear King, since acts meant to neutralise impious actions are also fruitive, they will not release one from the tendency to act fruitively. Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regulations of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the mode of darkness. Unless one is freed from the mode of ignorance, trying to counteract one action through another is useless because this will not uproot one’s desires. Thus, even though one may superficially seem pious, he will undoubtedly be prone to act impiously.

śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca

karmaṇā karma-nirhāro

na hy ātyantika iṣyate

avidvad-adhikāritvāt
prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam

The Srimad Bhagavatam says a living being in his normal position is fully satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called brahma-bhūta or ātmānanda, or the state of self-satisfaction. The inactivity is in the state of ignorance, whereas the self-satisfied ātmānandī is transcendental to the material state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as one is fixed in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not inactivity but the unalloyed activity of the soul.

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ

sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

 Enlightenment is consciousness of the self and its realisation, so says Srimad Bhagavatam. One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramātmā, is situated in every living entity’s heart, must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes.

yo māṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

santam ātmānam īśvaram

hitvārcāṁ bhajate mauḍhyād

bhasmany eva juhoti saḥ

Overall, the scriptures recognise ignorance as a hindrance to spiritual growth and liberation. They emphasise the importance of seeking knowledge, developing spiritual wisdom, and transcending ignorance through self-realisation and the practise of meditation.

 3. Ways and Means to  Overcome Ignorance

According to the Upanishads, ignorance arises from a lack of self-knowledge or a mistaken identification with the body, mind, and senses. The Upanishads emphasise the need to transcend this ignorance through spiritual practise and the pursuit of knowledge.

The three modes of material nature bind the atman, or internal spirit, to the body-mind-intellect mechanisms. The nature of Atman is to illuminate the pathways for liberation. The veil of ignorance keeps it hidden from the purview of illumination by knowledge.

The Upanishads prescribe various methods to overcome ignorance and attain self-realisation. These methods include meditation, contemplation, self-discipline, and the guidance of a guru or a self-realised teacher. Through these practises, one can gradually dispel the darkness of ignorance and gain direct experiential knowledge of their true nature as an eternal, unchanging, and interconnected reality.

This is because eye consciousness is connected to the inner guiding force that is innate within our psyche and spirit. The inner guiding force sends information in the form of intuition to the ajna chakra to help us understand and gain meaning from the information coming into the mind from the outer world. This inner guidance is essential if we are to remain calm and confident as we navigate through the challenges of life.

Adi Shankaracharya aphoristically says, "These are three things that are rare indeed and are due to the grace of God, namely, a human birth, the longing for liberation, and the protecting care of a perfected sage... Let people quote the Scriptures and sacrifice to the gods; let them perform rituals and worship the deities; but there is no liberation without the realisation of one’s identity with the Atman—not even in the lifetime of a hundred Brahmas put together. There is no hope of immortality by means of riches; such indeed is the declaration of the Vedas. Hence, it is clear that work cannot be the cause of liberation. The man who discriminates between the Real and the unreal, whose mind is turned away from the unreal, who possesses calmness and the allied virtues, and who is longing for liberation, is alone considered qualified to inquire after Brahman."

The ultimate pathway to consciousness is to realise supreme consciousness, or Brahman consciousness. The universe is not just conscious; it is consciousness, and this consciousness is Brahman. Brahman is Sat-Chit-Anand (Eternal Truth, Eternal Consciousness, and Eternal Bliss).

 Śrī Brahma-Saṁhitā (5.1) says

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

Sri Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is Sat-Chit-Anand. He has an eternally blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all; He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes. He is the exalted Supreme entity, having an eternal name, an eternal form, an eternal attribution, and eternal pastimes.

4. Remarks

It is important to note that the Upanishads do not advocate for the rejection of worldly knowledge or material pursuits. Instead, they encourage individuals to recognise the limitations of purely sensory experiences and intellectual understanding. The Upanishads suggest that true knowledge lies beyond the realm of the senses and can only be realised through direct personal experience and spiritual insight. By transcending ignorance and realising their inherent divinity, individuals can attain moksha, or liberation.

-Asutosh Satpathy