Day -198 - The Creeper of Ignorance

Day -198 - The Creeper of Ignorance 

The Spread of Ignorance

The Nature of Ignorance

1. Creeper of Ignorance:

   • Vasistha likens ignorance to a creeper flourishing in the forest of world-appearance, rooted in the mountain of consciousness.
   • It embodies the three worlds, with pleasure and pain, being and non-being, wisdom and ignorance as its roots and fruits.

2. Manifestation of Ignorance:

   • Ignorance expands by itself and yields more ignorance.
   • When it seeks wisdom, it grows into wisdom eventually, reflecting its transformative potential.

Psychological States and Emotions

1. Pastimes and Modes:

   • Ignorance manifests in various psychological states and emotions.
   • It is purified when it contacts wisdom but can reattach itself.

2. Source of Experiences:

   • The sap of ignorance is the memory of past experiences, feeding emotions and sense-experiences.
   • Enquiry into the self (vicara) acts like a termite, eating away at this creeper.

The Cosmic Play of Ignorance

1. Mind and Notions:

   • The mind shakes this creeper, and notions (birds) resort to it.
   • Senses (snakes) encircle it, and prohibited actions (python) dwell in it.

2. Cosmic Elements:

   • The stars and planets are flowers of this creeper, and it includes all things that delude or promote wisdom.
   • It contains all beings, past, present, and future, manifesting as the entire universe.

The Transcendence of Ignorance

The Inquiry of Rama

1. Rama’s Puzzlement:

   • Rama is puzzled by the statement that even gods like Vishnu and Shiva are part of ignorance (avidya).

2. Explanation by Vasistha:

   • Vasistha explains that the supreme truth (existence-consciousness-bliss) is beyond thought and understanding.
   • Conceptualization arises naturally in it, leading to the threefold understanding of subtle, middling, and gross, regarded as sattva, rajas, and tamas.

The Nature of Prakrti and Avidya

1. Prakrti and Avidya:

   • These three qualities constitute prakrti (nature) and are the source of all beings.
   • Beyond prakrti is the supreme truth.

2. Subdivisions and Categories:

   • Each quality is subdivided into subtle, middling, and gross, forming nine categories that constitute the entire universe.
   • Sages, ascetics, and gods like Vishnu and Shiva form the sattvic part of ignorance, considered liberated.

The Interplay of Vidya and Avidya

1. Vidya and Avidya:

   • Avidya arises in vidya like ripples in the ocean and dissolves similarly.
   • The distinction between ignorance and knowledge is verbal and unreal; what remains when this distinction is abandoned is the truth.

2. The Ultimate Reality:

   • The ultimate reality is omnipotent, indestructible, and everywhere, causing cosmic motion without intending to.
   • It is more empty than space, yet full of consciousness, embodying the reality in all things.

Advisory to Modern Society

The teachings from Yoga Vasistha provide profound guidance for modern society:

1. Recognize the Nature of Ignorance:

   • Understand that ignorance manifests in various forms, rooted in the mind and emotions.
   • Engage in self-inquiry (vicara) to transcend ignorance and achieve wisdom.

2. Transcend Psychological Conditioning:

   • Acknowledge that worldly experiences and delusions are rooted in ignorance.
   • Strive to rise above psychological conditioning by seeking self-knowledge and wisdom.

3. Embrace the Ultimate Reality:

   • Realize that the ultimate truth is beyond conceptual distinctions of knowledge and ignorance.
   • Seek to perceive the oneness and omnipresence of the ultimate reality, leading to liberation.

By incorporating these insights into daily life, individuals can transcend ignorance, achieve self-realization, and contribute to a more enlightened society.