I have several questions but I will start with one.
the buddha and several hindu masters teach that the origin of our suffering is ignorance.
my question is what is the origin or the meaning of that ignorance.
if it exists it had to come from God because God is all and all meaning infinite.
I am a spiritual seeker not trying to stump the experts here.
this to me is a profound question but no one seems to be asking the origin of our ignorance.
thanks
—william, usa
Dear William, you ask an ages-old question that has pursued human kind for a very long time. God, in order to create a universe of diversity and infinite complexity from “nothing,” from Himself, had to resort to a kind of trick, or illusion. We call this duality.
When from a center of perfect rest God’s consciousness moves “outward” it must be countered by an equal and opposite movement. The illusion of the reality of objects separate from God is maintained by motion or vibration. We have the motion and movements of atoms, molecules, and sub-atomic particles. All creation is in constant flux.
In order for the great drama of creation to sustain itself it must have an incentive. If it is ever too perfectly in tune with the Oneness underlying itself it will lose the incentive and will withdraw back into God.
This vibratory intelligence and energy therefore must be believable and attractive enough to cause us to seek fulfillment through its seeming rewards. Our ignorance arises from the illusory nature of material reality which prevents us from seeing “who”s behind the curtain.”
This explanation begs the question WHY? The rishis aver (admit) that a satisfactory answer to this will come only when we, too, have achieved that Oneness. Because in the dream or nightmare of this creation, goodness vies with evil, pleasure with pain and it doesn’t seem just that God should have created this drama when we are stuck inside its unceasing flux.
Rishis say that God wanted to share his Bliss with many. He wanted to create a great drama of hide and seek, a divine romance. At first, it has been said, it was a perfect world but it couldn’t sustain itself. The intelligence and energy with which the creation was endowed and reflected from the Spirit began to resist the thought of being withdrawn and to rebel and to continue the drama, independently. With free will it rebelled.
But from God’s point of view, the drama is simply a drama. A great play, with great lessons to be learned. When we have learned them, we, too, they tell us, will look back and say, “What a great show!”
Besides, in truth, most people are hell bent or content to pursue their earthly dreams in hopes of reward, not knowing the dice are loaded and that it all balances to ZERO! Most would simply make the choices they have made, regardless of what they might be taught.
Only when on a soul level do we awaken to the truth that this dream creation cannot fulfill our desire for existence, consciousness,and unalloyed bliss, do we begin to the take the steps to unravel the mystery of existence. We begin to pay off our debts and tendencies.
The guru comes to awaken us from the dream. Fulfill your earthly duties with equanimity and seek rest in God. God, who has made this creation must fulfill our desire and sincere efforts to awake from it and to know, love, and unite with Him.
Sincerely,
Hriman
