Ignorance means not perceiving that this world is impermanent, believing that it is real or existent. It is a very simple point. When we dont realise this worlds impermanence, we believe that our thinking and everything else is real and has some avoiding, independent existence. Ignorance causes us to become attached to our thoughts, or desires, and the sensory life of our bodies, because ignorance is the subtle belief that all these things are real. This arousing of ignorance leads to some idea, some mental formation. Another name for mental formations is karma, the habitual force that we have brought into this life from another. Through the habit-force of our mental formations, consciousness appears. If can be likened to a seed, the beginning of some aggregate thought that I am. From this point, thinking and consciousness begin to create the realm of name and form. Once you have fostered this sense of I am, you create ideas about things that are not part of this I. The six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind) begin here, and so then humans enter the world of touch, or contact with things in the world of name and form. We experience these sensations made on the on the six sense organs through contact. From this point on, human consciousness is completely controlled by our habitual of the six senses. Because from senses comes a desire for more sensation, and more sensation, there naturally arise desire and clinging to these sensations. I liked that. I want more. I need more. This kind of mind appears. Now I has made name and firm, and through the six senses had become attached to this world and its many sensations. Therefore the belief in some kind of existence follows. I think, therfore I am. I see, therfore I am. I hear, therefore I am. If something exists then something else must not exist. This means the creation of life. I am alive. I am thirty years old. When our thinking makes life, or also makes old age, suffering, and, ultimately, death. That is our suffering world. That is the Chain of Dependant Origination. The Buddha showed that to take away suffering means making each of these links disappear. It is very clear. ... So, when does ignorance appear? Do you understand? (No response) Dont know? Ha ha ha ha! The answer is very, very clear. Ill give you a hint: if you open your mouth, ignorance appears. If you ask Why does ignorance appear? It also appears. You have a question, so ignorance appears. If you have no question, it never appears and never disappears. So you must understand this question. More practicing is necessary! - Zen Master Seung Sahn
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 01:32:58 +0000
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