The Two Ignorances
Ignorance of our true nature, and maintenance of that ignorance:
the origin and maintenance of sin.
It may be hard to accept that exaggeration about our self
turns into a life of lies.
The two ignorances – exaggeration and lies.
If we do not know that there is a way out of the ignorance that obscures our true reality, we will be fixed.
We have to realise that we are pure, compassionate consciousness which, in Sanskrit, is the three Kayas: Dharmakaya, Sambhogkaya, and Nirmanakaya. These three aspects (which are a unity) are the basis of enlightened, universal law.
If we ignore this law, we come under the gross universal laws of attraction and repulsion, hope and fear, likes and dislikes. When we realise our true being, we then recognise whatever has been obscuring this reality.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Our ignorance will be used against us.
We are encouraged to embellish ourselves, and therefore, in the words of Manjushri, we condemn our life to “the dark ignorance in the dungeon of existence.”
Reason tells us that the only possible way to know ultimate truth is through our own pure perception; anything else is merely a made-up reflection in the mind.
There is the observation and the thing observed. We might then ask, “Is there an observer?”
If we say yes, an identification with whatever is observed is set up, and we become hung up on concepts.
If, on the other hand, we transcend the idea of a personalised observer that judges, our being expands to pure observation. It’s an esoteric thing.
Without pure perception, we wouldn’t know anything, so it stands to reason that, in order to recognise the truth, we have to know it first! This is fundamental to intelligence.
Whatever we are told can never be the truth: even the Buddha said, “Don’t take my word for it”. We have to see. From an esoteric point of view, this means recognising that pure seeing is present. Truth is in pure seeing, pure perception, pure consciousness. Others’ versions are their perception. We have to test whether this is pure, and the only way to test is to know when we are being misled.
How do we see the truth?
As long as we ignore our reality and maintain that view,
we will never realise what reality is.