Delusion Series, Part 20–From Ignorance to Wisdom
Hello, dear friends!Welcome to this episode of the podcast, brought to you by the Australia Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated.
Today, I’d like to share with you a topic that points directly to the truth of life: Ignorance and Wisdom. These two concepts, rooted in the wisdom of Buddhism, are deeply connected to our daily lives. They reveal why we get lost in life and how we can find the right direction.
1. What is Ignorance?
Ignorance is a mistaken perspective or erroneous understanding. It’s like wearing a pair of distorted glasses—everything we see, whether the world or ourselves, is skewed. This distortion is subtle, often taken for granted as truth.
For example, consider our food preferences. Some love spicy food, while others dislike it. Where do these preferences come from? They’re not innate; they’re shaped by our environment and habits. We think these preferences are real, but in truth, they’re an illusion. This illusion leads us to cling to fleeting things, believing them to be real and permanent—this is ignorance.
At its core, ignorance is self-assured delusion. We think we understand, that our choices and judgments are correct, but in reality, they’re often built on false foundations. It’s like solving a math problem: if the first step is wrong, no matter how hard we try, the answer will always be incorrect. Ignorance sets us off from a wrong starting point, leading to one mistaken decision after another.
2. What is Wisdom?
So, what is wisdom? Wisdom is the correct perspective, a clear insight into the truth. It’s like solving a math problem with every step calculated precisely, down to the decimal point, to arrive at the correct answer. In life, only by acting with correct understanding can we reap positive outcomes.
The first step toward wisdom is recognizing illusion. What is illusion? It’s the impermanent, ever-changing nature of phenomena. The world before us is like a dream, constantly shifting. When we cling to things like gourmet food or fame, believing they’re real and everlasting, that’s ignorance. But when we see through their dreamlike, transient nature, that’s the beginning of wisdom.
3. The Dangers of Ignorance
Why is ignorance so harmful? Because it traps us in illusions, creating endless suffering. We think chasing certain things—delicious food, a comfortable life—will bring happiness, but they often lead to more pain.
For instance, someone may love a certain food, thinking it brings joy, but they overlook its impact on their health. When illness arises, they realize that what they pursued as “pleasure” was actually “pain.” This is ignorance—mistaking suffering for joy, illusion for reality.
4. How to Move Toward Wisdom?
Recognizing illusion is just the beginning. True wisdom requires understanding the mechanics of illusion—how cause and effect, and interdependent conditions, operate. We must understand what causes lead to what effects and what conditions drive things in a particular direction. To steer life toward a positive path, we must plant the right causes and cultivate the right conditions.
5. Conclusion
The wisdom of recognizing illusion awakens us from the dream. In a dream, fire cannot burn you, and water cannot drown you, because you know it’s not real. Similarly, in the “daydream” of reality, when you see through the illusory nature of things, no obstacle can truly trouble you. Like the Buddha, you can live freely within the dream, creating positive causes, conditions, and results.
Thank you all, and see you in the next episode!
