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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00126 Sep 2003

 
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(Continued from Part 1)
-------------------------------------------------------

One of the fundamental problems of life to bedevil
Man, according to Vedanta, is Ignorance. In Sanskrit
Ignorance goes by several names -- 'agnyAna' and
'avidya' are the most commonly heard ones and they are
opposites of "gnyAna" and "vidya" both denoting
"Knowledge". 

'Ignorance' is such a daunting philosophical problem
even defining it presents difficulties. Vedanta cannot
describe it adequately in any terms other than as the
'opposite-of-knowledge'. The only effective way to
define Ignorance is to say it is "lack of knowledge",
"absence of knowledge" or the "anti-thesis of
knowledge". There is really no stand-alone word in the
Sanskrit language for 'Ignorance' -- it is always
either "a-gnyAna" or "a-vidya".

Now, whatever be the school of Vedanta -- Advaita,
Dvaita or VisishtAdvaita -- to which we may owe
allegiance, we should know there is no escape in life
from the problem of Ignorance. Before the light of
'gnyAna' can shine upon him, first the darkness of
'avidya' has to be dispelled in the Ignorant man. So,
who is this Ignorant Man as conceived in Vedanta?

In the ordinary sense, Ignorance is defined as "lack
of knowledge". The dictionary meaning is a little more
specific: Ignorance is "lack of knowledge of truth". 

In Vedanta the meaning becomes even more specific:
"knowledge of truth" ordinarily relates to 'truth of
fact' but Vedantic knowledge refers to "knowledge of
causes"... and, more particularly, to knowledge of
ultimate cause ("para-tattva") enshrined in Godhead.
Such Vedantic knowledge of 'ultimate cause' is really
not so much to be learnt as it is to be realized in
life... which is why it is differentiated as "wisdom"
-- the nearest English equivalent for "gnyAna" or
"vidya". 

The Ignorant Man is hence, according to Vedanta, the
man of 'un-realized wisdom'. He is unaware, therefore
unmindful of Ultimate Cause. 

***********

Next question: What is the nature of this "gnyAna",
the Wisdom of Vedanta?

The Chandogya Upanishad tells an endearingly simple
tale (translated by E.Easwaran "The Upanishads")
explaining the nature of this special knowledge that
Vedanta calls 'Wisdom'. It is the story of a bright
young man, Shvetaketu, returning home to his father,
Uddalaka, after 12 years of Vedic study. He was puffed
with every kind of lofty and varied knowledge:

"You seem to be proud of all this learning,"
Said Uddalaka, "But did you ask
Your teacher for that spiritual wisdom
Which enables you to hear from the unheard,
Think the unthought, and know the unknown?" 
(Chandogya:6-1-2/3)

Faced with the startling query, the young and
conceited Shvetaketu was utterly dumbfounded.

"What is that wisdom, father?" asked the son.

Uddalaka said to Shvetaketu:
As by knowing one lump of clay, dear one,
We come to know all things made out of clay:
That they differ only in name and form,
While the stuff of which all are made is only
clay...

So through that spiritual wisdom, dear one,
We come to know that all life is one..." 
(6-1-6)

When he heard his father say this, Shvetaketu, the
sensitive and noble soul that he was, in a sudden
flash realized that with all his Vedic learning, and
after 12 full years spent in acquiring various
knowledge, he was actually still very Ignorant... He
was an "a-gnyAni" ...in other words, education had
merely stuffed knowledge into him; no real wisdom
however had been drawn out of him.

"My teachers must not have known this wisdom,"
Said Shvetaketu, "for if they had known,
How could they have failed to teach it to me?
Father, please instruct me in this wisdom".

"Yes, dear one, I will" replied his father" 
(6-1-7) 

And thus, the ChandOgya Upanishad goes on to recount
to us, how Shvetaketu's real education began and
Uddalaka's teachings enabled his Ignorant son to
realize Wisdom.

**********

(to be continued)
dAsan,
Sudarshan


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