Let's Get BLISSED

Avidya or ignorance is the first of the five Kleshas or afflictions that disturb the human mind according to Pantanjali, the author of The Yoga Sutras.  Immediately the phrase that pops into my head is, “Ignorance is bliss.”

As I begin to scratch the surface of what is meant by ignorance, I see that this could not be further from the truth.  So what then is ignorance? And why can’t it be bliss? 

On first thought you might assume that ignorance equals “not knowing.”  BUT I would like to dispute that interpretation and say quite the opposite….Ignorance is: “thinking you know”…key word to observe here is: thinking.  Because when we involve thinking, we involve our perceptions, our cultural programming, our prejudices and so forth. This extends an invitation for many, many discrepancies ….and in my book, discrepancy and bliss do NOT hold hands or even share an intimate glance from opposite ends of the room!

I would like to propose that our concepts and our ideas of what “should be,” are what stand in the way of our experience of WHAT IS.  WHAT IS, is now, and can be felt, it cannot exist in the past or in the future…so BLISS can ONLY exist or be felt RIGHT NOW.  The moment you separate yourself with an opinion or an interpretation of NOW, you separate yourself from the opportunity to experience bliss.  

It is quite ironic, but our NEED to know, is what makes us all so damn miserable most of our lives!  It quite literally desparkles our inherent sparkle.    

Our NEED is the ignorance ITSELF, you see.  Because in NEEDING, we deny the universe or a higher power our FAITH.  The kind of faith that reminds us that what we NEED has already been provided for us; that simply by being a human, we have been gifted with all of the tools necessary to experience the glory of ourselves in connection with ALL THAT IS.

Now let’s not get it twisted!  I am by no means proclaiming that “wanting” to know, or learning, or trying, or being goal oriented is ignorance.  

What I am saying is that to “unknow” yourself conceptually is to give yourself the opportunity to KNOW yourself experientially and bliss can only exist inside the experience.

So how bout it y’all?  

Who’s ready to get BLISSED?