What is Ignorance?

When is one wrapped up in blinding Ignorance?



Once a certain not very well-known Bhikkhu asked the Blessed Buddha:
Venerable Sir, ignorance, ignorance, is it said! What is ignorance?
Venerable Sir, in what way is one wrapped up in ignorance?
The Blessed Gotama Buddha then pointed out:
Not Knowing Suffering is ignorance;
Not Knowing The Cause of Suffering is ignorance;
Not Knowing The End of Suffering is ignorance;
Not Knowing The Way to end Suffering is ignorance...
All this absence of understanding is ignorance and it is by that blindness,
that dark state of blocked insight, that one is wrapped up in ignorance!
Therefore, Bhikkhu, an effort should be made much of to understand:
This is Suffering; an effort should be made much of to comprehend:
Such is the Cause of Suffering; an effort should be made so to realize:
That is the End of Suffering; An effort should be made to penetrate,
recognize, and develop, The Noble Way leading to the End of all Suffering...

More on these 4 Noble Truths (Cattari Ariya Saccani):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Clustered_Truths.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Ultimate_Fact.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4_Noble_Truths.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Sour_Sense_Sources.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_1st_Noble_Truth_on_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_2nd_Noble_Truth_on_The_Cause_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_3rd_Noble_Truth_on_The_Ceasing_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4th_Noble_Truth_on_The_Way_to_End_Suffering.htm

What is Ignorance? A Blinded Mind!

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. [V:429]
section 56: Saccasamyutta. Thread 17: Ignorance...

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