Ignorance fuels hope, knowledge quashes hope. Knowledge reminds us of our limits, ignorance sets no bounds. When I say Ignorance I am not talking about ‘stupidity’. But I am talking about we not knowing what is not possible. When we don’t know what is not possible our possibilities become boundless. We don’t set any artificial constraints on what can be done and what cannot be done. It is in this sense I think Ignorance is BLISS.
Knowledge leads to judgment. It makes one to wear invisible glasses that filter what we see. The more difficult it is to forget / suspend what you know, higher the probability for judgment. Great Masters are known more for their child like curiosity more than their masterly pronouncements. Ignorance is more like that child in the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ story. Because you don’t ‘know’ anything about what you are seeing, there are no preconceived notions about how it ‘should’ look, and you are able to see it ‘as- is’.
The question is can I become ‘consciously’ ignorant of my ‘knowledge’? It is possible but requires lot of practice. Once we learn something, it becomes a part of us i.e., it becomes a part of our identity. That is why it is so difficult to suspend our judgment because we need to temporarily deny what we ‘know’ is right and that hurts our Ego. Anything that hurts our Ego is painful. Unlearning, though very important, is so difficult for this very reason.
Inspite of the knowledge gained is it possible to retain child-like curiosity? Being able to become ignorant and become open to new learning by temporarily suspending our ‘knowingness’ is what characterizes both our teachability and learnability. Can I become a tabula rasa in every interaction with my client? Or in every interaction of mine with whomever I meet without any preconceived notions. I know it is very very difficult. But if aim for Stars we will at least reach the moon.
Let me illustrate the above point with the help a quick exercise. At the beginning of the next page there is picture, just look at it for not more than 2 seconds. What are you waiting for? Scroll down, look at the picture.
