# Ignorance *On the darkness of material ignorance and how to dispel it* --- ### Spiritual Ignorance > This ignorance of the population has created so many nonsense as representing as guru and dharma-jñā. No. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. The Vedic injunction says, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣnātam. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Do Not Know Past and Future > Everyone is born with the resultant action of some past karma. But that also, people in modern days, they do not understand what is past, what is future, what is present. They're simply animals. The animals, cats and dogs, they cannot understand. Therefore human form of life should not be wasted like the animals. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### No Excuse for Ignorance > Knowingly or unknowingly, if we do something wrong, we have to be punished. This is the law of nature. Just like fire. If a child touches fire, the fire will burn. Fire will not consider, "Here is a child." Similarly, nature's law will act. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Human Knowledge Defective > This knowledge is not taught in any university of the world. It is unique institution. Although it is the most important subject matter for the human being, still, it is not given education. So we are trying to introduce this educational system all over the world. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Cannot Understand > If you chant "water, water, water, water," your thirst will not be quenched. But if you cry "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa," you may find your position in this world: where you came from, why are you here, what are you doing, where are you going. These questions man must answer, or he's not making use of his ability as man; he's simply living an animal life. — [[spoken/1968/680816jm.mon|Janmāṣṭamī Lecture, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Darkness of Material Life > So we are identifying this body as self. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am black," "I am white"—this is all bodily identification. And spiritual education begins when one understands that "I am not this body." — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Knowledge Covered > There are five kinds of impurity in the conditioned soul. First is he is under the spell of māyā. Second is that he is in the clutches of the modes of material nature. Third is that he is absorbed in material sense enjoyment. Fourth is that his knowledge is covered. And fifth is that he is always in an agitated condition due to false ego. — [[spoken/1970/700508ip.la|Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 6, Los Angeles, 1970]] --- ### How to Remove Ignorance > This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra cleanses the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The dirty things within our heart have to be cleansed. Unless you cleanse your heart, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. — [[spoken/1966/660909le.ny|Lecture on Hare Kṛṣṇa Mantra, New York, 1966]] --- ### Light of Knowledge > If you follow the regulative principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you become purified. And as you become purified, you will see Kṛṣṇa. You will be able to see Kṛṣṇa face to face. This is the perfection of life. — [[spoken/1970/701215sb.ind|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.27, Indore, 1970]] --- ### Suffering from Ignorance > The human being should enquire about the Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the only business for human being. Not for eating, sleeping. That is done by the animals. The human being should be inquisitive to know about the Absolute Truth. — [[spoken/1976/760630sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.16, New Vṛndāvana, 1976]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on ignorance* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]