Delusion

Ignorance is the lack of the divine ability to see the supramental Truth; it is the part of our consciousness that does not perceive, as opposed to the part that sees and knows the truth.

The distinction between knowledge and ignorance starts with the hymns of the RigVeda, where knowledge means being conscious of the Truth and what is right, and ignorance is being unconscious of the Truth and what is right, opposing it and creating false or negative effects.

'I' and 'mine' represent ignorance, while 'Thou' and 'Thine' represent knowledge.

Brahman is beyond knowledge and ignorance, virtue and vice, merit and demerit, cleanliness and uncleanliness.

The veil of ignorance clouds our vision and deceives us into seeing others as strangers.

On the same tree, the person, immersed and helpless, grieves in delusion. But when he sees the other — the Lord and His glory — he becomes free from grief.

From anger comes confusion; from confusion, failure of memory; from the loss of memory, destruction of discernment; and when discernment is destroyed, one utterly perishes.

All actions are performed in every way by the qualities of nature. The one whose self is deluded by the ego thinks: 'I am the doer.'

The Blessed Lord said: Arjuna, how has this despondency come upon you at this critical hour? It is unworthy of a noble person, it bars the way to heaven, and it brings only dishonour.

Living within the sphere of ignorance, fancying themselves wise and learned, the deluded go round and round, stumbling—like the blind being led by the blind.

O son of Kunti, bound by the work born of your own nature, what you wish not to do through delusion — you shall do that very thing, even against your will.

That happiness which deludes the self both at the outset and in its aftermath, arising from sleep, sloth, and heedlessness — that is declared to be tamasic.

Action that is begun through delusion, without considering the consequence, loss, injury to others, or one's own capacity — that is declared to be tamasic.

To renounce one's obligatory duty is not appropriate; to abandon it through delusion is declared to be renunciation in the mode of darkness.

Deluded by these three qualities born of nature, the whole world fails to know Me — who stand beyond them, imperishable.

The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat. Through these it deludes the embodied being, veiling knowledge.

Know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings. O scion of Bharata, it binds through negligence, idleness, and sleep.

All beings at birth enter into the delusion born of the pairs of opposites — arising from desire and aversion, O scorcher of foes.

Veiled by My power of yogamaya, I do not reveal Myself to all. This deluded world does not recognise Me — the unborn, the imperishable.

The wicked, the foolish, the lowest of humans — robbed of understanding by illusion, dwelling in a demonic disposition — they do not take refuge in Me.