What is ignorance?

There was a time in my life when I really appreciated the art form of film. I took a film course at university and I can remember having to write an essay on the 1967 movie Bonnie & Clyde. (It was not a good essay)

The Matrix is one of my favorite movies. Not only is it a great movie (in my opinion), but it can also serve as a powerful metaphor for someone wanting to understand the truth. The Matrix is able to clearly communicate the truth in a way that popular spiritual books, such as the Bhagavad Gita, or Siddhartha, cannot. (Nothing against these books since my teachers have referenced them often over the years)

In particular, The Matrix does an incredible job communicating the key concept of ignorance. A person can either be in ignorance or wisdom (but never both). A truth seeker needs to understand that ignorance is always a choice. We are always free to choose.

The film's protagonist (using film jargon) is a character named Neo. Neo represents a truth seeker. Neo is searching. Neo wants to know the answer to this question: "What is the matrix?" in the much the same way that a truth seeker wants to know "What is Consciousness?"

Neo does not understand that the reality of his experience is the matrix. In fact, he can only experience the matrix. The steak that he eats, the ocean that he swims, the lips of the beautiful woman that he kisses....is always the matrix. In the exact same way....what we experience is always 100% Consciousness. In this context, Neo is in ignorance the same way that 99.99% of the world is in ignorance. (With this understanding, the words 'soul' and 'ego' kind of go away. These words usually refer to a person in ignorance)

Particularly at the beginning of the movie, the reality of Neo's world is the matrix. Although Neo's experience is real, his world (and himself) doesn't really exist in the way that he imagines. The objects in Neo's world do not have their own existence (which is also what contemporary science is saying). In reality, there are no objects. Ultimately, the metaphor falls apart, but in this context, the matrix is a perfect metaphor for Consciousness. In exactly the same way, Consciousness is the reality of the illusory world. In reality, 'there is no spoon" only Consciousness.

It is equally important to understand that the true experiencer of the matrix does not appear in the matrix. Neo is so lost in the illusion of the matrix, he believes that he is the feeler of his feelings and the knower of perceptions. Neo is an avatar. He is an action figure in a virtual reality. It's the same here. The true experiencer of the world is not in the world (in the same way that the character in the dream is not the true experiencer of the dream.)

It's not surprising that we are lost when you consider that we were 'born' into this world. It is a very good illusion and this world is all that we have ever known. Everything seems to make sense, however, it is a virtual reality that has been mistaken for reality. It is an easy mistake and over the years this error has grown deep roots in our culture and language.

However, because it is an illusion, it has holes. In fact, it has many holes. We just need to be interested enough to find them. The best part of getting lost is getting unlost. Awakening to the truth is the highest possible purpose of a person's life.

Most people are so lost in the objects of the world, they are ignorant as to the true identity of that which is aware of their experience. The thinker of the thoughts is not the brain and the feeler of the body is not the body. We deeply believe that it is the body that is aware. The body is not aware...Awareness is aware. That which knows is always reality knowing itself. It is the simple recognition that I AM.

Did we ever know the truth? Certainly many mystics, philosophers, poets, artists have apparently understood for centuries, and now many scientists understand. Science has caught up to the sages.

(In scientific terms, perhaps we could describe the matrix as a quantum field. We see and interact with the world at the human scale in terms of classical Newtonian physics but it's reality is a subatomic quantum field that we never see...IF I correctly understand what science is saying...I'm not a scientist)

Neo's understanding of the truth continues to deepen until the reality of the matrix is revealed as zeros and ones. You might say that Neo awakens inside the Matrix and then deeply understands that the bullets are not made of steel and cannot harm him.

Likewise, the reality of self, and the world, is revealed to a truth seeker in the form of glimpses/awakenings when we are truly ready. This happens naturally when we let go of deeply rooted beliefs. In particular, the deeply rooted identification with being an object. We can effortlessly let go of these beliefs only when we understand that it's not true.

The letting go happens naturally through understanding. As always, understanding is everything. I understand that I am not anything that can be perceived. What I can't explain is why it takes so long to understand (in most cases, myself included).

The truth is available to anyone who really wants to know. However, ignorance is never a problem. Most of my closest friends are in ignorance and everyone is free to believe whatever they want. In other words, if you don't believe me, that's ok.

Personally, I prefer the truth. In wisdom, I deeply understand that everything is always perfectly ok. I also understand that whatever happens after this body/mind dies is exactly what I choose to happen.

What is Consciousness? The more that my understanding of the truth deepens, the more that I love Consciousness....it is truly amaaaaaaazing.

"Do you think that's air you're breathing now?" – Morpheus