It is told that ignorance is bliss. Can You kindly explain this with reference to the soul and God?

[A question by Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya]

Swami Replied:- In the case of soul:- Recollecting the past memories of miseries will give lot of pain and mental disturbance to any soul. Forgetting the past miserable things is ignorance and by doing so, peace is fully obtained. Even though peace is not bliss, still, with reference to disturbance of mental peace by remembering the past negative things, the mental peace obtained by forgetting such bad past can be relatively assumed as bliss and by this way, we can say that ignorance is bliss. Getting profit gives absolute happiness and avoiding loss also gives relative happiness. In the case of soul, remembering past pleasant things gives absolute happiness. If the soul remembers about God, absolute bliss is obtained, which is far far superior to absolute happiness. This is told in the Veda that by ignorance one shall cross the death and by knowledge one shall attain absolute bliss (avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā, vidyayā amṛtamaśnute…- Veda). Avidyaa or ignorance means forgetting the bad past. Mrutyu or death means misery. Vidyaa means the knowledge of God, which is any information about God. Amrutam means absolute bliss.

In the case of God:- By ignorance or forgetting His own real nature, God crosses the boredom of loneliness and in such entertainment from the world, God maintains His real nature of bliss by remembering His own real blissful nature. Here, Avidyaa means forgetting His real nature and Mrutyu means boredom. Vidyaa means again remembering His real blissful nature and Amrutam means His own real blissful nature.

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