Many people pretend to be happy. And in persuit to show off and in search of real happiness they ignore their basis. But how long a person may detach themselves from ignorance? The main reason for not having detachment from ignorance is that in ignorance a person is not able to understand happiness and sorrow properly. In ignorance a person assumes that happiness lies in worldly objects, relationships or experiences, and he indulges in ignorance in order to obtain these things. Explaining this phenomenon beautifully, the ancient Sanskrit says :
अभ्रच्छाया तृणाद्ग्निः पराधीनं च यत्सुखं |
अज्ञानेषु च वैराग्यं क्षिप्रमेतद्विनष्यति ||
Abhracchayaa trunaagnih paraadheenam cha yatsukham.
Agyaaneshu cha vairagyam kshiprametadvinashyati.
Abhracchayaa = the shade on the earth due to the clouds in the sky.
Trunaadagnih = Trunaat + agnih.
Trunaat = blades of grass.
Agnih = fire.
Paraadheenam = dependence on others.
Cha = and
Yat = dependent upon.
Sukham = happiness, pleasure.
Agyaaneshu = due to ignorance.
Vairagyam = asceticism, freedom from worldly desires.
Kshiprametadvinashyati = kshipram + etat + vinashyati.
Kshipram = immediately, in no time.
Etat = these.
Vinashyati = destroyed, vanish.
i.e. The shade on the ground created by a cloud in the sky, a fire ignited on blades of grass, happiness and pleasure of a person dependent on others, and asceticism in an ignorant person, all these vanish in no time.
Citing different examples, these lines highlight the meaning of ignorance. In this context, it is the belief that happiness is dependent on external factors like possessions, relationships, or achievements. As long as a person remains in ignorance, he is not able to know the real nature of happiness and sorrow, and due to this he is not able to reach the state of detachment. However the scholar says that ignorance is temporary.
True detachment, rooted in wisdom and awareness, allows one to engage with life more calmly and clearly, rather than being controlled by external situations or internal attachments. detachment from ignorance is the process of letting go of the belief that happiness is found in external things and instead cultivating inner peace and freedom through understanding and awareness.
@queenart