Ignorance is Bliss

 

On the Path

“That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.”

Margery Williams (The Velveteen Rabbit, p.7; Originally published in 1922, reproduced by Suzeteo Enterprises, 2017)

          In 1768, Thomas Gray coined the phrase "Ignorance is bliss.” I’m inclined to agree with him. The problem is that once you lose your ignorance, like the Skin Horse in the Velveteen Rabbit, you can’t go back. You can’t not know what you know—which is one reason the people who are scrubbing our school libraries of “controversial” books want to remove anything that is “offensive” to them. Too much truth can change the balance of power.

          This is true as well for those of us who think too much. A curious mind is a dangerous thing. Curious people tend to look things up, search for the facts, steer away from conspiracy theories and pseudoscience, and look to legitimate sources for information. We like to know what we’re talking about first-hand rather than repeat what we’ve heard from talk-shows and pundits. People with curious minds are more likely to look at situations in their wholeness, rather than picking them apart. A case in point is the rampant sensationalism surrounding what the young Princes and their brides were doing or not doing during the Queen’s funeral proceedings—did she wear the right hat, why did he look at her that way, is that scowl a sign of things to come—instead of simply seeing two young men grieving their grandmother’s death. It was sad to say the least.

          The spiritual path is no different. Doubt is essential for true belief, and yet, it is shunned and even punished. We are told we must have a personal relationship with the Divine, but to do that, we must question, we must sample other beliefs, and compare one to another. Yet, that is frowned upon too. Paradoxically, we are expected to blindly follow but also, to know God personally.

One thing is certain, once questions begin to arise, and doubt creeps in, one has put one’s foot on the path of truth and there’s no going back. I know people who compartmentalize life successfully. Who, for instance, are scientifically educated, yet still believe and practice superstition. They do it by keeping those two things in separate categories and never letting them see the light of day at the same time. I also know people who simply turn a blind eye to anything they don’t want to see. In doing so, they embody the “ignorance is bliss” quote.

Once your eyes are open, however, once you see clearly, you can only go one direction. Likewise, once reality dawns, you know the pain of being Real. You also know that it’s right and it’s forever. Like in the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, being Real is not easy; you lose all your veneer, all your slick, soft fur, and your shiny naivety. You may feel a bit stripped down and exposed. It helps to remember that being Real is loved into us. It’s an act of love to see the world as it is, with eyes wide open, and still love it back. It’s for always. And that’s a good thing.

                                        In the Spirit,

                                        Jane