Deep Commentary

Ignorance (avijja) is the fundamental root of samsara, the cycle of birth, death, and suffering. It serves as the primary link in the chain of Dependent Origination. Because of delusion, human beings develop false perceptions and erroneous views, which inevitably lead to all the entanglements and suffering in life. Once ignorance is eliminated, the practitioner effectively brings the cycle of suffering to an end. Hence, the Buddha declares that only by destroying ignorance can one truly become a pure and holy monk. Although ignorance is the primary engine behind the generation of unwholesome karma, its ultimate reality is empty; it has no permanent essence. Because it is essentially empty, it is possible for a practitioner to transform it. As the Zen master Yongjia Xuanjue noted, the true nature of ignorance is the Buddha-nature itself. Just as the true nature of muddy water is clear water, if the capacity for clarity were not inherent, purification would be impossible. The muddy sediment represents ignorance, while the clear water represents the innate enlightened awareness. While ignorance is 'beginningless,' it has an end; conversely, our inherent enlightened nature is both beginningless and endless. Therefore, the Buddha teaches that when ignorance is extinguished, the inherent, pure, and enlightened awareness is naturally revealed.