A Mind in Ignorance
Another two states of mind – the mind in ignorance and the mind not in ignorance. The most
fundamental, critical point here is that where ever there is that inherent tendency towards
clinging, towards “I making” and “mine making”, there is ignorance. At a coarser level, we
can call it pride. That is fairly coarse and can be easily identified. But actually at the
root of it is this tendency towards holding on to things. So it is called, the literal
translation of the defilement is called the inherent tendency towards “I making” and “mine
making.” Another word for it is conceit. So the action is conceiving. If ever you conceive
something, then there is at that time ignorance. So if there is no conceiving, there is no
ignorance to be found. “Conceiving” is completely uprooted only in the mind of the Arahant.
He has come to the end of his birth and that mind is free of ignorance. This conceiving is
the biggest disease. Which ever way you conceive, it all becomes otherwise. I told you
about the viparinamaya, the otherwiseness of things. When the Buddha investigated the
world, he said which ever way you conceive, it all becomes otherwise. As long as there
is some tendency towards conceiving, there will always arise some form of suffering,
some torment. When there is no conceiving whatsoever, at that time you have come to the
complete end of suffering. That is the end of all suffering.