Question: From the spiritual point of view, what is the difference between stupidity and ignorance?

Sri Chinmoy: Stupidity is a child of ignorance. All our imperfections and limitations come from ignorance. Ignorance is the mother and father of stupidity, imperfection, limitations and bondage. What is stupidity after all? It is our fear of the unknown, of the Vast. If we know that our inner reality is vast and infinite, then we can never be satisfied with something limited, transitory and fleeting. But in our day-to-day life we forget that we have the eternal Life and divine Reality within us. We cherish all stupid thoughts and false ideas. One of the most stupid thoughts or ideas is this: “We cannot realise the Vast, the Infinite; it is beyond our capacity to realise God.”

This idea is based on stupidity. When we enter into the spiritual life, we have to feel at every moment that it is God who is inspiring us to realise Him. It is in our conscious realisation that we will have our constant union with God. This is the message that God wants to offer to us in our life of aspiration. But we, in our stupidity, feel that God is infinite, eternal and immortal, while we are mere insects — meaningless creatures. If we feel that our Father is millions and billions of miles away from us, then we will never realise Him. We have to feel that His Infinity, Eternity and Immortality are also inside us. We must run towards Him, for He is our Goal. If we have that kind of inner feeling and conviction, then only can we put an end to our stupidity.

So, stupidity springs from ignorance. From ignorance-sea we get stupidity; this is where fear, doubt, anxiety, worry, temptation, frustration and destruction grow. In the sea of wisdom we see that purity, sincerity, simplicity, fulfilment and the message of constant illumination and perfection grow.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Ego and self-complacency, Agni Press, 1977
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