Let us liberate ourselves from the bondage of ignorance. To become liberated from ignorance means to be liberated from the bondage of dukkha (suffering) in this life and dukkha resulting from the cycle of future births and deaths. It is ignorance that keeps us bound to dukkha in this life and in future lives.
What is ignorance? It is the state of dullness, heedlessness, unskillfulness. Because of ignorance, we keep generating new sankharas (mental reactions) and keep defiling our minds with fresh negativities. We are barely aware of what we are doing: how we imprison ourselves with the bonds of craving, with the bonds of aversion; and how, in our ignorance, we tighten the knots of these bonds.
We can eradicate ignorance by remaining aware, alert, and attentive every moment. Then we will not allow new sankharas to make deep impressions on our minds like lines chiselled on granite; we will not allow ourselves to be bound by the fetters of craving and aversion. This quality of attentiveness of mind, endowed with understanding, is called panna (wisdom) and it eradicates ignorance at the roots.
To awaken this wisdom, and to get established in it, we practice Vipassana.
Yatham care: when we walk, we walk with awareness.
Yatham titthe: when we stand, we stand with awareness.
Yatham acche: when we sit, we sit with awareness.
Yatham saye: when we lie down, we lie down with awareness.
Whether sleeping or awake, arising or sitting, in every state, we should remain aware and attentive every moment. No action of ours should ever be done without awareness.
Paccavekkhitva paccavekkitva kayena kammam katabba.
All body activities should be done with full awareness.
Paccavekkhitva paccavekkhitva vacaya kammam katabba.
All vocal activities should be done with full awareness.
Paccavekkhitva paccavekkitva manasa kammam katabba.
All mental activities should be done with full awareness.
Thus we should be heedful with regard to every physical, vocal, or mental action; we should examine every action.
At the same time, this awareness should be endowed with panna. This means that, along with awareness, we should cultivate the experiential understanding of the three characteristics of panna: that all phenomena, have the inherent characteristic of impermanence (anicca); that all phenomena which are impermanent give rise to suffering (dukkha); and that all such phenomena which are impermanent and give rise to dukkha are without essence—i.e., they cannot be "I" or "mine" or "my soul", (anatta).
Once this is understood at the experiential level, one realises how meaningless it is to is react with craving or aversion, clinging or repugnance towards any phenomenon that arises. Instead, there should only be awareness and, at the same time, detachment towards every phenimenon. This is Vipassana. This is the experiential wisdom that shatters ignorance.
Meditators! In the destruction of ignorance alone is our welfare, our happiness, our liberation (nibbana).
