Vidya and Avidya are the two sides of the same coin, the maya. Let us understand it through an illustration.
One day, Master Mahashay visited Thakur Ji in Dakshineshwar. Master Mahashay was a school teacher. Thakur Ji asked him about his wife and her well-being. Master Mahashay replied that she was a good lady, but she was uneducated. Thakur Ji lashed at him and gave him a stern look. He told him that his educated history made him cherish ego. She was more near to God, as she was uneducated, being away from flaunting society.
We are living in the world where we gain external information and consider ourselves vidyavaan. But it’s avidya. Vidya is the understanding which denotes that the one whom we praise in our hymns is within us. Though, we might have not realized it, but understanding is important. Arjuna had Sri Krishna before him, as his charioteer, but Arjuna was clouded by doubts. Then, Gita was delivered. God is omnipresent, but we are doubtful all the time. Arjuna was clouded by Vidya Maya. We might know that God does everything, but haven’t realized it, with awareness. Education is the grand avidya. Illiteracy is minor avidya. But, if the literate and illiterate become aware that God does everything through his tools, then he or she will be called to be under Vidya Maya. But, it is few steps away from the fact that he or she is God, Allah, Shiv… . Despite being aware about the Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence, we do not feel him. This is Vidya Maya.
How can we get out of this? Some people say that will of God can make them feel or see God. This is absolutely true. We might have heard about a saying, God helps those who helps themselves. This is for earning a good worldly life. But, in the spiritual sense, God helps those who do not help themselves. If we surrender to Him, like a child, God will help. If ‘I’ will meditate or work hard, we will invite our doom. But, if we undergo a beautiful retrogression to child like innocence, we will play in His lap like babies. Until and unless, we surrender, we will not be able to get rid of the chains of avidya and vidya. Studying or carrying out household chores with a belief that we do not it, is vidya maya. We need to practice. Practice does not mean that we are taking back our keys from God. We have to practice to get rid off our ego and notion of ‘me and mine’. It is said in Quran that if we walk one step towards Him, He walks ten steps towards, and if we walk ten steps, He runs towards us and further, He takes us in His arms.
We haven’t felt His lap, because of the mind. Mind is aware that we are in the lap of Allah, and thinks that we are Allah’s and Allah is ours. Once we start building the personal relationship with Allah, we will become stress free. We will never find faults in others. It is said, “Kabiraa mann nirmal bhaya, jaise ganga neer, peechhe peechhe Hari firat kahat kabir kabir.” We can see God with our gross eyes and even within ourselves, we need to have that pure outlook. Naman and manan should synchronize. Bhav’s abhaav can yield us nothing. Logic and common sense are futile for spiritual life, and we will not need them if we become a true spiritual follower. Whenever our ego is hurt, we think about alternatives for carrying out a meagre job, If we would not have thought in a logical way, and would have surrendered, we might have gained better results. Even at the age of seventy, we wish to progress materialistically. We should only wish for total obedience and love for Him. Chanting, thanksgiving, fearlessness, are few steps, to feel His presence. If we practice these virtues will transform our kuberdhan to lakshmidhan. Purity and goodness descends as we give off everything. This is the basic essence of ten days from Ganesh Chaturthi to Chaturdashi. Ganesh Ji is considered as the Lord of Knowledge and purity.
A thorn can remove another thorn, and we need to throw them away. Avidya maya to Vidya maya and finally beyond both of them, into Eternity…
