Can bliss be found in ignorance?

Popularized in the early 1700s, the poem Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College, by poet Thomas Gray, reflects on the contrast of youth and old age by comparing his life struggles to a time before when he had carefree days in college.

He ultimately ends his poem by coining the popular phrase we know today (bold is my emphasis):

“And happiness too swiftly flies.

Thought would destroy their paradise.

No more; where ignorance is bliss,

Tis folly to be wise.”

It is easy to read his poem and initially agree.

Yes ignorance could be bliss.

Especially as we advance through life’s stations and become wise to its strife, struggle, and tribulation. It is almost natural to look back and lament on happier times when we were blissfully unaware of what lay ahead.

From the yogic perspective, however, Mr. Gray couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The very last line of the poem makes a grave error: the assumption that the wise are miserable due to their knowledge and experience of hardship. In reality, these things should liberate us from suffering, not the other way around.

Why is that?

According to the Bhagavad Gita we are naturally inclined to be attracted to and repulsed by certain things in life. For example, putting your hands near a flame will be pleasant in the cold weather. But too close and we feel pain, pulling them away to avoid a burn.

Less relevant to our survival and health, we might find enjoyment through social situations or activities, like spending our time on vacation, enjoying the cool, refreshing ocean on a hot summer day, or indulging our favorite foods. 

Mentally and emotionally, we latch on to these pleasurable moments, cherishing their memories for years to come.

In the same way we are drawn to enjoyment, we also push away and find contempt for those moments, sensations, and situations that cause us stress, fear, or harm.

Think about it. How often do you daydream about better times when your current situation is less than ideal?

This process reaching to grab what we like and pushing away what we dislike is what yogis would call the karma cycle. We become unknowingly bound to these patterns.

Overcoming Ignorance

Spiritual philosophies, such as yoga, teach us that ignorance of our Essence of Being is the sole cause of the misery we experience. It appears that Gray has not traveled terribly far down a spiritual path (at least in this poem). 

He demonstrates how someone who is attached and carries expectations will feel disdain for any situation that does not live up to those standards. He is stuck in the ignorance of egocentrism and the karma of his likes and dislikes.

In order to ultimately find permanent bliss we must undertake the task of unravelling who we really are. This is where real wisdom arises.

By understanding that life is composed of duality, a spectrum of experience, and that we have a natural inclination to seek enjoyment and shy away from discomfort, we can slowly start to cultivate even-mindedness, or equanimity.