What Is Ignorance In Buddhism?

Buddhism doesn't really have the concept of "sin." Instead, it says that all of our suffering has ignorance as its root, but what is ignorance? In this short and humorous Dharma talk, Ven. Dr. Cheolsoeng provides a view that explains how ignorance isn't not knowing, but thinking that we know. This wisdom is summed up in his father's anecdote, "There are two kinds of people in the world - those who divide the world into two kinds of things and those who don't."

Reviews

Terrific! Thank you. 🙏🏾

🙏🏾 2025.

I needed these words today. I will embrace "don't know" more sincerely when I think I know that I'm feeling down, because that's really only a part of my entire experience and the label covers all the other states and dimensions of life I could pay attention to instead of being preoccupied with the label I've placed on myself.

Beautiful🙏🏻💞

Excellent short talk, 🙏 🙏❤️

I find this and your pronoia talk so helpful - I come back to them again and again. Thank you.

Thank you so much for that definition.

Ready to have a don’t know day.

Thank you for sharing your teaching 🙏

I listen to this short talk often they bring so much clarity into my day. Deep bows.

Very helpful.

True

I'm loving NOT KNOWING about buddism

🙏🌻

Thank you

I love this. So much wisdom packed into 4 minutes. I learned a new perspective and will revisit this teaching.

Thank you! Very enlightening! 🙏🏽

A great reflection and attitude. Many thanks.

The answer to the individual and world ugliest ills. Thank you for your wisdom 🙏

Thank you for the insightful talk 🙏🏽

Makes good sense

Not knowing …. In a world where everyone has his opinion ready….. it’s a true test of hard work to stay in that flow of not knowing.
Thank you for sharing this with us
🙏Namasté🙏

I know when something sounds true. I will use this and I thank you

True and beautiful

Thank you for sharing your insight. I plan to use it today within a difficult family situation.

Yes it is true when I think I know I am not open to learning either. Thank you

Excellent 🙏🏼

Beautifully simple and enlightening. Thank you.

Good

Such a complete Dharma bite. So much teaching in a quick talk. Thank you.

🙏😌🪷

I so needed this. Mostly to feel OK.

A marvelous, succinct, clear teaching. Thank you!

Simple and well said

WOW
What an eye opener

Great talk

Such helpful insight! Thank you for the shift in perspective 🙏

So much in this four I utes. Thank you.

✨✨✨✨🙏🏻✨

A marvelous personal discovery.

Thank you so much. It was wonderful.

Most simple but deeply important. Today I will practice not knowing and try to catch myself in the ‘thinking I do know. This will take time I’m sure, especially when I’ve lived through 73 years thinking I know more than I obviously had. Thank you deeply 🙏🙏🙏

Ohhhhhhh now that was very helpful thank you so much! I know what lm going to do today. 😁😆

That helped!!

🙏🙏🙏

Wow! THIS is exactly what I needed to add to my lexicon of spiritual tenets. Not knowing is liberating for me.

I’m sitting here in the near-dark sobbing into my hands because I just had a mental health breakthrough after hearing these words. “I don’t know.” And then we get to looo at the world with healthy new eyes. In the house where I grew up, saying “I don’t know” to the people who raised me was considered an act of “back talk” and I was punished severely for doing so. I remember growing up feeling like I could never say that to my parental guardians for fear of their reaction to perceived “disrespect”, so I just acted like I knew everything. Carrying that attitude into adulthood has made me paranoid and sick 😔but after listening to this I feel like 30 years of anxiety and fear and rigidity and self-righteousness is finally starting to melt away. It’s okay to not know! And then it’s okay to be curious! What a concept! I love you! Thank you for your wisdom! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🙏❤️🌱

Short and valuable, thank you 🙏

Wow just what I needed to hear today. A message to keep in mind going forward. 🙏

Thank you, I needed to hear this. It will help me more than you will ever know 🙏

This talk is so enlightening. I’m curious to learn more. Thank you.

Great explanation. Thank you 😊

Wow!! This is soooo amazing. Thank you so much 🙏🏾💞

'Ignorance isn't not knowing but thinking that we know'. What a fresh new perspective for me. Thank you.

Thank you for the lesson very enlightened

Thank you.

Great advice for all. Especially in these times. Thank you 🙏

Thank you for sharing your insight!

Simple and informative

So enlightening!

Love that part about "don't know" mind. Kwan Um School teaches that a lot.

I feel that daily—I try to not label thinks I encounter, because the thing itself is so much greater than it’s name/label can tell. Labeling it just cuts off your ability to see and know more about it. It’s hard after a life and education that rewards collection of labels!!

Simple but brilliant. Thank you for the lesson.
Much Metta
Gordon

Pure wisdom! Thank you 🙏🏽

That was great. Loved it.

Don't know

Thank you that was very interesting 🙏🏻🙏🏻

That was absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing this insight so clearly and concisely.

Thank you for charing 🙏

Excellent! Thank you

Amazing wisdom

Very humbling and mind-opening description. Thank you so much!

Very helpful information and advice about not assuming that we know.

The description was intriguing enough to hook me. The content was delivered in a most understandable, succinct way. This is a perfect gem to start the day - bookmarked & shared!

Thank you 🙏🏼

Thank you

You hit it right on the nail I never thought of it this way
Thank you for the insight

Very good lesson with a quiet voice. I recommend

Wonderful! Thank you! 🙏🤍

Thank you

Excellent explanation. Thank you!

A new paradigm to me, but one that seems very worthwhile and accurate.
Thank you

I don't know hmm I will work on that! Thank you 🙏

Never thought about ignorance in that way. I’ll work on coming from not knowing. 🙏

Thank you.

Short but very clear explanation regarding ignorance. Thank you.

Excellent !

Very insightful. Thank you

So enlightening! 🙏

very nice—succinct + clear
thank you — more please

Thank you!

Beautiful!

Enlightening! Amazing !

Wonderful reminders
A quick teaching to benefit through your whole day

Thank you for enlightening me on this! Much needed!!👌💯

Beautiful. Thank you

Concise far reaching tidbits on which to meditate! Thanks!

Great talk, though a bit short. Would appreciate more of that, thank you!

Very good lesson

Very informative and compassionately delivered, thank you 🙏☮️