| Ignorance , or avidya , is a root cause of suffering , according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra (II.5) . But the ignorance Patanjali refers to is less a lack of knowledge than an almost willful ignoring of reality. Today we call it denial . For instance , we may intellectually know that all things change , yet we desperately deny this truth—a denial that leads to anxiety , fear , and confusion . At a recent lecture , I led a group of interfaith seminarians in the contemplation of the Five Remembrances... |