The Demon of Ignorance

There are so many aspects in our lives, where the darkness of ignorance overpowers us and the sun of knowledge remains set. With no fire, no light, no glow in our lives, we continue to live with this demon and compromise our lifestyle adopting the ignorant ways.

Swami Rama Tirtha often narrated this story. Many Scenturies ago, there was a group of tribal people who inhabited the peaks of the Himalayas. There was no trace of civilisation in that area and the disposition of those people was comparable to that of the animals. They rambled on the hills and jungles of the Himalayas crudely dressed, almost naked. After hunting down the animals, they used to tear apart their bodies and have their blood and flesh. They were also unaware of the basic art of igniting fire.

So, the only source of light known to them was– the Sun! With the sunrise, the activities of their day would commence. As the heat of the sunlight intensified, so would their physical activities. After the sunset, it used to become quite dark, as if the entire area was enveloped with a thick black sheet! On the moonless nights, the darkness seemed even more intensified, resulting in gross gloominess. Nothing would be visible in the dead of night. Living amidst that intense darkness, many had got their heads ruptured and quite a number of them had lost their lives too. Some of them also encountered cruel animals, who feasted on their bodies.

This was the reason behind their belief regarding the darkness of night, for which they used to say, “Hurry up! Hurry! Rush back to your cottage! The sun is about to set. The black demon is going to spread his arms to shroud the whole sky. He will overpower each and every one. He will swallow the one who dares to come out of the cottage. Run! He is coming…”

Actually, they mistook the darkness of night, the ordinary event of nature as a 'demon'; and that too such a ferocious one who would kill and eat their people!