Prabhupada: “It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss.”
Ignorance means not knowing or not aware of a certain things. This means that Instead of knowing everything and worrying about that it’s better to be not knowing and remaining happy. Many philosophical thinkers also say that once you start questioning and try to find the answers for everything you go into spree of ever ending chase, which takes you nowhere.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation — May 13, 1976, Honolulu
All criminals, they’re foolish men. Out of ignorance one commits law-breaking. So ignorance is not bliss, but it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. That is the difficulty, The whole world is enjoying ignorance, and when we say about Krsna consciousness, they do not very much appreciate. If I say, “Krsna is the proprietor, you are not proprietor,” he’ll not be very much satisfied. [laughs] Just see, ignorance is bliss. So it is my foolishness to say the real truth. Therefore this is, “It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss.”
So we are taking the risk to offend people because they’ll think we are fools.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Talk with Bob Cohen — February 29, 1972, Mayapur
He says that “We Americans, we have decided that there is no God. If there is God, He is dead.” And this is first-class rascaldom. God cannot be dead, and if anyone thinks like that, he’s fool number one. Bring anyone; I shall talk with him. I can challenge with him, and God is neither dead.
So this is the going-on misconception of life. Majority. “It is folly to be wise when ignorance is bliss.” So, majority people are godless, animal life. Out of that a small quantity of our society may be struggling for becoming Krsna consciousness. That doesn’t matter. That doesn’t matter. If somebody comes, that’s all right.
My Guru Maharaja used to say, “If I can deliver one soul from the clutches of maya, then my whole mission is successful.”
Yes. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Initiation Lecture — May 21, 1968, Boston
These boys and girls are worshiping God, and people criticize them, but when a man worships a dog, he is not criticized. In this way society has progressed. When one worships God, he is criticized, and when he worships dog, he is considered a gentleman. So “It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Interview — September 2, 1972, New Vrindavan
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