We are all spiritual beings, children of One Infinite God, living in this physical body which is time and space bound and hence finite. We, identifying ourselves with the body creates ignorance of this Reality and misunderstanding that we are just physical and finite beings. This doubt and duality thus created between us and the Pure Self, the Divine Consciousness within, is called Spiritual Ignorance. In this ignorance, pain and doubt develops within, which like a screen That separates us from God. "Andar agian dukh bharam hai vich parda door payeeaas." Guru Ram Das p40

"The unseen God sits deep within the Self and cannot be realized as the veil of ego intervenes. In emotional attachment to Maya, all the world is asleep. How can this doubt can be dispelled?""Anatar Alakh na jaee lakhiaa vich parda haumay paaia. Maya moh sabh soiaa eho bharam kahau kion jaee." Guru Arjan p205

The spiritually ignorant are called 'manmukh' in Gurbani and are blind to the reality of their real self. "Jee kee saar na janee manmukh agianee andh." Guru Arjan p 959

It is like an ocean wave to think that it is separate from the ocean due to its ignorance. The wave here cannot exist without the ocean. Superimposition of our bodily consciousness onto the Self gives rise to the world of names and forms. Pure Consciousness, God is formless because it is beyond the limited body, mind and intellect. This separation between us and the Reality leads to spiritual ignorance. This is caused by Maya and we get attached to the material which causes duality. "Eh Maya jit Har vsire moh upje bhaao duja laaia." Guru Amar Das, Anand, p. 921

In this mistaken identity, one accepts the body as oneself and gets bound to family, friends, material possessions, sense pleasures and so on. So the deluded man accepts the unreal to be real and infinite to be finite. Due to mental wilderness caused by such ignorance, one takes this world to be stable and permanent. Emotional attachment to Maya is totally painful and it is a bad bargain. Speaking false under influence of Maya is like eating poison and it gives rise to more evil in the mind. "Maya moh sabh dukh hai khota eh vapaara Ram. Koor bol bikh khavnee bauh vadhe vilaraa Ram." Guru Amar Das, p. 570

"He who has spiritual ignorance within, his intellect is dull and dim, and he does not place his faith in the True Guru. He has deceit within himself and so he sees deception in all other. Through his deceptions, he is totally ruined. If blessed by God such a person will meditate on God's Name and be absorbed in the divine melody.. " "Antar agian bhaee mut madham Satgur kee parteet nahee. Anadar kapat sabh kapto kar janay kapto khapeh khapee. Satgur ka bhana chit na aaveh aapnay sua-ay phiraaee. Kirpa karay je aapnee tan Nanak Sabad smaee." Guru Ram Das, p. 652.

Spiritual wisdom is an antidote to ignorance. In other words, it is the spiritual wisdom that can destroy the thick veil of ignorance. A breeze of spiritual wisdom cleans away the clouds of ignorance and we see the vision of Reality. "Nanak Gurmakh gian prapat haovay andher chukaaia." Guru Amar Das, p. 512

"The darkness of ignorance gets dispelled and spiritual wisdom lights the lamp of spiritual wisdom:" "Agian andhera mit gaya gian deepaio." Guru Arjan, p. 241

Gurbani promises us that if we make Naam japna our boat and install the intuitive understanding of Gurbani as the boatman, God Himself will take us across this vast ocean of ignorance. Gurbani reminds us to make this boat now. The purpose of life is served for those who have acquired divine knowledge. This can be done by connecting our surti with Sabad thru Naam Jpana , love, devotion and good deeds. This will clean the accumulated dust of the past Karmas from the surface of the mind. "Bhareeay mutt papan kay sung. Oh dhopay Naavay ke rung." Guru Nanak p. 4

So join the Sat-Sangat and sing God's glorious praises. With the sparkling jewel of spiritual wisdom, the heart will be illumined, and the ignorance dispelled. The Sabad Guru within will give the healing ointment of spiritual wisdom which will dispel the darkness of spiritual ignorance. By Almighty's Grace one will meet a True Saint in whose company mind will be enlightened. "Gian anjan Gur deea agian andher binaas. Har kirpa te Sant bhetia Nanak mun pargas." Guru Arjan, Sukhmani, p. 293

Divine knowledge comes in by removing the ill effects of Maya from mind with the help of Naam. The heart lotus blossoms when Naam comes to abide by in the heart. " Gian mati kamal pargas tit ghat Naamaiy Naam nivas." Guru Amar Das, p. 1277

Once the Naam/ Sabad Guru/ Satgur settles in the heart one gets the discriminating knowledge, which separates the material knowledge from spiritual knowledge. Guru reveals the spiritual knowledge of God. "Bibek budh Satgur te paaee Gur gian guru Prabg kera." Guru Ram Das, p. 711

Once the ignorance is dispelled, and the mind purified of egoism and illumined with the spiritual wisdom, its misunderstanding ends. When the true wisdom arises, the unreality vanishes and only the One Pure, All Pervading Consciousness remains. "In the remembrance of God are the divine knowledge and the essence of wisdom." "Prabh ke simran gian dhyaan tutt budh." Guru Arjan, Sukmani, p. 262