(The following is a translation of Goenkaji’s article in the August 1995 issue of the Hindi Vipassana Patrika.)
Let us liberate ourselves from the bondage of ignorance. To become liberated from ignorance means to be liberated from the bondage of dukkha (suffering) in this life and dukkha resulting from the cycle of future births and deaths. It is ignorance that keeps us bound to dukkha in this life and in future lives.
What is ignorance?
It is the state of dullness and heedlessness. Because of ignorance, we keep generating new saṅkhārā (mental reactions) and keep defiling our minds with fresh negativities. We are barely aware of what we are doing: how we imprison ourselves with the bonds of craving, with the bonds of aversion; and how, in our ignorance, we tighten the knots of these bonds.
We can eradicate ignorance by remaining aware, alert, and attentive every moment. Then we will not allow new saṅkhārā to make deep impressions on our minds like lines chiselled on granite; we will not allow ourselves to be enchained by the fetters of craving and aversion.
This quality of attentiveness of mind, endowed with understanding, is called paññā (wisdom) and it eradicates ignorance at the root.
To awaken this wisdom, and to get established in it, we practice Vipassana.
Yathaṃ care: when we walk, we walk with awareness.
Yathaṃ tiṭṭhe: when we stand, we stand with awareness.
Yathaṃ acche:when we sit, we sit with awareness.
Yathaṃ saye:when we lie down, we lie down with awareness.
Whether asleep or awake, upright or sitting, in every state, we should remain aware and attentive every moment. No action of ours should ever be done without awareness.
Paccavekkhitvā paccavekkitvā kāyena kammaṃ kātabba: All bodily activities should be done with full awareness.
Paccavekkhitvā paccavekkhitvā vācāya kammaṃ kātabba; All vocal activities should be done with full awareness.
Paccavekkhitvā paccavekkitvā manasā kammaṃ kātabba: All mental activities should be done with full awareness.
Thus, we should be heedful with regard to every physical, vocal, or mental action; we should examine every action.
At the same time, this awareness should be endowed with paññā. This means that, along with awareness, we should develop the experiential understanding of the three characteristics of paññā:
all phenomena have the inherent nature of impermanence(anicca);
all phenomena which are impermanent give rise to suffering (dukkha); and
all such phenomena which are impermanent and give rise to dukkha are without essence and cannot be “I” or “mine” or “my soul” (anattā).
Once we understand this at the experiential level, we realize how meaningless it is to react with craving or aversion, clinging or repugnance towards any phenomenon that arises. Instead, we learn to be aware and, at the same time, equanimous towards every phenomenon. This is Vipassana. This is the experiential wisdom that destroys ignorance.
Meditators!
In the destruction of ignorance alone is our welfare, our happiness, our liberation (nibbāna).
source - http://www.vridhamma.org/en2010-08