This text is only part of an longer insertion which deals with an ‘ignorance higher than knowledge.’ (This is often associated with the idea of ‘learned ignorance’ or docta ignorantia, though the phrase does not appear in our text.) In fact, the interpolation describes two forms of ignorance, both of which are superior to understanding or knowledge, albeit in different ways. The first sort of ignorance is the ignorance a higher principle has of what is lower than it. It is better for the soul not to remember or be aware of the lower world, for if it directs its attention to the lower world it will fall away from the intelligibles. The second sort of ignorance is the ignorance the lower has of the higher. For example, the intellect is necessarily ignorant of the One. If it had understanding or knowledge (ma‘rifa) of the One, it would have to be superior to the One, in the sense of being causally prior to it. And this, as the text adds in what follows, would be ‘very repugnant.’