Living Without Knowing
The Beauty of Unknowing
I often ponder on the fundamental question: “Who am I?” It’s a query that has intrigued philosophers, sages, and thinkers throughout the ages. But in my musings, I’ve stumbled upon a realization. Perhaps it isn’t the answer but the act of questioning, of not knowing, that’s most illuminating.
“I don’t know who or what I am,
Yet I am.
I don’t know what is freedom,
Yet freedom is.
Freedom does not need to be known
In order to be.”
In our journey of understanding, we wrap ourselves in a cocoon of words and definitions. These constructs can sometimes act as chains, binding us to what we think we know, preventing us from truly experiencing the essence of life.
“When people start to know,
To know that they are this and that,
To know what freedom is or is not,
Surely they are lost in the ocean of words.”
It’s a deeply rooted human trait to seek knowledge, to categorize, to label. But what if we were to break free, even momentarily, from this incessant need?
“But can a human being, which is you,
Truly, deeply, give up on the need to know?”
Imagine a world where words lose their meaning, where memories fade, and names become irrelevant. Who would you be in such a realm? Would you be lost, or would you find a newfound freedom in this uncharted territory?
“If all words lost their meaning, what would you say?
If all memories lost their meaning, what would you recall?
If all names become unidentified, who would be there?”
In our quest for knowledge, we often resist the innate longing to simply not know, to be free from the constraints of understanding. But if we lean into this uncertainty, we might just uncover life’s true essence.
“Life itself, that is the essence of all things, all livings,
Cannot be known and cannot be yours.
Yet, life itself is the foundation of yourself
And everything that you ever come upon.”
It’s a daring venture to step away from the desire to know the whats, hows, whens, wheres, and whos of our existence. It’s a brave act to embrace the now, in all its raw, undefined beauty.
“So be free from the desire to know what, how, when, where, who.
Be free from the desire.
See that it prevents you from the actuality of now.
It takes you away from it.”
To fully immerse oneself in the present moment requires an acceptance of ignorance, an acknowledgment of the freedom found in not knowing.
“And accept your ignorance,
Your freedom not to know.
For if you do, everything is a living knowledge in freedom.”
In conclusion, the innate urge to define and understand can sometimes act as a barrier. By letting go of this need, we open the doors to life’s purest essence. As we find peace in the present moment, we reconnect with the foundational truths of our existence. After all, maybe there’s a profound beauty in simply not knowing.
Thanks Lin for this sharing. I'd love to see that you meet a white page, with a pen and start writing by the flow of not knowing.
Nothing is more simple than that
Nothing is more difficult than that
Have a great day
Amihai
Some things “I” find “myself” wanting to know. Not so much philosophical things, but the mundane. Just what DOES pasta made with pistachios taste like? What about this combination of spices and flavorings instead of the other?
Others things I find I don’t really need to know, or whatever it is just doesn’t need to be known. And, as you say, there IS a great freedom in that.
I absolutely agree that often the urge to define and understand can act as a barrier, can create that box that’s often talked about getting out of.
I can be very good at creating new words - and at the same time I dislike doing it, i.e., creating a label for ________.
A lovely writing once again! Thank you.