One of the paradoxes on my spiritual path has been knowing. Our lives are our spiritual paths. We can look back and see The Hand of God or the Influence of Angels, or whatever you might call it, at various places in our life path, whether we were actively seeking or not at that time. For me, when I began seeking on my spiritual path, actively consciously trying to pay attention much of this has come in the form of knowing, and Knowing. Certain things I Know with a certainty, it is a truth for me. It may or may not be a truth for anyone else, but it is Knowing for me. For example I Know that I am not alone, and yet I also know I am utterly alone when I am on my path, which no other human being occupies and embodies in exactly the same way I do. Both are true simultaneously, thus another paradox. It is okay for me, both these ideas being true simultaneously.
The paradox I keep coming up against, is what I call knowing and Knowing. I went seeking on my spiritual path so I could know more. So I could understand more fully and therefore perhaps evolve and grow more. I have found, after some time of thinking I was getting good at putting information in and learning and therefore knowing, that the more I know, the less teachable I am. If my knowing cup is filled up, then there is nowhere for new information to come in. I put a cover over my knowing cup. For me the trick is to Know that I really know nothing. Therefore I am teachable in the moment. I don't know much of anything, really. I think of young children, how they learn so readily and naturally, like a sponge ready to soak up all kinds of new interesting information and knowledge. I put this new information through my own discernment, and keep what feels really right and true to me, for me, and then I have to remember I really don't know anything. I really Know very little. That is where the magic happens, when we are in awe and wonder at all that there is before us. When we are open to learning we are like a child, we are joyful and excited and hungry for more and we naturally evolve and grow. When we begin to know everything, we interrupt our natural evolution. So, I Know this, I don't know much!!
What do you know? I would love to hear!
I was once told by a very old and I considered very wise gentleman,that "You don't know, what you don't know!" This concept was so incredibly freeing for me, because it taught me to be open and willing to listen, learn and understand and like you've said if it rings truth, hold on to it, if not let it go!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing that here. How true, how can we see that which is unseen? Well we could really chase our tail here for awhile! Thanks for posting you are a blessing in my life.
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts on knowing and Knowing reminded me of how I felt when I completed a "Master's" program at a pretty well-known university. All of a sudden, I was a Master in my field of study and yet, I was humbled by the fact that I realized how little I did know...and the desire to learn more was almost without end! Well, it's over 25 years later and I still feel that I don't know but that I have come to Know certain truths that sustain my soul. I have also found that this is a special kind of Knowing that is open to continued growth and sometimes that of trial and error, as we are imperfect beings, being forgiving of our errors as we try to understand our "spiritual footpaths" in relation to ourselves and others.
ReplyDeleteSo sweet to me, as I live and breathe you are a Master through and through! Amen to us imperfect beings and forgiving our errors! More on that to come! So happy you found me here! Love you, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteKim