A few years ago, when I was first discovering and investigating Buddhism, I read several books about and by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Much to the chagrin of, I assume, everyone I spoke to, I started beginning every other sentence with, "the Dalai Lama says ....". It became a bit of a joke among my friends. The subject didn't matter - we could have been discussing toupees or politics, or cheese. In my mind, the Dalai Lama had said something that somehow applied. What can I say? It was the beginning stages of love. Anything and everything he said was wonderful and amazing. Some time has passed now, and while I still occasionally whip out a "the Dalai Lama says ...", they are fewer and farther between.
The Dalai Lama was in NYC last week for several days of teaching. His talk on Sunday was about Peace (the inner kind) and Prosperity (the non-material kind). It was my first time in his presence and I was struck by his obvious humility and joy. He emanated both equally. At the end of his talk, his interpreter read him questions that had been emailed in advance of the talk. One of them made reference to how H.H. has said in the past that NYC is a wonderful place to practice compassion, tolerance, patience, etc. due to the many opportunities that present themselves on a daily basis. This person said they were having trouble with those things - what should they do? H.H. reiterated the need for practice, practice, practice and then finally suggested that if NYC was proving itself a difficult place to live, this person should consider moving. After all, "I think America is a big land, no?", he said. Another person asked what we could do to help the situation in Burma. After a brief, almost imperceptible look of pain crossed his face, he told us what he himself had done, but then readdressed the question and answered simply, "I don't know".
Of the many lessons that I will carry with me from this particular Sunday afternoon, the greatest may perhaps be that if the Dalai Lama can say, "I don't know", it's sure as hell okay for me to say and to feel and to sit with not knowing.
And thus, the name of this blog. This is where I will go on, probably endlessly as that is my style, about things that I don't know. It will be obvious to you, gentle readers, that I don't know. Perhaps you will know, and perhaps you will share what you know. That is my hope, though not my expectation, because as the Dalai Lama might say ... there is no blog.
6 comments:
I had a history teacher in high school who would frequently say, "All I know is I know nothing" and then state the name of the ancient Greek to whom he attributed the quote. I just looked on the interweb to see who the Greek was: Socrates. That was definitely not who Mr. Thompson thought he was quoting. Turns out he didn't know anything either.
Hey, nice blog! My own favorite know-nothing would have to be Nicolas of Cusa, whose "On Learned Ignorance" is enough to humble almost anyone (if not drive them paradox-mad).
"Since I am going to discuss the maximum learning of ignorance, I must deal with the nature of Maximality. Now, I give the name “Maximum” to that than which there cannot be anything greater. But fullness befits what is one. Thus, oneness—which is also being—coincides with Maximality. But if such oneness is altogether free from all relation and contraction, obviously nothing is opposed to it, since it is Absolute Maximality. Thus, the Maximum is the Absolute One which is all things. And all things are in the Maximum (for it is the Maximum); and since nothing is opposed to it, the Minimum likewise coincides with it, and hence the Maximum is also in all things. And because it is absolute, it is, actually, every possible being; it contracts nothing from things, all of which derive from it."
One thing I do know: the Dalai Lama's translator ... a bit of an intellectual hottie. I'm just sayin'.
I love your blog. I, for one, look forward to learning more of what you don't know. I am also happy to share all of what I don't know with you, in order to decrease your actual amount of knowing. Good work Vania!
What I don't know is why my wife will comment on your blog but not mine.
dan - if it makes you feel any better, i've never commented on anyone's blog before, much less read them; so i'll take the opportunity to not comment on your blog whilst not on your blog. see how well this is working? we know less and less every minute.
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