If we truly sought the ultimate essence of the nature of things, the best we could refute the other with would be the simple edict, "we do not know".
Yes, that is a good observation. One can make endless obseervations and comments ABOUT something/anything while having NO knowledge of what that something/anything actually IS--what its ISNESS actually IS. This is our ordinary, everyday state--one of fundamental, profound IGNORANCE while acting as if we are in the possession of actual true, abiding, unchanging wisdom or knowledge.
The world of perception is is built upon unsupported PRETENSE. If, in ordinary conversation we use the word "dog" in a discussion with each other, we conveniently assume that we are talking about the same thing. In actual fact, in my "personal subset" of mind there are particular ASSOCIATIONS which, taken together go to make up my "definition" or understanding of the word "dog". My set includes the names: Pomme, Zappa, Zephyr, Baxter, Iota, Scintilla, M. Your set might include the names: Rex, Champion and Millie. But for the sake of CONSENSUS REALITY we pretend that we know what the word "dog" means, even though the particular instances in each case might be quite different, and neither of us REALLY knows what the ESSENCE of "dog" IS. Nor can we know!
In ordinary embodied sensory perception, NONE of our perceptions are absolutely direct, and NONE are absolutely in Real-time. The eye, for example picks up patterns of light, conveyed via the optic nerve, to the processing section of the brain. At that "point" the light patterns are INTERPRETED to generate what we understand to be a VISUAL IMAGE, which we ascribe to something outside "us". But the process is a CREATIVE one, and not an absolutely direct one. Further, there are some time lags between the reception of the original light impulse and the generation of the image--orobably measured in milliseconds--but a delay. Thus, via the senses, NOTHING is absolutely perceived in Real-time. There is always some time lag.
So, yes, our ordinary state is one of IGNORANCE. It is necessary to be able to understand this, as well as to be able to FEEL INTO what might be called THE WELL OF BEING that is implicit in that state.
Namaste!
Jim |
