Passing Along Unknowing

"It is because we do not pay attention that we pass along unknowing." - Takuan Soho

How much of our life is spent living at a low level of observation?

So much of what comes into our lives is usually not a surprise. Whether an personality dispute, a financial crisis, a company failure, or even our car running out gas, many people are often "shocked" at the "unexpected nature of the event.

What's usually clear - at least to outside observers - is that in reality, the signs are there are the time.

The relationship fails? Everyone knows you haven't been socializing or even speaking in months. A financial crisis? When you bought the house, you knew you really could not afford it but did so anyway. The car ran out of gas? The "Low Fuel" light was on; you just gamed how much fuel that really meant.

The unfortunate reality is that many of the events that occur in our lives are really plants of which we have sown the seeds far earlier. Anyone who knows corn was planted in a certain place is never mystified when the corn "suddenly" appears on the stalk. It is only the one who never planted the corn and always walked by the garden ignoring it that is suddenly surprised to see the ears blowing in the wind.

Interestingly this is seldom true of the "good" things that happen to us in our lives. We're quite aware of these - but usually because this takes effort. We are not surprised when the promotion comes to pass or the relationship blossoms or we achieve any victory because we know the seeds that were sown and we worked hard to cultivate them: the ear, when it arrives, is culmination of our effort. We are hardly shocked in the this case: we know what we planted, and we know what to look for it.

What would be the impact in our own lives if we paid attention to all matters in our lives, if we were cognizant of each action and moment as a potential seed sowing moment? I believe not only would the unexpected bad events occur much less frequently, but we would be far more aware of all that is going on around us. Instead of passing along unknowing, we would be more aware - and more able to cultivate those things that we wish- the gardens that constitute our lives.