The UNKNOWNs

I always like to write about something ‘fresh but sometimes nothing (fresh)comes into my mind other than rubbish. Yesterday, I went to the library and on my way back home I stopped at the Bargain Bookshop / Nugegoda, to see whether I can find any books written on ‘cinnamon. I couldn’t find anything as such. But I found another book seemed interesting, instead. I like the way the author named the book. Nirad C. Chaudhuri’sThe Autobiography of an unknown Indian, Compiled by Dr. RaghukulTilak.

I was thinking who is an unknown or a known, really?

Am I a person to known someone/ some people? If yes, in what way?

Can you say that you know your co-worker?  And is he/she a known to you?

Can you say that you know the person you dined with some weeks ago, yesterday, the day before yesterday? And say that he/she is a known to me?

Can you say that you know the person you sleep with every day?Perhaps yes. 

You may say yes or no to my questions above asked.

What about this question; what is knowing really?

What answer can you possibly give?

What do you mean by knowing, knowing someone by his / her name, her / his place of living, age, carrier, the amount of money in the bank? Is that what you mean by ‘knowing’ an unknown?

‘Knowing is knowledge’, do you think that knowledgeable would agree with me? If I say that ‘knowing is learning something better nothing else’ does it sound odd? does it sound like an answer given by a foolish?

But is your lifetime enough for this or that knowing or learning, studying what you should learn or know the unknown better?

Does Sandikaknowherself(better) other than the others outside of her life?

NO, for sure because knowing SELF is never easy.

Do the others know her well other than her knowledge of ‘herSELF’?

Even if you watch your face through a mirror every day, you cannot learn about ‘who you are’. If that is difficult, how is it possible to know someone that you don’t see every day or live far from your vicinity?

Some normally ask when they meet someone / a stranger for the first time in their life or at an unexpected moment, ‘who are you?’

I used to say, even now I say, ah! I know him, he studied with me in the same class up to grade ten, naming one of my classmates. But I do not know where my friends live at this moment. Can I say that I know him/them?  I do not know what they think about me or about my profession? So do I know them?

Is above my questions a good criterion to measure or weigh the difference between the known and the unknown or are the facts enough to know an unknown?

‘Knowing ‘yourSELF’ better’ is totally different to trying to known an ‘unknown’ better. I feel.

Every SELF is SELFish and does not want to admit most the things they do, their lack of knowledge on certain things/subjects / about KNOWNs and UNKNOWNs

But in this world that we live, according to what I realise so far, almost every person think that they know each other they associate than the one’s known as or labelled as ‘unknown’. 

You think that you know members of your party very well other than the one’s you know as ‘political enemies’ or carrier enemies, vice versa, better.

Can we say we know Indians better than French just because we live close to each other?  Can I say I know every Indian just because I admire or respect Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Abdul Kalam?

Can Indians say they know ‘Sri Lankans better than theChinese just because they are very old ‘trade mates’ exchanged Porcelain with linen, since ages?

Knowing the term knowing is no easy like I mentioned earlier. I do not know who hacks my personal life, who listens to my telephone conversations but it seemed to me that most of the others outside of my life circle know. Is that what you mean by knowing or are those the ways to know someone unknown or less known to you?

No. I think that it is not what you mean by ‘knowing’.

According to Buddhism what knowing is ‘knowing’ the temporariness of every living thing we associate, creatures breath or not breath, things material or immaterial? 

Who wants to know about the ‘UNKNOWNs’ that I am talking about through this essay and for what purposes, I thought.

In this world we live you know that you can use CCTV facilities, fix hidden cams where ever you please but following that methodology can you say that you can know a person better unless you can use such for other purposes to please ones ‘hunger, the thirst of human beings? 

Have you watched IT (a movie), watch IT if yourself, if you have not watched it.

Archeologists, historians do their excavations and studies to learn about ‘how ancients lived, what they ate, what cemetery rituals they followed in the past, what social and cultural habits they used etc. have they stopped their experiments in the past, studying ‘past’, thinking that they have found out everything and know everything about ‘our people’s past or people of the world?

KNOWING IS AN ENDLESS PROCESS.

Knowing past or current is not easy; I can say what I said earlier in a different way.  Why?

Human nature, the human mind is something ‘subject to change’ every moment, every minute, and every hour you live, more than you can imagine. That is why knowing is no easy, even for the world’s best psychiatrists.

You cannot scan one’s inner mind.

Can you say that you know the‘God’, ‘Lord Buddha’ and every Religious Leader better unless you try to read at least half of their teachings?

Therefore I say you meet no KNOWNsbut UNKNOWNs every day, even if you live decades and decades from your date of birth.

You may meet a known (according to your own measurements of knowing or known) not known about many things.

You may meet unknown(according to your own measurements of knowing or known) know of few things.

I guess writing about or thinking about KNOWNs or about UNKNOWNs too is an endless process and is a difficult task because though you think that you meet /met someone ‘known at least by name or address of residing there may be plenty you will be meeting unknown to many or to you, according to our own measurements/judgments.

May you and me gain wisdom!