August 18-B, 2022

We know what the truth is.
And hide from it,
pretending we don't know.
And here we are.

We know what we know,
and what we think we know,
and opt for what we think we know
because what we know
asks hard things of us.

"We can't handle the truth"
(Col Nathan R. Jessup),
because it asks us to do things
we do not want to do.
Like grow up.
And we like to think
we are doing just fine as we are.

Our life asks hard things of us,
like grow up.
We want to remain as infants,
with someone taking care of us
and telling us what to do,
removing the responsibilities
incumbent upon those who know
what's what 
and what needs to be done about it,
but oblivious to those who know only
what they think they know
and like it that way.

So, here's what's what:
We have to know what we know,
and know that we know it,
whether we want to or not.

We have to know the difference 
between knowing what we know
and thinking we know--
and catching ourselves in the act
of thinking we know what we are doing
and stop.

Empty ourselves of all "knowing,"
enter the stillness and the silence
of waiting/watching/listening
for realization to arise/emerge/appear/
occur to us.

This is enlightenment/illumination--
knowing what we know,
and what is called for
here/now within the field of action
in each situation as it arises--
for the goodness/joy of doing it,
and the satisfaction of having done it
alone.

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