I Exist, Therefore I Am
I have always taken issue with the philosopher Descartes' statement:
I think therefore I am
It may surprise some to hear that in my 20s, I was a very obsessed practitioner of Zen. (Or maybe that isn’t so surprising if you’ve been following my work.) During those years, I came to realize that thinking is what makes us less,
“I am”.
It is thought that takes us away from our true selves, and it is only in transcending thought - losing your mind, as I like to say - that one can actually know who they really are.
Lau Tzu said: To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.
And I find it frustratingly absurd when I talk with people who consider themselves intellectuals, or scientists, or academics, because their entire sense of identity, of self, of existence, is wrapped up in thought.
Let me make this perfectly clear; thought is the enemy of existence. Being-ness is the only way to truly exist.
Therefore, my version of Descartes' saying is:
I exist therefore I am
p.s. I understand that the whole existing vs. not-existing duality negates existing - in the sense of being-ness but… work with me here.
Cheers, friends