What is this cloud of unknowing?

Sometimes, between a morning of programming and an afternoon of programming I have thirty minutes of complete rest, horizontal, eyes closed.

Programming is an art and a craft, so problems swirl around in the brain, unless you distract it. I need the "distraction" to get the most out of my half an hour.

Somehow I've come to merge two religious phrases into one.

The first is from Buddhism: "What is this?" It is a question which you are supposed to ask yourself intently and honestly. As far as I can tell "this" has never been specified. But oddly enough it does concentrate the mind.

The second is from a 14th century work called "The Cloud of Unknowing". In that book it is suggested that you forget a rational or logical or even religiously proscribed way of thinking of God, and just try to pierce the cloud of unknowing (of what God is) with...what...love?

Anyway, together the two phrases form a single question:

What is this cloud of unknowing?

And as you try to answer it, visualize it, work problems drop away.

Today it was suddenly windy at midday, and clouds came over the blue sky. The clouds suggested a light beyond them, they were back lit and lovely:







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    1. Well, great scene, I just pushed the button. And it nudged me into writing the post.

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