GM

A Zen monk sits quietly as a student earnestly asks about enlightenment, truth, and the nature of self. The monk simply replies, “I know not.” This phrase, stripped of pride and pretense, echoes the heart of Zen—letting go of concepts, abandoning the ego’s grasp on certainty. In those three words lies a universe of wisdom: not ignorance, but openness; not confusion, but clarity unburdened by dogma. The monk’s “I know not” isn’t an admission of defeat, but a doorway to the present moment, where knowing ceases and being begins. In unknowing, he reveals everything worth knowing.