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Chan-Seung Lee
Joined: 03 Dec 2005
Posts: 1032
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 Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 6:04 pm Post subject: unknowing |
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| Quote: |
1. Mystery of mysteries
This is the work of the soul that most pleases God.
---- The cloud of unknowing
2. He was the unknowing cause of all the misunderstanding. |
I saw #1 in a book, where I wanted to look up the meaning of 'unknowing' in my English dictionary. According to it, 'unknowing' was an adjective not a noun. But 'unknowing' in the quotation looks like a noun.
So I'd like to ask some questions which are below.
1. Can we use 'unknowing' as a noun?
2. If it can, what does it mean? --- *unknown? or *something else?
3. What does 'The cloud of unknowing' mean?
4. #2 is an example in my dictionary. What does 'the unknowing cause of all the misunderstanding' mean?
Thanks a lot. |
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askeladd
Joined: 05 Jan 2010
Posts: 89
Location: Chicago area, USA
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 9:36 pm Post subject: Re: unknowing |
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| Chan-Seung Lee wrote: |
| Quote: |
1. Mystery of mysteries
This is the work of the soul that most pleases God.
---- The cloud of unknowing
2. He was the unknowing cause of all the misunderstanding. |
I saw #1 in a book, where I wanted to look up the meaning of 'unknowing' in my English dictionary. According to it, 'unknowing' was an adjective not a noun. But 'unknowing' in the quotation looks like a noun.
So I'd like to ask some questions which are below.
1. Can we use 'unknowing' as a noun?
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Yes - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unknowing
| Quote: |
2. If it can, what does it mean? --- *unknown? or *something else?
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unknowing mean "not knowing, unaware, unwitting; ignorance."
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3. What does 'The cloud of unknowing' mean?
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The cloud of unawareness, the cloud of ignorance. (Think of cloud as a general term; i.e., the state of being unaware, ignorant)
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4. #2 is an example in my dictionary. What does 'the unknowing cause of all the misunderstanding' mean?
Thanks a lot. |
The subject is the cause of all the misunderstanding, although the subject is ignorant of this fact.
Hope this helps 
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