h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Heidegger was a contradiction, which helped him to understand that life is a contradiction. This is highlighted by the question “Why are there beings at all instead of nothing?” It could be said that the real question is "What is the root of my Being that allows me to understand that I am a being and that there are other beings?". Or conversely it could be the type of Zen Koan; which is used to quieten the mind of other, lesser dis-tractions. Questions such as "What noise does the sound of one hand clapping make?" or "What is nothing".

It soon becomes clear that the question is always as important, if not more important than the answer. Of course Heidegger was a philosopher, he wanted to understand, he did not just make up questions but used them to un-conceal the lived-experience. But it is also of no great surprise that by the end of his life Heidegger talked not of concepts but of a way of living, that knowing is not information, but is the act of un-concealing.

Heidegger may have never read a book on Zen or anything else, but then the path to the gateless gate is not set. The important moves are made through the questions we ask; the answers are of course important, but we have to be careful that the answers do not stop the questions.

“Why are there beings at all instead of nothing?” Could be re-phrased to "As long as there are questions we avoid the all consuming Nothing-ness".

I wish I had something sensible to say about this sort of stuff.