Emptiness

In the past, whenever I was contemplating on emptiness, I always thought it was something positive. Hopefully it means I was having the right understanding of this interesting phenomenon, but who knows? More likely is it, that my understanding back then wasn´t that comprehensive…

I think we can agree, that the Buddhist kind of emptiness is good? Yes, why? This emptiness is in a way, pure. We feel free, more open and directly experiencing whats is going on right now. There is a sense of lightness and upliftment. The inherent quality of emptiness, which is also one of the five elements in Yoga and Ayurveda, is Space. It sounds rather funny, almost unnecessary to say, but when we are in connection with the element of Space, we feel more spacious! Its probably a whole study to know Space profoundly (and if we include outer space, which fills most of our known universe, I guess  its an infinite study…).

Being more ”Spacious” paves the way of new possibilities because it means we are open to include and take in new solutions, ideas and ways. It makes us ready and more capable to change, for the better needless to say. Or we might say, it makes us more open to transform ourselves in whatever way best for us.

By transformation I don´t just mean change. I mean a rather drastic shift in behavior, perception or something else in us.

Hence, this kind of emptiness is good for us. Its a means to growth and to absorb what we need. So we see that this emptiness, which is directly related to Spaciousness, is also supporting qualities like limitlessness, being unbounded and a sense of all posibilities. This makes us more relaxed. Relaxed, being the contrary of tense. We let go of our tensions, that which is tight and constricted in the physical body. We let go of rigidity, again this is a good basis for change. Moreover, when we let go of our rigidity and need to always be right, the outcome is ”room enough” for other peoples opinions and viewpoints. Doesn´t this make us more peacefully connected and at ease with other people?

In case you want to relate this to one of the most important classical Indian texts on Yoga and life the Bhagavad Gita, you can. One of the main teachings of the Gita, is the ability to maintain our inner peace and tranquility in the midst of the battle called life. And not being stagnated and hesitating in taking the action needed in any given situation – The Yoga of right action (Karma Yoga). To perform ones duties skillfully with equilibrium, one pointed mind and non-attachment. This is to prevent us from falling into sloth and inertia, which makes us frozen and not being able to move with the flow of life.

To be continued…