Emptiness,
or shunyata, basically refers to that inner space of awareness between stimulus
and response. It is a wonderful but
sometimes scary space. It is the space
of uncertainty in which we might feel unsure of ourselves. When we really move into that space all of
our self and world definitions are up for grabs. All of the sudden we don’t have any
answers. We don’t have any baggage. Everything and nothing is possible. It is a perspective which is “out of the
box,” it is a step into extraordinary mind, beyond ego.
Stimulus
refers to anything that might trigger a response in us. Our response is based on our interpretation,
our conditioning and ignorance. It
arises out of the dual forces of desire and aversion, love and hate. It is centered in ego, a limited perspective
in which we are separate from the all.
In life we often seem to have little or no control over what happens in
the world, however within our freedom of response we assume power. Paradoxically, when we let go of our need to
control situations we discover an inner process of transformation. When we make an inward shift in consciousness
our world shifts in accord. When we step
out of our limited ego-identities, we enter a new world.
Shunyata
is not a negative state. Often we fear
the feeling of emptiness, loss, or confusion.
It is actually the gateway to enlightenment. Emptiness refers to the state of mind in
which we are free of any preconceived notions and are hence able to see
clearly. As the Buddha taught, ”When
appearances and names are put away and all discrimination ceases, that which
remains is the true and essential nature of things and, as nothing can be
predicated as to the nature of essence, it is called the “Suchness” of Reality.” We tend to cling tenaciously to our words and
concepts. They give us an illusion of
stability and certainty. In truth, they
are just symbolic constructs which describe reality to some limited extent. To enter Shunyata means to be open to the
mystery of being, always and ultimately indefinable. As the French say, it has a certain “Je n’
sais quoi.”
Meditation
is the art of entering into shunyata. It
allows us to disconnect from the thought constructs of our minds and to rest in
our original being. At first we may find
ourselves wrestling with the restless energy of our “monkey-mind.” It doesn’t work very well to try to subdue
this monkey. In fact, if you wrestle
with it, it will kick your ass. Instead
it is better to just leave it be and to observe, to watch, listen and realize
the underlying stillness which is deeper within. Our deeper being is always present beneath
the surface of things like the canvas under the painting, or the screen on
which the video is displayed. For us the
inner surface, the inner screen is pure emptiness, the boundless expanse of
consciousness.
Emptiness
in this sense is not “nothingness.” This
is not like nihilism which states that nothing is real. Instead it is the creative source of
everything. It is like the zero-point
field (ZPF) in physics; an all pervasive field of potential underlying and
supporting the physical universe. As
Michael Talbot explains, “According to our current understanding of physics,
every region of space is awash with different kinds of fields composed of waves
of varying lengths. Each wave always has at least some energy. When physicists
calculate the minimum amount of energy a wave can possess, they find that every
cubic centimeter of empty space contains more energy than the total energy of
all the matter in the known universe!” (The Holographic Universe, 1991)
Our entire universe, as vast as it is, is like a
bubble floating in an immense sea of energy.
Similarly, our personal “universes” of experience are tiny bubbles
floating in an immense inner ocean of consciousness-energy. When we are able let go of the temporary
forms associated with the mind and senses we enter into this inner reservoir of
creative potential. Our various bodies,
minds and consciousness all originate in and ultimately belong to this singular
underlying field of consciousness-energy.
It is our true Self.
