Sunyata – Emptiness

Rationally, we all know and understand that not all things in life carry equal weight and importance.  

Yet, when we zoom in – we behave like emotional bin bags – we easily get sidetracked, depending on different life situations. We do that entirely by ourselves to ourselves. Sure, the stimulus comes from the outside, but it’s us who receive it, process it, and act or react upon it.

You think, you believe, you convince yourself that you like something – and that this ‘something’ you like is good for you.

Yet, when we’re not very conscious about the choices we make, most of the things we like are actually not that good for us.

Reflect upon it for a moment. You go crazy after ice-cream, chocolate, cookies, pizzas, burgers, fries. You forget how many hours have passed since you plugged into Netflix. You start popping cannabis gummies day in day out, staying up late at night. You get accustomed behaving in a certain way, staying in a relationship that doesn’t serve anyone well. You go on a spending spree, buying things you don’t really need.

I’m not saying ice-cream is bad, full stop – as long as you’re aware, conscious of your choices, you’re fine. When you manage to do, whatever it is that you do in moderation, it’s ok. But can you? Can you brace yourself from ‘just a bit more, a bit longer, one more bite, one more try, a bit faster’, and say no thanks, I had enough.

What is good for you? How do you know? Have you learned by now, what supports you in life and what not?

All the stories that you accept or create, they dwell and operate inside your head, inside your mind. It’s all in there – already thought of by billions of minds at any given second, over eons of time.

Make sure to differentiate and know what goes in and on inside your mind! Who is thinking those thoughts, what you are thinking about, and above all, what do you do about those thoughts. The way you choose to churn them out. Learn to watch, to hold the pause, to reflect, not to react, to have that conversation with yourself, learn to respond.

There’s all that and there is the void.

Your own void that you keep on feeding with all sorts of information, thoughts, beliefs, hopes that can suddenly come to an end. You know what it feels like, when you lose someone precious in life, and only realize what you’ve had when they’re gone? That moment in life you feel the emptiness that was not there before. At first, the emptiness feels unknown. It was absent for a while – hence you became unaccustomed to what living with emptiness feels like.

Emptiness feels vast, grand, magnificent, scary, unknown, uncomfortable, unpredictable.

Emptiness prefers to remain as it is. A black hole into which all matter disappears, out of which new life is born. The void has to remain void.

Yet, we try our best to fill it up, to cover it up so we can avoid facing the void – we a+void witnessing our own origin.

Try not to continue with endless ‘must fill it up with noise and activities’ – because that hunger never ends. You’ll get sidetracked; your focus will easily get consumed, absorbed by the traffic you continue creating – by yourself. It’s how we forget the reason why we have chosen to come here in the first place.

It’s OK to feel uncomfortable with the unknown.

Empty the mind,
empty your heart,
whatever comes,
let it come,
whatever goes,
let it go.

Don’t try to hold on to anything – in fact – accept that you can’t hold on to anything, not even your life. Life experiences will present you exactly what you need, when you need it in the most perfect, synchronous way. Magic happens every day, be rest assure of that. This is not about being passive; on the contrary, one has to stay constantly aware in order to respond to what life presents and do the best they can. Stay soft, perceptive, attentive, so you can move swiftly. Like the weeping willow’s branches swaying in the wind. Dancing to the music, ever so gracefully, without resistance, yet, filled with stability and inner force. Knowing that your trunk – your spine is solid and your roots – your origin runs deep.

Two beautiful, graceful weeping willows. Its branches drooping over the lake of lilies.

“Be Water, My Friend.
Empty your mind.
Be formless, shapeless, like water.
You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup.
You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. (Bruce Lee)

History repeats itself; it’s happening all the time, most of it has already happened before – hence, learn to become an observer, a watcher. Learn to step out of the repetitive cycle. Learn to see the life events, people, their intentions for what they are – not for what you want them, like them or even fear them to be.

From that standpoint make a conscious decision of what you want next – based on your needs, wants, heartfelt desires that are supportive of your life journey and don’t harm others. Remain cool like a cucumber. Like a seasoned gambler: ‘you gotta know when to hold’em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run! You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table. There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.’ (The Gambler, Kenny Rogers)

My life experiences have brought me here, where I am right now. Your life experiences have brought you here, where you are, right now. Present, switched on, and fully aware. And thus we stand. Here we meet, we share what we can share. Plenty of human experiences, passing thoughts, knowing who we are, heart full of gratitude, peace of mind, soul strength, sense of freedom. One step, one breath, one heartbeat at a time. Fullness and the void. There is more that connects us than what sets us apart. Yes… I do like that thought.  

Everything is as it is – perfect or imperfectly perfect. Including the vast, expanding emptiness that stretches my limited understanding of what it means to be perfectly at peace & free.

Sunyata’

It’s okay to feel uncomfortable with the unknown.

Empty the mind,
empty your heart.
Whatever comes,
let it come.
Whatever goes,
let it go.

“Be Water, My Friend.
Empty your mind.
Be formless, shapeless, like water.
You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup.
You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle.”
-Bruce Lee

Sunyata’

Emptiness – bubble bursts into thin air.
The sound arises from the void,
the self emerges out of the hollow,
The self returns into nothingness.

There is a space in my heart that connects me to emptiness,
to remind me of all that I am and all that I am not.

With that in mind, I begin reclaiming my soul power.
Without it, I am not.
I draw my inspiration out of nothingness.
My love emerges from emptiness.
It comes and goes back to where it begun.

We come on behalf of emptiness,
We disappear on behalf of blankness.
Emptiness occupies the space when we are not yet and no longer here.
Unknowable, unpredictable… I sense the unease.
Beautiful, enriching, soul-nourishing emptiness.
I know you, I honor you, your grandiose emptiness.

Sunyata

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