Hello world. The following was written 12/03/2016.
A brother asks, “EMPTINESS. Yesterday on facebook I saw a statement of a famous teacher saying that Emptiness sees. How can Emptiness see? That is the question. Emptiness cannot see. Are we Emptiness not at all. I say it is Something-ness that sees. For me personally there is no such thing as Emptiness Shunyata at all. Except for say the empty vessel. We can use the word emptiness there. There is Something ness within us. To find out what that is is the core objective of religion.”
I was guided to share what my understandings were, of the question with an example.
My response, “When I read your words, I get an impression or understanding, of the “Emptiness” “seeing” meaning. When I let go what I think I know I believe to be Truth, I am left with an emptiness or blank slate, with which a new understanding may be placed. An understanding cleared, of any misconceptions I may have been holding forth as being the truth and as defining myself, my brothers, and the world. When I let go of what I thought was Truth, I am able to then accept the Truth in its place. My “Emptiness” has allowed me, to see and See Truly.
An example of letting go would be, my looking within at the judgments I was holding against those who raped and molested me as a child and young adult. Because I chose to believe the judgments being handed to me, by the adults around me, I chose to judge anyone who did anything in a similar vein. I also accepted, their judgments of me.
Those judgments, caused me to believe I was unworthy of love, kindness, gentleness, and acceptance, as I am. I had to be willing to look within at what I was choosing to believe in, accepting I was the one who was judging now. I was responsible, for my current pain and suffering. Like me, the ones who hurt me, were blindly following what was taught to them. Unlike me, they never stopped to question or ask why they were doing, what they were doing.
Everything we are taught, was taught to each generation before us. One after the other, they repeat what was taught to them, without questioning. The belief in these judgments, are what clouds our thoughts and our understandings, of who we are. When we let go these beliefs, they come away in layers. Those layers fall away, one after the other, until we are completely empty within. In this moment, we are able to accept all we really are. To “SEE” what was there all along, buried beneath all we chose to pile on top of it.
It is in gaining the “Emptiness” we are able to finally see, who we are within the shell of these vehicles we know as our bodies. We are the Spiritual Essence of the life within, these shells. We are connected to each other and one, with All That Is. We are not separate, from anyone or anything. We simply are. This is what gaining the “emptiness”, brings. A knowing of who we Truly are. Inner peace, joy, and happiness follow this, “seeing” within the emptiness within us. It is our own personal Light within. It is this Light which allows you to finally see, what’s there.”
Blessings on your journeys my brothers. Hugs and love. You are loved. I love you.