Most things I read on dependent origination use it to explain emptiness. Do you have time to go into that? I do. How do we know when something is empty?
In tai chi, an empty step is one that does not bear your full weight. Yes. Leaves it light, and free, and open.
In Taoism, they say that something is valuable for what it is, but useful for what it isn’t. You are valuable for what you are, and you are able to take action, make choices, and explore your self expression for what you are not, and what you are not is an object. You are not a product of any event. You have existed always and will continue to exist.
But our bodies are products of events? Yes, and they will change as their relationship to other causes changes. You are not the cause. You are the source of all causes.
Our bodies are part of our experiences? We experience the body. We even experience the brain. The brain also is an event. As much as a sound or a smell, thoughts are events. We are not our thoughts. Actions are events. We are not our actions.
I am often gauging the status of my brain function, so that I don’t take important actions when I am impaired. That is a good practice.
I even will not think on important things when my brain is impaired. That is best.
So we are empty of fixed states, because emptiness is the condition of having no fixed state, including the fixed state of perceived absence. Any space in my home might at any time be occupied, by me, by my wife, by our cat, and if not it’s occupied by air. I like the basic concept behind the Occupy movement. So I say, occupy all the things!
I am currently occupying my computer. Yes, but not attach yourself to your computer. You will have to relieve yourself sometime soon. Don’t attach yourself to your problems or problem solving, live, and to live is to permit existence.
Occupy your life. Occupy all of your life, every moment, every movement, every word spoken. Witness that, as it is the start of all of the rest of your life.
Emptiness is a flow? Yes. Emptiness is a flow. Emptiness is the space under your feet while you are dancing, the space between notes that makes sound into music.
How do you know when you’re doing too much of one thing? You know you are doing too much of one thing when you feel it is a rule. When you think a thing is absolute, it has become excessive.
It is the negative space that defines the beauty. Exactly. When you “have to” that is when you should stop. When you no longer remember why you chose to, you should stop. But that stopping can be just for a moment, just a minute to reflect until you do remember, till you return to your senses.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~