Dull witted pseudo-intellectuals
and cruel elitists
have muddied the waters
of the Buddha’s wisdom teachings.
They have done so
needlessly,
and to the great confusion of others
tender of heart
and sincere in their enthusiasm.
For there is nothing
mysterious nor occult
about Buddhist emptiness;
especially when viewed
through the lens
of figurative speech:
treacherous
and easily misunderstood
yet profound
in its potential
to speak to the deepest corners
of our minds.
For emptiness,
or voidness,
or openness,
or expansiveness,
or Shunyata
(if you prefer Sanskrit),
is merely a metaphor
communicating NON-graspability.
And like most metaphors
it is best decoded
by viewing it through the lens
of simile.
As we notice our body
during our inhalation
(spontaneous and uncontrived)
it could SEEM:
permanent,
and independent,
and rather tangible.
However
as we physically relax
into our exhalation
this self-same body
could now FEEL:
less permanent,
and less separate,
and less tangible.
This body could feel
as NON-graspable
as a vast, empty void
like the infinite azure sky
on a bright and beautiful
cloudless morn.
Emptiness,
my friends,
is NOT an intellectual object
to be opined in treatise
but a visceral sensation
experienced
when we notice
(in sync with our inhalation)
and relax
(in harmony with our exhalation)
five minutes every morning
and five minutes every evening.
Let us conclude
with a simple
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