[Usui, Mikao, and Frank Arjava Petter. The Original Reiki Handbook. New York: Lotus, 1999. Print.]
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Intellectually I hear the term “emptiness” and the first thing that comes to mind is I need to be devoid of all personality; that in emptying myself, I am letting go of all I am and becoming something I have never been. It is very easy for fear to creep in and strike deep that I will loose a sense of who I am; that I will somehow lose the joy, sorrow, sense of justice I know so well, and will look at the world with indifference and detachment.
It is also perhaps one of the main reasons I remained Catholic during a time in my life when I could have easily left the church for a nature religion, or even Buddhism. I studied both extensively both in college and out, and it was ultimately the ballance and simplicity of the Christian scriptures helped guide me to a more… holistic sense of who I was and where I was headed.
Because of the Buddhist teachings I received in California in the mid to late 1980′s, I felt free to explore my own sense of faith, self, and connection to the universal energy through those around me rather than focusing my life on just me, and who I was as an individual. Remarkably, I discovered through trial and tribulation that the two, self and society are inseparable. They co-exist and commune with one another whether intended or not.
But the quote above calls for complete emptiness of the self. It calls for complete detachment from expectation, from ego, and from the single-minded self-centered-ness of being. It is not nihilism, but is an acceptance that all things and beings are one energy, one life-force, “One in Being” with everything else around us.
I’ve got to admit, I am very attached to who I am, or at least who I think I am. It is difficult to put aside the thought that I am an individual with real emotions, real personalities, and real thought processes, BUT… … … …but as much as I’d like to think I am the all of my own existence, I have known for many years that I share my existence with others walking their own paths which may intersect with my own, or run parallel to my own. I am not alone in this world and to think I am above anyone else would be… counterproductive and even harmful to those energies.
It is my own belief that Buddhism and Catholicism are not so very different, and that the teachings of both can co-exist, much like we co-exist with one another. Of all the myths and stories out there, The Enlightened One (Buddha) and the Christ are the two most recounted and taught. So what if they are both derive from other stories, and if they both borrow from other traditions, and they do both borrow stories and other traditions, but that does not make them any less of a teaching tool in their own rights. In my simplistic way of thinking of things, the Christ was the one who allowed for the thought that he originated from THE Divine source of all being, whereas Sidhartha (the man who became enlightened and reached “Buddha-hood”) allowed for the thought that anyone could become enlightened, and therefore Divine. Even today, “the Buddha” is not looked upon as source of Divine nature, but as a perfect example of what each of us may one day attain. Where Christians are allegedly monotheistic (I say allegedly because of the tolerance for lesser beings (angels and demons) and a three figure god), Buddhism is more… pantheistic. Buddhism allows for all things to be united with the Divine, something I personally believe the Christ was really trying to get us to understand. I do not think Christ was on this earth to “show us how much God loved us” so much as to show us that we are all a part of God and that God is a part of us. He did after all, refer to us all as his brothers and sisters. In that regard, I do believe as the Buddhists, that all things are inseparable and interconnected: including the Divine nature of things, but that we may all reach that same level as both the Christ and the Buddha attained: complete perfection of being through the Oneness of the Universal energy we call God.
So getting back to this thing of emptiness… hmm… that’s a tough one alright. Is emptiness supposed to be an utter and complete annihilation of all that I am as an individual? As wonky as this is going to sound, God I hope not!!! I have spent a great deal of time and effort getting to know who I am now, let alone letting go of my personality and becoming something I’m not.
I do not believe emptiness is supposed to mean that we lose who we are as individuals, but that it is instead more of a blending of who we can be with the universal energy around us. I think emptiness is not so much about getting rid of stuff inside as it is about learning we are all connected and that my actions affect those around me, which affects those around them, and so on, and so forth. If I put out negative energy, intended or not, it has negative consequences, whereas if I put out positive energy, positive consequences ensue.
The concept of Emptiness, as explained by Buddhism, questions our perception that we have a separate self, and it helps us see ourselves in terms of relationships that connect us with the rest of the Universe. It is no different than the concept of Reiki. We are universal in energy because the energy flows through all things. We are not the energy, but we are the receptacle, or tool used to help the energy flow. [modified from Thich Nhat Hanh, "Buddhism and Emptiness - seeing our relationship with the Universe"]
When we say that something is empty, the obvious question then is – empty of what? If we say that a glass is empty, what we may really mean to say is the glass does not currently contain liquid. The cup is always full regardless of whether or not a liquid is present, it is only our perception that changes. When the cup holds no liquid, it is full of air so in essence it remains full at all times.
Similarly what does the concept of Emptiness as applied to ourselves really mean? It does not mean we are completely devoid of personality or personhood, but it instead means that we are more fully aware of our coexistence with all energy around us: we are empty of a separate self identity, though we still retain our own personalities and idiosyncrasies.
Emptiness is a tool by which we become aware there is much more than our own perceptions in this world. I am not so vain as to think it’s my way or the highway. There are multitudes of different ideas on what Emptiness is all about. That’s the beauty of being on a personal path to enlightenment and what works for me, may not necessarily work for the next person, and so on, and so forth. The real problem comes when one tries to proclaim their way as the only viable way, or the only path to enlightenment. Emptiness is not a total expulsion of who and what we are, but is instead a recognition that we are all share common bonds and ultimately seek the same thing: peace.
We must simply remember that while we are each on our own path, there are multitudes of paths around us. We must treat each of those paths with respect and dignity lest we succumb to the idea that we are more important than those with whom we share this world.
Just as there are different groups of Christians, with different celebrations, different traditions, and different expressions, so too are there many differing views of Buddhism, as there are different expressions of Judaism, Nature Religions, Muslim and Hindu religions, and so on and so forth. The key is not to see how different we all are, but to see how we are all the same.
May we all share in the Blessings of the Divine within each of us.
Peace,
K
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