empty yet inexhaustible,
it gives birth to infinite worlds.
It is always present within you.
You can use it any way you want.
S.Mitchell translation
The Dao is called the Great Mother because it nourishes and births all things and beings. In the most ancient of religions, the people often thought of the Divine as the Mother, because they observed her as that which brought all things to them, their food, their homes, the beauty of nature. This Mother is still with us even though we often are not able to perceive her nourishing presence.
The Dao is called "empty" because it is what in the Buddhist tradition we call Shunyata, or Void. This is not a nihilistic expression that "nothing" exists, but the realization that nothing can exist on its own. There is literally no "thing" that can exist in the universe. No separate thing. All things exist in relation to each other, and they are thus all one. In the ancient traditions this is called "emptiness".
We also speak of emptiness because when one lets go of extraneous thoughts and emotions, one perceives from an empty center. All events and ocurances rise up, but they play upon the blank screen of the mind. This does not feel depressing at all like one might think. It can be very surprising when one first catches a glimpse of the mind's true nature, that as one realizes that the center of the mind is emptiness, all the colors of the world seem to become brighter and more beautiful. As one releases the habitual grasping of judgement of things as good or bad, one is able to recognize the beauty that is inherent in ALL manifestation. It is a bit of a pardox, but one often finds that upon letting go of attachment to reality and the usual habitual identity, an even greater love for all things arises within one.
The Tao is said to be "empty, yet inexhaustible". This is the essence of what one begins to recognize. Emptiness is not some demoralizing force or depressing sentiment, when we discover this silent place within, we can start to feel that all things are connected - that there is "no-thing" in the universe. It becomes more than a philosophy. One can actually begin to feel ones kinship with trees, mountains, buildings, and other beings. Emptiness becomes a felt reality - a reality that one is a relation of all Life.
When this occurs, an individual has what's called a "numinous experience". Looking deeply into the essence of a thing, one realizes it is the same as the essence within herself. At this moment, there is an experience of power and magic that cannot be described in words. When I have caught glimpses of this sort, I have had the wonderful sense that anything was possible. At other times, the depression that can be a common companion in this life lifted magically, and i KNEW that there was purpose, meaning, and value to my existence. This numinous power is the inexhaustible nature of the empty Tao.
The Tao as the Great Mother is also sometimes called the Cosmic Mirror. What we come to recognize is that this Great Mother is always giving, always nourishing. She does not discriminate in what she nurtures. She wants to give all of her children what they most want. What the Mother nurtures is our thoughts, intentions, and beliefs. These emanate from us like prayers into all of life, and all of life conspires to play them back to us.
When one practices recognizing emptiness and inexhaustible power, the awareness becomes very subtle and accurate. One may begin to realize that if one holds a belief in joy, or wealth, then joy or wealth will come to one in many different forms. If one holds a belief in sorrow or poverty, the mother will provide them with experience that matches this belief. Jesus says it like this in the Book of Thomas - "To those who have, more will be given, to those who have not, even that which they do posess will be taken from them."
These are not just the thoughts floating on the surface of our minds with which we identify, but the deep currents pulling from beneath the unconscious. It is these currents which are expressed by our actions in the world, and it is from this that the Law of Karma arises. If we do harm to another, this is an expression of our belief that there "should" be harm in the world, at the same time, watching ourselves perform these actions confirms these deep currents and reinforces them. If, on the other hand, we act in ways which are kind, or embody belifs in infinite health, wealth, or joy for beings then these are the deep currents that are reinforced within us. Remember, the power of the Tao is "inexhaustible" - this means that whatever you choose to believe in and concentrate your energy on can manifest continually to the extent you believe in it.
It is for this reason that we are told we can use the Tao in any way that we want. If we want more joy, we simply must broadcast that desire through our actions and our thoughts. If we want to be more spiritually fulfilled, there is inexhaustible power to apply to this. If we want worldly fulfillment, the Tao will pour her great nourishment toward this. Truly, whatever we hold most dear is brought about by the cosmic nourisher - in each moment. Our only job is to ask ourselves what we really want, and then look to see if our actions are conforming to that desire.
No comments:
Post a Comment