By Lama Thubten Yeshe
What is emptiness? Emptiness (shunyata) is the reality
of the existence of ourselves, and all the phenomena around us. According to
the Buddhist point of view, seeking reality and seeking liberation amount to
the same thing. The person who doesn't want to seek reality doesn't really want
to seek liberation, and is just confused.
If you seek reality and you think that it has to be taught to you by a Tibetan
Lama, that you have to look for it outside yourself, in another place - maybe
Shangrila! - then you are mistaken. You cannot seek reality outside yourself
because you are reality. Perhaps you think that your life, your reality was
made by society, by your friends? If you think that way you are far from reality.
if you think that your existence, your life was made by somebody else it means
that you are not taking the responsibility to understand reality.
You have to see that your attitudes, your view of the world, of your experiences,
of your girlfriend or boyfriend, of your own self, are all the interpretation
of your own mind, your own imagination. They are your own projection, your mind
literally made them up. If you don't understand this then you have very little
chance of understanding emptiness.
This is not just the Buddhist view but also the experience of Western physicists
and philosophers - they have researched into reality too. Physicists look and
look and look and they simply cannot find one entity that exists in a permanent,
stable way: this is the Western experience of emptiness.
If you can imagine that then you will not have any concrete concepts; if you
understand this experience of physicists then you will let go of your worldly
problems - but you don't want to understand.
It seems to me that we twentieth century people are against nature, against
reality, the very opposite of reality. Each moment we build up our artificial,
polluted ego; we cover ourselves with heavy ego blankets - one, two, ten, one
hundred blankets against nature, against reality. Modern life is the product
of the intellectual mind, and we create it. The intellectual mind is superstition.
We don't understand reality, and the intellectual life that we lead keeps us
far from reality.
So we don't accept who we are. We are always looking to cover ourselves with
thick blankets and say "this is me". We hide our own reality and run
away from natural beauty, completely neglecting it. By not touching our reality,
our modern life becomes so complicated and we create problems with our superstition.
We are like a spider spinning his web, climbing on his thread then falling down;
climbing up again and falling down again. In the same way we build our own intellectual
web, a way of life, that is so complicated, that doesn't touch reality, that
is so difficult to live in. This construction arises from our own mind and does
not arise from anything else.
If I told you that you are nothing, you are zero, that you are nothing that
you think you are, then you would be shocked. "What is this monk saying?"
But what if I say that it is the truth! In fact you are non duality, non self
existence. You do not exist, relatively or absolutely, as you think you do.
If you really understood this then you would become more realistic and you would
really gain satisfaction and peace. But as long as you hold on to the fantasy,
concrete conception of yourself and project this wrong conception onto your
environment, then no way will you understand reality.
In Western cities nowadays, you can see, the older you are the more problems
you have. When we are young, not so many problems, but then there are drugs
and sex, and eventually they become dissatisfying, then more depression, more
depression. So, as your body becomes bigger and your brain becomes wider, you
have more and more problems and become more and more depressed. The more money
you have the more problems come. You can see this.
You only take care of your body, you never take care of your mind, and the result
of this imbalance is depression. For most western people this is the case: only
the body is reality and they don't care about the existence of the mind, the
soul, the consciousness. They don't believe they can change their minds. They
can change their nose through an operation but they don't believe they can change
thei And when you believe this then no way can you resolve your depression.
Our thoughts, our mind or consciousness are mental energy and cannot be localised
in the body. It cannot be touched; it has no form and does not travel in time
and space. We cannot touch it or grasp it.
What is important to understand is that the view you have of yourself and the
view you have of your environment are based on your own mind; they are the projection
of your mind and that is why they are not reality.
I will give you a good example. When a western man or woman looks for a girl
or boyfriend, there is this research energy from both sides and when suddenly
they see each other they make up an incredible story. "Oh, so beautiful!
Nothing wrong inside or outside". They build up a perfect myth. They push
and push., the mind makes it all up. If they are Christian they say, "Oh,
he looks just like Jesus. She looks just like an angel. So nice, so pure".
Actually, they are just projecting their own fantasies onto each other.
If she is Hindu, then he would say, "Oh, she looks like Kali, like Mother
Earth, like my universal mother"...and if you are Buddhist you fold your
hands and say, "Oh, she is a dakini and she is showing me the true nature
of all things". You understand? "When I am near her she gives me energy,
energy. Before, I was so lazy, I couldn't move, I was like a dead person. But
now whenever I go near her I can't believe my energy!" I tell you all this
is superstitious interpretation. You think that she is your spiritual friend
and all she does is really perfect, even her kaka and pee pee are so pure! Excuse
me, perhaps I shouldn't talk like this - I am a Buddhist monk! But when we speak
about Buddhism, about reality then we have to speak practically, from daily
life, about what is earthy, what we can touch and see, not just get caught up
in concepts.
What I mean is this: you should recognise how every appearance in your daily
lift is in fact a false projection of your own mind. Your own mind makes it
up and becomes an obstacle to touching reality. This is why, our entire life,
no matter what kind of life we have, it is a disaster. If you have a rich life,
your life is a disaster. If you have a middle class life, your life is a disaster.
If you have a poor life, your life is even more of a disaster! You become a
monk and your life is a disaster. If you become a Christian your life is a disaster.
A Buddhist, disaster... Be honest. Be honest with yourself.
In fact reality is very simple. The simplicity of the mind can touch reality,
and meditation is something that goes beyond the intellect and brings the mind
into its natural state. We have the pure nature already, this reality exists
in us now, it is born with us... The essence of your consciousness, your truth,
your soul is not absolutely negative, it does not have an essentially negative
character. Our mind is like the sky and our problems of ego grasping and self
pity are like clouds. Eventually they all pass and disappear. You should not
believe, "I am my ego, I am my problems, therefore I cannot solve my problems".
Wrong. You can see. Sometimes we are so clear in our life we are almost radiating.
We can have this experience right now. Now!
So it is wrong to think that we are always a disaster. Sometimes we are clean
clear, sometimes we are a disaster. So, stay in meditation, just keep in that
clean clear state as much as possible. All of us can have that clean clear state
of mind.
Actually, maybe this is the moment to meditate. My feeling is to meditate now.
So, close your eyes, don't think, "I am meditating", just close your
eyes and whatever view is there, whatever view is there in your mind, just be
aware. Don't interpret good, bad. Just be like a light - light doesn't think
"I like this, I like that". It is just a light. Whatever is in your
consciousness, whatever experience, just be aware. That is all.
Whatever your experience at the moment, whatever your colour, whatever appearance
is there, just stay aware. Be aware. If it's black energy, then that black energy
is clean clear. If it's white energy, just feel that clean clear state. Be aware
of whatever is happening. No interpretation ... Don't try to hold onto something
or to reject something.