The Principle of Emptiness

Emptiness is a spiritual concept that is best definedTheir true nature
by the Tao Te Ching. The true nature of the cosmosEmerging, flourishing, dissolving back again
is emptiness, the universe is almost 100% emptyThis is the eternal process of return
space. The reason we sense the material world asTo know this process brings enlightenment
solid is that the solid particles are moving so fast weTo miss this process brings disaster
sense them in millions of places as if at once.Again the Tao Te Ching:
An empty mind is in a state of meditation, an emptyKnow That which is beyond all beginnings
mind can receive insight which is always fresh andAnd you will know everything here and now
present oriented. Communicated insight becomes oldKnow everything in this moment
and stale and contributes to the accumulation ofAnd you will know the Eternal Tao
knowledge rather than the depth of understanding.The fullness of the present moment is framed by
The principle of emptiness basically refers to thethe emptiness of the past and the emptiness of the
meaninglessness of phenomenon. Whatever meaningfuture. Misunderstanding this emptiness is the basis of
is interpreted from any action or circumstance isall illusion.
wholly illusory and subjective.We are empty vessels. As long as the ego seeks
The Tao Te Ching reads:fulfillment from the outer world (see attachment)
Become totally emptyenlightenment and contentment are not possible. We
Quiet the restlessness of the mindcannot seek for the truth and acquire it as if it were
Only then will you witness everything unfolding froma rare object, Rather truth flows from the plenum of
emptinessthe void and fills the emptiness and expresses itself
See all things flourish and dance in endless variationthrough us in appearance, language, and behavior. It
And once again merge back into perfect emptinessflows like a river, it cannot be stored as knowledge
Their true reposeand experience, nor even as wisdom.