“Our
greatest pretences are built up not to hide the evil and the ugly in us, but
our emptiness. The hardest thing to hide is something that is not there.”
Eric
Hoffer
There is
so much emptiness in this world, in so many people’s lives, and many do not
know how to address this emptiness! It is interesting to note that emptiness,
as a human condition, is considered (from a predominantly western perspective) to
be bad. This is not the case when considered from a predominantly eastern
perspective because here emptiness is deemed to be a good attribute. According
to Eric Hoffer, we use our pretences to hide our emptiness. This is also the
view that Arthur Erickson has when he says that illusion is needed to disguise
the emptiness within. When emptiness overshadows a person, many want to fill
that emptiness with something: buying things, abusing drugs or entering some
kind of self-destructive activity. Some people even fall into a state of
nihilism and/or deep depression. In the east, emptiness is altogether a
different story. Emptiness is seen as a state of stillness and placidity, which
is considered to be a good thing. Eckhart Tolle reminds us of what the Heart
Sutra (one of the best known ancient Buddhist texts) says: “Form is emptiness; emptiness is form“. I
think the sculptor who constructed the piece of art in our picture for the day,
caught the essence of this sutra well. The essence of all things is emptiness.
Helen Keller wraps all of this up nicely: “Once I knew only darkness and stillness...
my life was without past or future... but a little word from the fingers of
another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to
the rapture of living”. This is how we should address/fill our emptiness,
to embrace the joy of living.
Is
there any bliss
in a
life filled with emptiness?
I think
it all depends on your view,
whether
it’s darkness or something to be filled anew.
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∞ -------------------------------------
“Ons
grootste pretensies word geskep nie om die sleg en die lelik in ons te verberg
nie, maar om ons leegheid te verberg. Die moeilikste ding om weg te steek is
iets wat nie bestaan nie.”
Eric
Hoffer
Volgens Eric Hoffer gebruik ons ons
pretensies om leegheid te verberg, en dit is ook die seining van Arthur
Erickson wie sê dat illusies
nodig is om die leegheid binne ons te verberg. Daar is soveel leegheid in hierdie wêreld en in soveel mense, en baie
mense weet nie wat om met hierdie leegheid te doen nie. Moet dit gevul word of
moet ons die leegheid bloot net aanvaar en omhels? Dit is insiggewend om
te weet dat leegheid, as ‘n menslike kondisie, verskillend gesien word vanuit
die oosterse en die westerse perspektiewe. Vanuit die westerse perspektief word
leegheid as iets slegs beskou, iets wat gevul moet word. Dit is nie die geval
as dit kom by die tipiese oosterse perspektief nie, want vanuit hierdie
perspektief word leegheid as iets goeds beskou, iets wat beslis omhels moet
word. So, wat doen ons in ‘n westerse wêrels
om hierdie leegheid te vul? Ons koop goed, ons vergader ‘n klomp onnodige
dinge, ons misbruik dwelms en ons maak onsself oop vir een of ander
selfvernietigende gedrag, alles met die hoop om die leegheid te vul. In die oosterse wêreld is dit ‘n heel ander storie. Hier word leegheid beskou as ‘n staat
van stil wees, van vreedsaamheid en kalmte. Hierdie attribute word as
iets goeds beskou. Eckhart Tolle herinner ons aan die “Heart Sutra” wat een van die mees bekendste Buddhistiese tekste is.
Dit lui as volg: “Vorm is leegheid;
Leegheid is vorm“. Ek dink dat die beeldhouer in ons prentjie vir die dag
hierdie sutra mooi vasvang in die beeldhouwerk. Die essensie van alle dinge, aldus
hierdie sutra, is leegheid. Helen Keller kry die laaste woord in deur te sê: “Ek het eens net donkerte en
stilte geken... my lewe was sonder ‘n verlede en ‘n toekoms... maar ‘n enkele
woordjie vanuit die vingers van iemand anders het in my hand geval en vasgegryp
aan die leegheid, en toe spring my hart na die ekstase van die lewe”. Dit is
hoe ons die leegheid moet benader, deur die ekstase van die lewe.
Maak hierdie
vandag jou lewensbeleid
“Ek Omhels
My Leegheid”.
Waarom probeer jy jou leegheid vul
Omhels
die ekstase van die lewe, raak kalm, rustig en stil.
b * a
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