Enlightenment is not an experience.
It is the state where you are left absolutely alone, nothing to know.
No object, however beautiful, is present.
Only in that moment does your consciousness, unobstructed by any object,
take a turn and move back to the source.
(Osho)
Being empty
In Western culture, emptiness is considered to be something
negative.
It has the connotation of absence.
When a person claims to 'feel empty', they are usually expressing
displeasure and seek to find what they lack.
People look outside of themselves in a desperate search to fill this inner
void.
In
taoism, it is different.
Empty &
full
Consider a cup...
When empty, it has purpose, it can be used.
It has potential.
When filled, it has completed its function and cannot be utilised again
without being emptied once more.
A room is an empty space bordered by walls.
It is the space that we use.
When the emptiness is filled, the room becomes confined.
If your mind is already filled with thoughts, memories and chatter - it is
full already.
Until you empty it, your mind is not ready for use.
Calm & ready
In tai chi we look to allow the mind to settle of its own
accord.
Thoughts naturally dissipate and fade when you
relax and become
quiet.
Your emotions subside, you become
still within.
Once empty inside, we can begin...
When a person is in a condition of emptiness, they are
alert yet completely at ease.
They are capable of doing what needs to be done, of acting without
anticipation or hesitation.