Neighbors described the high, rough coated shoulders
the long neck
the glandular bell hanging
the shy face
the modest face of a scholar
weary of reading in the dim light
of the forest, how he carried
the flared rack
the knobs the branches
of dense horn
sign of power..
the light lingered
we sat on the shore
and talked in whispers
watched the herons
heard the owl
greeted the moon
stared at the far shore
stared at the far shore
empty in the moonlight.
In Buddhism there is the metaphor of the far shore. We strive to get there, to the land of no-self, of interconnection, of compassion. We daily row our boat there through the practice of emptiness - of seeing ourselves continuous with all that is. In Mary's poem then I wonder who or what is empty. Perhaps it is us the watcher at one with the signs of power grazing all around us, as we are gazing all around us.
How are you "not here" or "empty?"
Tee Lee says: It seems easier to "empty" now in my sixties. All I have to do is listen to my inner voice, which manufactures endless parameters, cause and effect chains, theories, and generalizations and narratives about my environment. The chatter can be so ridiculous, that moving away from it is much easier now. THEN, sometimes, there is a tiny glimpse of the Thing Itself, stripped of all my analysis - what a relief, and a pleasure!
ReplyDeleteIn the poem I thought it was us the watchers being empty.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tee it is much easier now that I'm older to empty my mind of the chatter, to do lists, and worries about the future.
Sometimes I am "not here" while sitting quietly staring at nothing in particular. It is a form of relaxation.
I use the ability to be 'empty' or 'not here' when undergoing things like MRI's, CT's, or tooth drilling without novacaine. Sometimes I begin by focusing on one spot. Sometimes I close my eyes and view a blank screen. It makes it easier to remain still for an extended period of time. When I am in nature time is unnoticable. I may be there for five minutes or five hours and I am surprised when I come back how much time has passed. This inability to notice the passage of time also happens when engrossed in a creative, inventive project.
It has been used by companies such as Microsoft to have that total emptiness so that creativity can come in. I suspect we may discover it is all related to the same parts of the brain. While we think our brain is not working and empty, it probably really is working. It does make us feel that we are just a small part of a bigger universe.