11:11 Waves Blog 28: Emptiness
- Giulia Lucchini
- Jul 9, 2023
- 2 min read
Every Monday, I share 1 question for you to contemplate, 1 idea from me, 1 quote from others, and 1 inspiration for us.
This week’s topic is: Emptiness
Yesterday marked my last day of holiday... or vacation as we say it in North America. During my days off I learned that the origin of the word vacation comes from the Latin word “vacare” which means “to make / be empty”. In our society, the concept of being or feeling empty is regarded as a negative way of being and there are numerous articles on the net about how to stop this feeling and how to cope with this state. But what if we could relate to emptiness in a different way: as a stage just before the next step – the void that contains all the possibilities for the next moment in time?
One Question for you
We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.
Discuss the question here.
One Idea from me
Despite its negative connotations, emptiness can be a powerful force for personal growth, self-reflection, change and even liberation. Emptiness is not nothing. Emptiness, or no-thing-ness can be the very purpose of an existence. Below I share two thoughts on how emptiness can be of value.
Beyond the physical: When we appreciate something, our focus is often on what we can see or touch. For example, if we observe a teapot, our attention is likely to be on its shape, the material is made of, its colours, its size etc. All these features are nevertheless not what a teapot is built for. A teapot is valuable not for what we can see, it is useful for what we cannot see: its emptiness. This week I invite you to consider the emptiness within yourself – the emptiness in your mind and in your body – and reflect on how your emptiness looks and feels like, what you appreciate about it and what emptiness could make possible in your life.
The fullness of emptiness: After undergoing meditation for 49 days under the Bodhi Tree, Buddha became enlightened. He was asked by a villager: ”What have you gained after so many days of meditation?” Buddha smiled and said: ”I have not attained anything. Instead, I have lost many things. I have become “empty” my dear. I have lost anger, lust, desire for material things and beings, greed, anxiety, ego.” This week I invite you to ponder on this story, reflect on what this teaching can do for you and how emptiness can shape the stage for the next step in your life.
One Quote from others
“Emptiness the starting point. — In order to taste my cup of water you must first empty your cup. My friend, drop all of your preconceived fixed ideas and be neutral. Do you know why this cup is so useful? Because it is empty.” Bruce Lee
One Inspiration for us
This week I am sharing a drawing from one of my favourite books: Dao De Jing by Laozi delightfully illustrated by C.C. Tsai. The book contains deep philosophical concepts made really accessible, modern and fresh through the comic style. The illustration below is an extract taken from Chapter 11 of the book. Hope you enjoy it!
Vacation / vacating is also about creating space. If we fill our minds up with things or actions and there's no space, it's very easy to be overwhelmed. The space is the emptiness which gives us the freedom to enjoy something without necessarily having a goal or objective attached to it. The cartoon in your article illustrates this: you can fill the cup with whatever you want or it can be filled for you with something inspiring - a great view while on holiday, an unexpected experience. Thank you for another interesting series of thoughts and outlooks!