Posted: July 28, 2015
I have been taking Richard Lewis’ class Presence and The Yoga of Mind Thursday evenings at The Lotus Wings Building. He is a master teacher, weaving philosophy with spiritual teachings with ceremony. I am beginning to wonder if there is any difference between them. His reading from Thich Nhat Hanh’s work about emptiness and self-substance has had profound impact on my conscious mind. Hopefully I can paraphrase the reading….Emptiness is when you observe something or someone and really see all of it. The example used was that of a cell phone. When you look at a cell phone you see the “all” used to make the phone, the earth materials, the machines, the many people involved in the development, production, marketing, selling of the phone and so on. You begin to recognize all the “pieces” the phone represents. Self-Substance refers to just seeing the phone as an instrument of communication, without awareness of what or who was involved in the process of you having it in your hand. Both states of awareness are necessary, one not more important than the other. However, since that class, I cannot look at something or someone with “seeing” the “all” involved in their being. It has been as most humbling experience.
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen…..Denise