Thoughts on "Emptiness"

From Episode 4 of "Words From My Teachers"

In the essay, Emptiness, read in Episode 4, Rev. Gyomay Kubose wrote:

Emptiness is a process, a function. Life is also a process. Life is always moving on. To be alive is to be in a state of constant change. To flow with this change is to live a life that is creative and full of joy. If we do not flow with this change, life becomes monotonous. When asked, how are you doing? We reply, nothing new, just the same daily routine. Work and home life seem dead. No stimulation or inspiration.

Since life is a process, we are always doing something. It is nice when one can find something he wants to do rather than has to do. However, even when something you have to do, You have to accept it and do it, there is satisfaction. I remember a window washer who said that people laughed at him and asked him how he could stand such a boring job. His answer was, I feel a lot of satisfaction when each window is cleaned.

This is a Buddhist attitude.

Collecting the garbage or washing windows is no different from any other occupation. If one does the work willingly, there is joy.

Emptiness is a process. This means that something is always being finished and something else is always beginning. One feels satisfaction with the completed accomplishment and is excited by the start of something new.

I want to comment on the words in bold from the quote above. Having a “Buddhist attitude”, as Rev. Gyomay describes, is tough to do. It also sounds a bit Pollyannish, right?

But if we remember emptiness—if we remember that everything changes and, because of that, nothing lasts forever, the good nor the bad—maybe not Pollyannish at all. This is seeing things as they are. Not toxic positivity and not negativity. Just a flow with things as they are.

Nagarjuna, a second century Buddhist philosophy said: “Thanks to emptiness, everything is possible.”

I also wanted to share an anecdote tagging on Rev. Gyomay Kubose’s story of the window washer. One cold and wintry day we had a septic system problem. One of the septic system workers, Dan, was up to his knees and elbows in cold mud trying to figure out what was going on. I watched him for awhile and he seemed to be totally equanimous about his work, joking with his partner and chatting with me. I asked, “how do you do this work with such a good attitude?” He replied, “Yep, I’m living the dream.”

I realize he was being sarcastic. But I could also tell he wasn’t bitter or complaining. He seemed to be flowing with his life; doing his job. And I’m sure he got satisfaction from solving people’s most undesirable problems.

Do you think you can flow with things, adopting a “Buddhist attitude” in this new year?

Let me know in a comment or join my chat!