Greetings All ~
I hadn't heard from my Lama-son, Stanzin, in some time. So I called him in Ladakh. I caught him as he was literally just coming out of a month-long meditationretreat. What are the odds? But that's the way it's always been with us. He was still in his meditative mind, not yet affected by earthly distractions. I asked him what he'd studied and meditated upon. It was kind of a "wow" answer for me.
He had been reading and studying Buddhist scriptures on how emptiness and undivided compassion are intertwined—how the practice of each supports the other.
His quote: "Without understanding the emptiness, our compassion towards sentient beings is very limited. But once we understand emptiness, then our compassion becomes limitless."
I hadn't thought of compassion as being "divided." But on further contemplation, I realized that, most of the time, my compassion had been doled out to those I'd determined deserving, even though my natural inclination is to share it with all. But, through judgement, I'd withdrawn it. How and where that judgement was installed is for another time.
Then there's this "emptiness" thing. A hard concept for me. To delineate the emptiness a "container" of some sort is needed. But, of course, as soon as a container is created the emptiness ceases to exist.
Then I got it—or at least I think so... Any division sullies emptiness. As soon as a boundary of "right or wrong" is erected, any and all become divided. Without a division, really all that's left is compassion, that natural inclination.
And now back to Earth. My house is sold and new digs are purchased. I can start to dismantle my environment. I have a chance to practice some emptiness. With each picture coming off the wall and each box packed, more emptiness is revealed. My practice in the coming days will be to empty a tangible space while contemplating the emptiness and undivided compassion.
I am in need of this. I've found myself being impatient, if not downright angry, at people who've made choices with which I disagree (mainly vaccination and political stuff). Can I prioritize undivided compassion—true compassion—over the division of anger and impatience? Perhaps the tangible action of moving will carry me to the undivided compassion that the intangibility of emptiness can provide.
I'll let you know how it goes...
May I gain the wisdom of undivided compassion and emptiness
for the sake of all sentient beings.
In the meantime, all love surround you.
Yes, you, whoever you are,
Vicky Jap Dharam Rose