This is a conversation between two individuals both existing within. Questioner (Q) and Answerer (A)
Q) What is shunya?
A) Shunya means emptiness. But that is just only a translation of one language into another. In reality if we have to understand emptiness how can we do that. For example.....if there is an empty vessel in front of us and......I say that this vessel is empty.......then one can say, no this is not empty,......there is air in it....In fact the vessel is filled with air which we do not see with our eyes. Then how can we perceive emptiness?
If I can further add up to the confusion, let us just look into the cosmos up there. There are so many stellar bodies around. Planets, stars, comets, meteorites etc. Now between all these stellar bodies there is empty space where there is no air also, which scientists call it as vacuum. So.... can I call that as emptiness?
No.
Q) Why?
A) Because, light travels through vacuum. So there is light which is travelling even in the vacuum. So in reality there is no emptiness up there in the space of the cosmos.
Q) Then what is emptiness?
A) So, by this analogy we can understand that there is no emptiness in this physical or gross world.
Now let us look into the subtle world.
What does the subtle world consists of?
Q) Thoughts.
So, everything is only a thought and nothing else. Our dreams, aspirations, goals etc., are all thoughts in our mind. Or, what we call our mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts with certain attributes (gunas) like good, bad or neutral. Now, let us look at a situation where there are no thoughts. When there are no thoughts, what is there?......
Just be there...........................a situation.............where there are no thoughts................be in the moment.....
Q) Silence.
That is still a word.
...... situation.............where there are no thoughts....................
Q) One cannot express it.
A) Now that is what shunya is. That is what is emptiness. The one which cannot be expressed. The inexpressible can never be expressed. It is beyond the thoughts, beyond the mind. It is beyond the beyond.
And, I can express my ignorance by stating such a statement that it is inexpressible.
Q) What is shunya?
A) Shunya means emptiness. But that is just only a translation of one language into another. In reality if we have to understand emptiness how can we do that. For example.....if there is an empty vessel in front of us and......I say that this vessel is empty.......then one can say, no this is not empty,......there is air in it....In fact the vessel is filled with air which we do not see with our eyes. Then how can we perceive emptiness?
If I can further add up to the confusion, let us just look into the cosmos up there. There are so many stellar bodies around. Planets, stars, comets, meteorites etc. Now between all these stellar bodies there is empty space where there is no air also, which scientists call it as vacuum. So.... can I call that as emptiness?
No.
Q) Why?
A) Because, light travels through vacuum. So there is light which is travelling even in the vacuum. So in reality there is no emptiness up there in the space of the cosmos.
Q) Then what is emptiness?
A) So, by this analogy we can understand that there is no emptiness in this physical or gross world.
Now let us look into the subtle world.
What does the subtle world consists of?
Q) Thoughts.
So, everything is only a thought and nothing else. Our dreams, aspirations, goals etc., are all thoughts in our mind. Or, what we call our mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts with certain attributes (gunas) like good, bad or neutral. Now, let us look at a situation where there are no thoughts. When there are no thoughts, what is there?......
Just be there...........................a situation.............where there are no thoughts................be in the moment.....
Q) Silence.
That is still a word.
...... situation.............where there are no thoughts....................
Q) One cannot express it.
A) Now that is what shunya is. That is what is emptiness. The one which cannot be expressed. The inexpressible can never be expressed. It is beyond the thoughts, beyond the mind. It is beyond the beyond.
And, I can express my ignorance by stating such a statement that it is inexpressible.
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