Space. How often do we notice it? How often do we appreciate it?
Maybe not that often. Why? It’s always there, but somehow we miss it. Without space nothing could occur, happen, move or even exist. Yet we forget this. We take it for granted, or at least I do. So why is it important to first of all notice space, and secondly appreciate it? If we recall the times of our lives we have felt confused, depressed or even caught up in a minor affliction, we can remember that in some sense we felt oppressed, the space in our mind reduced in some sense, the clarity diminished.
That’s maybe the reason people go for a walk or go outdoors when they are feeling that way. Unconsciously we seek to connect with spaciousness. But what we forget is that space is always there. The restrictions, limits and oppression we feel are just illusions conjured by our mental dialogue, our thoughts. So that is why it is so important to notice space, again and again, and in all situations.
Now, why should we appreciate space? Have you ever seen space rejecting the changes that go on in it? Has space ever wished things in it would be arranged in a different way? Have you seen any preference in space? This is something we could learn from space. Non-reaction. Imagine for a moment, if we could be just like space, letting everything unfold without trying to control or manipulate, fix or arrange.
Of course, we might ask, what’s wrong with fixing or arranging something, maybe for the best? There is nothing wrong. The only problem we have is a tendency that if we can’t fix something we experience frustration. If we can’t change someone, we experience disappointment. We suffer when things don’t go our way. And realistically, although we can control some things, for the most part everything is out of our control. And that is where we can learn to be like space, letting things flow of their own accord and finding ease in everything we experience.
In the great teachings of Tibet, often masters say: let your mind be like the sky. Apparently in Tibetan the word for sky and space is the same. Let’s imagine our mind being like space, where everything can arise without bias, judgement, preference, rejection and even acceptance. Space is infinite. And so is our mind. So maybe we can start now by noticing the space between these words and letters. We can then notice the space between our body and this magazine. Now we can try to experience the space of the mind in which thoughts and emotions manifest. Finally, why not attempt to experience all this space at the same time. It might all be the same space after all.
Photos by Foundry Co from Seattle, USA