Silence & Emptiness

[blackraven]

There is a difference between silence and emptiness, although emptiness can occur in silence and silence can occur in emptiness. There are times when I feel so empty, but welcome silence and there are times I feel empty and prefer some kind of interaction or activity to occupy my mind. For the most part I prefer to spend most of my time in silence with perhaps only a cd playing in the background with a recording of waves hitting the shoreline. There is something about the sound of nature that sooths. The effects of meditation is becoming more and more short-lived because with the holidays approaching all kinds of issues erupt from the past when faced with being around family. Role-playing is a big one, one to which I find nerve-wracking.

Getting back to silence and emptiness. Solitude is what I prefer, but in that solitude often comes emptiness. It’s a lack of feeling about anything or an inability to take any form of action. But I’d rather experience moments of emptiness than have every moment filled with meaningless rambling, such as I’m doing. In the gap of emptiness is when I find my soul waiting in the wings to be discovered. I sprinkle a little silence on it and see more in my world. And there are some times when I just have to purge myself of everything and get to a place of emptiness for the same reason.

Blackraven

[Miss Hepburn]

Holidays? Issues? Family?

I find when I practice meditation...btw, there is no silence or emptiness for me...
The Inner Sound Current, Music, Celestial Harmony is always present...and stillness,
watching, focusing, attentiveness is not 'emptiness' in my terms...we may be just saying diff words.

I find the grooves in my mind of old thought patterns regarding family
are filled in like the new wrinkle creams...ha! My mind can't find the grooves or
wagon wheel ruts anymore...it took years tho.

Always enjoy your posts, Blackraven.

[Black Sheep]

In the gap of emptiness is when I find my soul waiting in the wings to be discovered.

I really like this statement, it reminds me, how I didn't know myself till I stopped, and looked at the emptiness between my thoughts, and in that window, I found a life I never knew.

Like Miss Hepburn, there is that universe sound that is ever present, but there's a type of silence as well. And with the emptiness, I get a more spaciousness or like a blank canvas type feeling. Really exciting stuff to me, it's amazing how deep, and profound even silence or emptiness can be.

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Holidays? Issues? Family?

I find when I practice meditation...btw, there is no silence or emptiness for me...
The Inner Sound Current, Music, Celestial Harmony is always present...and stillness,
watching, focusing, attentiveness is not 'emptiness' in my terms...we may be just saying diff words.

I find the grooves in my mind of old thought patterns regarding family
are filled in like the new wrinkle creams...ha! My mind can't find the grooves or
wagon wheel ruts anymore...it took years tho.

Always enjoy your posts, Blackraven.

MH - I suppose the Holidays brings up a lot of awkwardness, especially with siblings. I'm not close with my family so when we're all thrown together into a party, it seems I'm forever reaching for anything to talk about. Many of my grooves have lessened through the years as well, but I've changed so much from the traditional normal behavior in my family, that I don't fit in well. It brings up anxiety at this time instead of serenity. I suppose nothing can really be empty, but in reference to this anxiety, I try to get to a close place to emptiness because it's there that I don't have incessant thoughts about what will or won't be. I just exist in that space and, like you said, observe stillness within. Thank you for enjoying my posts, MH. I too enjoy yours as well.

Blackraven

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by Black Sheep

I really like this statement, it reminds me, how I didn't know myself till I stopped, and looked at the emptiness between my thoughts, and in that window, I found a life I never knew.

Like Miss Hepburn, there is that universe sound that is ever present, but there's a type of silence as well. And with the emptiness, I get a more spaciousness or like a blank canvas type feeling. Really exciting stuff to me, it's amazing how deep, and profound even silence or emptiness can be.

Black Sheep - I often wonder what is being discovered in the emptiness beyond just silence. My soul talks words of wisdom that I can't sometimes consciously hear and yet my actions seem to take on life of their own. I like the blank canvas analogy. I hadn't painted in years and went out and bought a blank canvas and stared at it for weeks. Finally I just did some automatic type rough sketching on it. Not sure where the idea came from, but before I knew it I was painting. It's not one of my better paintings, but it is something that came out of me and so it must have meaning from somewhere within me. When I was what drove me to paint it, I said, "I don't know." I was really covering for an underlining spiritual focus and didn't want the person asking in on the inspiration. I'm funny about my creations; I protect the meaning behind all of them because they come from a very deep place inside my soul that even I don't understand. Thanks for your input Black Sheep.

Blackraven

[Gem]

I experienced the emptiness like a vastness of space. In life though, I experience emptiness of a different kind, melancholy.

[A human Being]

I was thinking about emptiness when I was out with the dog before, and I remembered that old story about the Zen master who fills his student's cup to over-flowing. How you can fill a cup that's already full? That's why, for me, emptiness - while the word has mostly negative connotations in western culture - is desirable.

Originally Posted by Gem

I experienced the emptiness like a vastness of space. In life though, I experience emptiness of a different kind, melancholy.

Is that a sense of emptiness or more a sense of lack, incompleteness?

[CSEe]

Perhaps in silence there always is emptiness, and perhaps in emptiness there is always nothingness.....................and nothingness is just nothingness

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by Gem

I experienced the emptiness like a vastness of space. In life though, I experience emptiness of a different kind, melancholy.

Gem - Sometimes the vastness of space is so darn big for me that melancholy takes over. I avoid too much interaction, but when I've had it, it feels like a rush. But I prefer for the most part existing in the vastness that is space, serenity, silence, contemplation, awareness or just observation.

Blackraven

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by A human Being

I was thinking about emptiness when I was out with the dog before, and I remembered that old story about the Zen master who fills his student's cup to over-flowing. How you can fill a cup that's already full? That's why, for me, emptiness - while the word has mostly negative connotations in western culture - is desirable.



Is that a sense of emptiness or more a sense of lack, incompleteness?

A human Being - That's just it. My cup in many ways feels filed to the brim and yet I still have some longings to fill it over the top. I think that longing comes from being unfulfilled at times. I miss my long-time pal, my dog, terribly. She and I walked through nature trails every day religiously. I even broke my ankle on one winter walk because I was too stubborn to stay home during a blizzard. That's how committed I was to our precious time together in nature. My thoughts were cleared of all the clutter when we took those walks. I emptied myself of all my worries and anxieties. I'm sad that I no longer have her in my life. I've been asked if I want another dog, but I just can't allow myself to go to that special place without my friend. I can't just make a replacement of something that was magical. I certainly understand the emptiness you feel when you walk your dog. It is priceless. Thank you A human Being.

Blackraven