Let's start by loving the people around us, so that your love will spread to those we love like a wave, and with the wave, the flow of love will be spread layer by layer to the rest of the world. Before we go any further into nothingness, you'd better have your own name for this quality of life. Just as people have many names for God, you can use any word for the immensity in which we inhabit: mystery, vastness, nothingness, nature or silence. Whatever word you use, when we let go of our desires and fears, we open a dialogue with this pervasive quality of life. To me, emptiness is actually an intuitive description of the sense of space. When we look up at the night sky, we can see the endless stars as the infinite emptiness, the night sky is the "empty" of the unknown world display. In the same way, what we think of as nothingness is in fact this "emptiness" of being, the indescribable "emptiness" is what people call eternity, God, or being. When we connect with that emptiness, we become both aware of our own unique life and connected to the commonality of all life. One has to ask: how do we relate to the "space" that contains everything, to the vast canvas of life that contains everything? Everyone is immersed in the real and trivial life, with their own feelings, pain and troubles. We live on Earth, but we can't help but wake up in the kaleidoscope of everyday life. We drink water, mow the lawn, pay the bills, and occasionally feel wonder, awe, helplessness and doubt. Connecting with the path of life is not an abstract thing, like a tree with its roots deep in the earth. Each of us is connecting with life in our own unique way throughout the day. The deep world of "emptiness", nothingness, and openness permeates our POTS and pans. This permeation gives us the resources to deal with whatever challenges the day presents, just as earth nourishes roots, flowers, and fruit. An empty container gives us insight into its volume and function. Most instruments are hollow, because if they are not empty, they cannot produce music. Guitars and strings are hollow, drums are empty, flutes are empty. This is a good example that must be empty in order to produce music. The same is true of our lives. Each of us is an instrument, and experiences hollow us out so that the voice of our soul can be released. So is the Earth. The empty earth has its own grandeur. Imagine the Grand Canyon, shaped by centuries of geological upheaval into what it is today, arguably one of the greatest empty landscapes on Earth. People travel from all over the world just to stand by the valley in the wind and feel the emptiness. Why? Because the grandeur of the open reveals the mystery and grandeur of life, which is why people climb to the top, stand in the deep, or look out at the sea for a long time. That is why we climb to the cliffs of each other's hearts and peer into the valleys carved out of us by life's painful sharp edge. And the process of looking at each other and creating canyons is what makes a true friendship. You can experience the fullness of the universe when you stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon and stare at the mysterious kilometer-deep valley floor. It is the open valley in the human heart that gives us a glimpse of the unconditional love that exists in all of us. So we became even closer when you invited me to look into your inner valley, where I could see the eternity you had walked through. What could be better than sharing in the process? I think this is what the Lebanese poet Tahil Gibran meant when he wrote this poem: The deeper the sorrow is in your heart, the more joy you can carry. Is not the beautiful cup full of wine in your hand the same one that was burned red in the potter's kiln? That's why, after a painful loss, we all like to come and stand at the edge of the cliff where it's left us. As we cast the stones of memory into the bottomless valley of eternity, we begin to wonder why we are alive when we have come from eternity and returned to eternity. This is why I always like to arrive at the auditorium or classroom alone before a speech or lecture, so that I can listen and experience the emptiness that is about to bring everyone together. Standing on the precipice of the Valley of Eternity, men will speak frankly. Whether it's the Grand Canyon, a heartbreaking loss or an empty auditorium, there are as many resources as there are Spaces. The amount of water in a well depends on how deep the well is dug, and so do we. The process of digging is painful. Life experiences hollow us out as "instruments", but when we can dive into this hollow, we will naturally become involved in the omnipresent song of existence. Indeed, even if we were willing to hollow ourselves out into the great being we call God, the process of digging is not a pleasant one. But as long as we can survive the painful process of being hollowed out, hand in hand or alone, the empty space can be a source of access to our joy. Each of us is an instrument, and experiences hollow us out so that the voice of our soul can be released. An introspective moment - In your journal, tell about a time when you were lucky enough to peer into someone's inner canyon. What did you see there?