Empty Is Clear

Many people try to control their thinking. First, they try to solve their thinking. They try to make bad thinking correct. They try to make themselves right. That’s the usual first course. It means, “if I can justify my thinking, I can justify my life.” But after many attempts, they find it doesn’t work. So the second course is to blame  your friends. But soon you understand that also doesn’t work. You become very unhappy. If you keep that condition, then soon you’ll have no friends. Why? Because only you are the best. That means you have this strong sense only of “I am.” Then if you keep this “I am,” you and this world become separate. It means that you become crazy. Crazy people have no idea, only “my action.”

But somebody understands: “I cannot fix my thinking by my rationalization.” Then they also understand: “I cannot fix my life only by blaming other beings.” Separating ourselves from this world has many ways, not only becoming crazy. Good movies, good friends, good books, many kinds of things, already separate ourselves from this world. Those things are not good or bad by themselves. If we use those things only for ourselves, then we separate ourselves from this world. But if we don’t use those  things only for “me” they we become in harmony with this world. That means attaining your correct relationship to things.

“Separate from this world” means become empty. Human beings’ “empty” is: you and this world separate. Buddha’s “empty” means: empty is not empty; empty is clear. In this clarity there is everything. It has you, me, God, Buddha, dog, cat, tree, man, woman, good, bad, like and dislike, because everything is clear. Then how do you use these things? That’s important.