Wednesday, September 27, 2006

I Am Nothing; I Am Everything

The great Indian teacher Nisargadatta Maharaj once said, "Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. Between the two my life flows." "I am nothing" does not mean that there is a bleak wasteland within. It does mean that with awareness we open to a clear, unimpeded space, without center or periphery--nothing separate. If we are nothing, there is nothing at all to serve as a barrier to our boundless expression of love. Being nothing in this way, we are also, inevitably, everything. "Everything" does not mean self-aggrandizement, but a decisive recognition of interconnection; we are not separate. Both the clear, open space of "nothing" and the interconnectedness of "everything" awaken us to our true nature. This is the truth we contact when we meditate, a sense of unity beyond suffering. It is always present; we merely need to be able to access it.
--Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness


These are some of the most profound words of Truth I've ever encountered. I can't improve upon them. And why should I even try? They are self-sufficient for those prepared to understand, and no paraphrasing or explanation would be likely to suffice for those unprepared to receive the message.

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