Theos-Talk Archives (November 2000 Message tt00119)

Art,

You are very welcome.

Gene


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <arthra999@yahoo.com>
To: <theos-talk@egroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 8:55 AM
Subject: Theos-World Re: Emptiness and the Void:


> Thanks for your note Gene!
> 
> By the way Edwin Bernbaum wrote THE WAY TO SHAMBHALA, 
> A Search for the Mythical Kingdom Beyond the Himalayas, 
> published twenty years ago. It's no longer in print, but he writes 
> about hidden valleys, guidebooks, the terma tradition and many 
> other topics in a very scholarly, well documented way. I 
> recommend the book to anyone interested in Tibet. 
> 
> - Art
> 
> 
> --- In theos-talk@egroups.com, "Eugene Carpenter" 
> <Ecarpent@c...> wrote:
> > Bravo!
> > 
> > Gene
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: <arthra999@y...>
> > To: <theos-talk@egroups.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 2:49 PM
> > Subject: Theos-World Emptiness and the Void:
> > 
> > 
> > > The practitioner of the Vajrayana sees poison as nectar 
> > > because 
> > > both are empty and in essence the same; for him the nature 
> of 
> > > all 
> > > things is emptiness. But lamas point out that this emptiness 
> > > cannot 
> > > be pictured or defined: It is not the image of blankness or 
> dead 
> > > space that may come to mind. It is reality itself, the 
> indescribable 
> > > source of everything, yet not itself a thing. We might call it the 
> > > spiritual essence of the world that cannot be named, 
> grasped, or 
> > > otherwise limited. Beyond all substance it pervades all 
> things. 
> > > We 
> > > cannot perceive emptiness as something separate from us; 
> we 
> > > can only 
> > > experience it in the ultimate depths of ourselves and the 
> world 
> > > around us. It resembles the wind that can be felt but not 
> seen, or 
> > > the invisible space in which all things are immersed like 
> > > pebbles in 
> > > the pool of a mountain stream. The follower of the Vajrayana 
> cuts 
> > > through the opaque and solid appearance of the world to find 
> at 
> > > its 
> > > core, gleaming like a diamond, the clear and indestructible 
> > > emptiness 
> > > that has nothing left in it to be seen or destroyed. But all this 
> is 
> > > merely metaphor to suggest an experience of reality that lies 
> > > beyond 
> > > words and thought. . . . 
> > > 
> > > Though words are spoken to explain the Void, 
> > > The Void as such can never be expressed.
> > > 
> > > EDWIN BERNBAUM
> > > 
> > > **************************************************
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>