The Empty Nature of Sensation

[Orb]

In meditation I noticed something quite profound on the nature of sensation, it is inherently empty. 

 

What do I mean from empty? No I dont mean empty as in not-full. 

 

By emptiness I mean fundamentally having no way of particularly being. I dont know much about physics but the wave/particle duality idea resonates a lot with this topic. Sensations have no particular way of being, they are not solid at all or have any essential form(There are no distinct things called sensations but for the sake of clarity ill mention sensations).

 

Thus, sensation is inherently empty of any essence whatsoever, and this is where things seem paradoxical, because the Substance of reality is inherently empty yet the Substance is very much Fullness. 

 

Every day for some period of time I like to sit down and just BE fully, even at work, I investigate sensation, and the more this unfolds the more everything is clearly "seen" to be....nothing 🙂. 

 

Pay attention to any sensation, notice how it doesn't have any actual shape, and notice how it isn't an object or it. 

[Enlightened Cat]

It becomes especially obvious in complete darkness, I gotta say. Most of our thoughts are essentially just about visual boundaries being illuminated it seems. Probably why they say to close your eyes, but being in an actual pitch black room is even better IMO.

Something cool you can do is sitting down or laying down, closing your eyes, and then asking "which way is up and which way is down?", and then realizing that there is no experience of directions.

Edited July 23, 2024 by Enlightened Cat

[Orb]

On 7/23/2024 at 2:01 PM, Enlightened Cat said:

It becomes especially obvious in complete darkness, I gotta say. Most of our thoughts are essentially just about visual boundaries being illuminated it seems. Probably why they say to close your eyes, but being in an actual pitch black room is even better IMO.

Im curious, what do you mean by this?

[Enlightened Cat]

1 hour ago, Orb said:

Im curious, what do you mean by this?

If there is no visual perception of a chair, what does that leave of the chair? We make mental objects out of visual distinctions like colors, shapes, etc. For example, if I ask you what the shape of a chair is, you will give an answer to what it looks like. By removing the "looking" aspect, it loses its definition.

In darkness, there is nothing to really think about because everything is formless, so it prevents the mind from objectifying the perceptions which are in direct experience. 

[Orb]

7 minutes ago, Enlightened Cat said:

If there is no visual perception of a chair, what does that leave of the chair? We make mental objects out of visual distinctions like colors, shapes, etc. For example, if I ask you what the shape of a chair is, you will give an answer to what it looks like. By removing the "looking" aspect, it loses its definition.

In darkness, there is nothing to really think about because everything is formless, so it prevents the mind from objectifying the perceptions which are in direct experience. 

Oooh gotcha, so if im getting it right youre referring to how thought creates an overlay of dimensionality? I think I understand now thank you for clarifying!

[Reena]

22 minutes ago, Enlightened Cat said:

If there is no visual perception of a chair, what does that leave of the chair? We make mental objects out of visual distinctions like colors, shapes, etc. For example, if I ask you what the shape of a chair is, you will give an answer to what it looks like. By removing the "looking" aspect, it loses its definition.

In darkness, there is nothing to really think about because everything is formless, so it prevents the mind from objectifying the perceptions which are in direct experience. 

Seems similar to an experience on psychedelics. 

 

[Enlightened Cat]

16 hours ago, Orb said:

Oooh gotcha, so if im getting it right youre referring to how thought creates an overlay of dimensionality? I think I understand now thank you for clarifying!

Pretty much. 

[Enlightened Cat]

16 hours ago, Reena said:

Seems similar to an experience on psychedelics. 

Thoughts are quite magical as it is. The dark just helps you realize that.