We are in the final post for Act II. To recap, in Act I we focused on awareness and being observant. In Act II we transitioned to questioning ourselves. We looked at topics like authenticity and how it can be performative, who we are after we achieve a goal, and whether or not you can trust your own story that you try to tell yourself. After today’s post, we will be heading into Act III, where we dive into understanding purpose (or lack thereof) and the weight of meaning.
These acts are foundational in their presentation. Understanding each act’s content will help you as we continue to explore these ideas together. You should consider reading or listening to other perspectives in this space. My voice is not the only one, and having different points of view is important to your understanding.
The Vanishing Act
You and I are borrowers. All living things, all matter in the universe, borrows its energy and materials from the cosmos. Eventually, we have to give it back; we can’t hold onto these bodies forever. When we do give it back, what’s left behind?
Let’s take a look at an onion. It has an outer layer (which most people discard or compost), and then many inside layers. You can keep peeling them back, looking for a center, looking for the soul or what makes it work, but eventually, you realize the layers were the onion and there is nothing in the middle. This is exactly correct, because we as humans do have many layers. We have things that we enjoy, items that make us happy, components we seek to improve just for the sake of the process and not with the end goal in mind. We are very similar to the onion because there is nothing at the center.
M0vie. (2018, January 17). Shrek – Ogres are like onions (Blu-Ray 1080p) English [scene] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FtCTW2rVFM
Initial Panic
There may be some fear that comes with the realization that there isn’t anything at the core of our being. You might be asking: if you’re not the success, the brand, or your history, then who is reading this post right now? If there is no “me” then how can “I” do anything at all?
It’s very clear: You are not what you do. You are a part of the universe that is interacting with itself and observing itself. It’s like when the artist makes a lovely painting and then stares at it. The artist created the art, but is also enjoying the art; they get lost in it. The universe created us, and all other living creatures, so that we could interact with it.
When we leave behind a space, either in our professional lives or in our personal ones, that space will be filled at some point. You do not take up permanent residence in a location or on a team. Eventually, that space will be filled with someone or something else. Even the mightiest of castles will fall and will be replaced with something new.
Take a look at Berkshire Hathaway: Warren Buffett stepped down from his role as CEO. Are they going to just shrug their shoulders and close their business? Of course not; he’s been replaced. The company is a collection of different people that got together because they enjoyed finding valuable companies and businesses to invest in. There is nothing at the center of it; it’s just a group of people enjoying their trade. Same thing goes for ogres and same thing goes for the rest of us. We’re just made up of different layers, and they do not amount to any one central being.
Observations in the Quiet
We can see things in nature because of space, because space gives us room for comparison. When we look up into the sky and see stars or other planets, we can only appreciate them because there is space between them. Imagine if there were no space; the entire sky would be full of endless stars and it would all be indistinguishable. They’d blur together. When you zoom in very close to the Sun’s surface, it all looks like moving lava, unseparated from the rest of life; but when you add space between the sun and your perspective, you gain a litany of beautiful scenes.
Having space is paramount to enjoying life when that space is filled. Take music; there are spaces between notes, yes? This time between the notes isn’t nothing; its potential for more music. If there were never any space between the notes it would just be endless noise, constantly moving along. If you never understand emptiness then you cannot understand fullness. Space is paramount to life, and without it, life could not exist. The same goes for life; if it didn’t exist, then space wouldn’t either. Do you know why this is true? Because space needs an observer to witness it.
You are this observer. You are not your thoughts, or your body, or your mind. You are simply the observer looking at the universe and the space between life.
Stillness in Motion
This is a very important line and it’s why it’s a featured saying on this blog, because we are seeking stillness, but every time we try to grab it or hold onto it, it moves around. True stillness comes from our understanding that the universe is moving around us. Life is going to happen whether you want it to or not, and it’s going to keep on happening so you’d better get used to it. Stillness is acceptance, understanding, and peace.
You can find stillness when you understand that everything is constantly falling apart. We’re here for a brief time to enjoy it. Stop trying to control it and seek love. How do you get a pool of muddy water to clear up? Do you stir it violently or try to use some sort of device to clean out all of the dust and debris? Or do you simply leave it alone and let it settle?
Living as the Space
We can find freedom in having no identity. When there is no “you” to protect, anxiety has nowhere to land. You can’t offend someone who doesn’t exist as a fixed point, and you can’t upset someone who doesn’t have anything to be upset about.
I am simply a rearrangement of stardust and atomic particles that are dancing in the wind. We are the living space; and one day, those atoms and molecules are going to disperse and land somewhere else. They might reform into something different, as they were before. We do not own the molecules that make up our current physical form. No one really owns anything. Eventually, all will be transformed into a different arrangement of the cosmos. This is why there is no “you.” The universe wants you to focus on observation. It gives you the tools to do so: we have eyes so we can see the wonderful stars and formations, we have ears so we can enjoy music, and we have tastebuds so we can savor a delicious meal.
The universe is not a random accidental collection of space-stuff. It is a living entity that we are a growing part of. Imagine it like a blueberry bush. The interstellar connection and all of the dark matter is the branches the fruit hangs off of, and all of the planets and living beings are the fruit itself. All connected, all together, and all changing as one.
We have gone through a lot on our journey together so far, and I hope you’re enjoying this format of discovery. We have completed Act II with this post, and now we’ll be moving into Understanding Purpose. I recommend bookmarking the page where the Acts are listed for easier reference here: Zennado: The Art of Being Nothing (Acts I – X).
We’ve discussed awareness and observation in Act I, and then we questioned ourselves here in Act II. In Act III, we’re going to be discussing the perception of purpose and why people seek reasoning. We’ll examine Nihilism and how it compares with Zen. We’ll explore why folks are concerned with a “Legacy” and how we can avoid the fear of being forgotten.
Before you go, let’s have a moment of reflection. Close your eyes for thirty seconds and stop “trying” to be yourself. Stop trying to be your job title or your societal role. Just exist. What is left when you stop trying to be someone?