Our Stories are Empty
Sojong Reminder from Anam Thubten
Dear Dharma friends,
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Human beings are gifted with the ability to create stories and narratives. Our mental lives are nothing more than collections of stories. Sometimes such an ability might not seem like a blessing, as it makes life more complicated and can cause a lot of uniquely human suffering. Our past is a collection of stories about what has happened, our present is stories about what is happening, and our future is stories about what will happen. Each day begins and ends a cycle of stories about our plans, what happened to us, and what we did.
At the same time, if there were no stories, we would not have such a colorful tapestry of human life - the countless joys we have felt since birth, the things we studied and the schools we attended, the struggles that made us into a spiritual warrior, as well as how our relationships with others formed and dissolved along the way. These are the stories that we tell ourselves and the world. They often make us feel that we are unique among all the beings in the world. In the end, our ability to create and remember stories makes us not only uniquely human, but individuals who have their own path, destinations, and visions that can never be exactly like that of anyone else in the entire universe.
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However, reifying and clinging to our own stories is not only the main source of our own suffering, but it is the very root of many woes in the world, such as conflict and war. This is why the Buddhist concept of emptiness is so important. It is the medicine that heals the disease of grasping to our stories. There’s no time when it isn’t needed. It allows us to feel that reality is more flexible, and that life is more enjoyable than our habitual mind often believes.
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Emptiness is the notion that our very ideas about reality are often mind-manufactured and lacking in any kind of intrinsic truth. When we apply the wisdom of emptiness in our life, we begin to see that our stories are not solid and that they’re actually built upon an abundance of illusions. Emptiness is about questioning what we believe about our ourselves and others. This is why the Heart Sutra, which illuminates emptiness, is often chanted in the Mahayana tradition. Most Tibetan nuns and monks have it memorized.
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During this Sojong, let me invite everyone to meditate on emptiness, or to practice a reflection in which you question the deeply held stories you've been holding onto. Then, allow yourself to feel that your grip on them is loosening. In this way, freedom emerges in your heart and becomes the foundation of your life’s journey.
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With palms joined,
Anam Thubten
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