As has been articulated in these many blogs, the Void is the privation of all disordered dharmata that is pleasing to the carnal mind and flesh. It is the antithesis of created realms by virtue of Its prior animating function that gives structure to such defiled states. As such It is hereafter referred to as the premier Voidness—neither something nor nothing yet simultaneously that Self-Same all-encompassing Void (śūnyatā) That is empty of inherent existence and non-existence. Huang Po’s famous dictum states that people are afraid of emptying their mind lest they plunge into Voidness, failing to recognize that their own Mind IS Voidness. This Voidness does not refer to some-thing “other” in the dark center of the universe, acting as some form of cosmic vacuum-cleaner sucking-in everything in its path like a gargantuan black-hole reducing everything to sheer nothingness. It needs to be stated at this junction that nothingness is NOT this Voidness; yea, Voidness is Self-Empty of everything—even the blackened and awful maul of nihilism. In Voidness there is no-thing to see, no-thing to perceive or conceive; begin to discriminate about IT and you will never self-recognize IT.
Voidness is the imagelessness of the Dharmakaya; in this Absolute fashion IT IS the Deathless Void of the Unborn Buddha Mind, which in turn reflects the Imageless Mind of all Buddhas. Recollecting Mind’s Voidness as such, all dualistic dreams in the theatre of phenomena dissipate on their own, like errant little children tiring of their wanton games and returning to the gentle serenity of their Unborn-Home.
Sentient beings suffer because they do not comprehend Voidness. Aimlessly roaming about in a drunken-stupor, imprisoned by empty images and every form of mind-constructs, they incessantly pursue the mad belief that there is some-thing to attain. Give heed to this: there is no attainment here! This Voidness is unborn, uncreated, uncomposed and deathless. Begin to reason about it and you will miss It. The Hevajra Tantra refers to this as simply Awakening to Voidness:
śūnyatbodhiṃ (Awakening to Voidness): What is this Awakening to Voidness? Since all things are dependent upon the mind for their existence, they are only creations of the mind. The form of external objects are erroneously projected by the mind, as in a dream. Further, since the mind is characterised by erroneous projections, its nature is non-substantial. The Innate Radiance of the mind devoid of all erroneous projections should be envisioned. This is the Awakening to Voidness. (G.W. Farrow and I. Menon, The Concealed Essence of the Hevajra Tantra With the Commentrary Yogaratnamālā, pg. 38)
Throughout this series the forthcoming blogs will reinforce that in its inception Voidness is the work of the mind (soul) casting-off all samsaric affections and attachments which essentially contribute nothing but a barrier to authentic spiritual growth in the Unborn. The result will be a renunciation and purification of all traces of the same. Upon this initiation the perfection of Voidness will absolutize the transcendent operation of the mind.
Ex ore enim Vacui,
Vajragoni
