There is no atmosphere.
There is no earth underfoot,
No stars overhead, no clouds, no birds, no sky.
There is nothing but your mind
Floating like a dust mote in an empty room,
A room with no walls, no windows, no door.
You are emptiness itself and you are full
Of nothing.
You have neither body nor brain,
Neither gender nor age,
You are not God.
You are not anything but your mind
Emptied of memories and history,
Free of concepts and desire,
Innocent, virginal, waiting.
But what is left in absence of earth, sky, and body?
What remains without memory, history, or desire?
Would you still exist?
Is there any mind free of context?
Is there any being separate from brain cell and society?
No one can say, though many try.
You cannot know,
And might not want to.
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1
Dave at http://YourWebsite
What’s left? Good question. I tried to answer a similar question on another blog earlier , about beliefs I guess , and concluded with ‘who really knows?’ but I think my depressive personality came out in the main body of my reply because I got a ‘ your comment is awaiting moderation ‘ message but it never appeared and I was trying to be honest . What’s left? Read like a poem about deep depression for first few lines. I was thinking , the coldness of my skin. The hollowness and quiet constant hum that will never be interrupted because there isn’t anyone else around. Then I realised it wasn’t that kind of poem. So, what’s left when all else is stripped away . The bliss of the void? A soul that no longer hungers? Self-embracing spirit.? The ‘ That’ of the Upanishads? I don’t really know. Something pleasant I hope. Not this ‘ I ‘, the ‘I’ I am now or have convinced myself that I am. What’s left? Stillness? Peace? Perfection? And no , we’re not Gods, we’re mortals and we’re physically recycled obviously but what’s left? Even the Buddhists struggle with this one as there is no ‘I’ for them but what is left to facilitate karmic weight and continuity defies description. What’s left? Love? Oneness? Pure consciousness ? Grace? Eternal light?.
Posted at August 7, 2010 on 6:20pm.
2
Will at http://willspirit.com
Thanks, Dave, for thinking about the poem and its question. I vacillate between feeling life would be too empty if there is nothing ‘more’, and wondering if I really want the responsibility of an eternal ‘soul’ (for lack of a better word.) Maybe we’ll learn the answer when we die, or maybe not. In the meantime, we just keep living
–Will
Posted at August 9, 2010 on 2:56pm.