Chapter 5.2: On Openings and Opportunities

 

Is not the space between heaven and earth like a great bellows?

It is empty yet it is not depleted; 

the more it sets in motion, the more emerges still.

The more we hear of, the more we talk about, 

the quicker we feel overwhelmed, exhausted. 

It's better to safeguard one's core and become an empty vessel.

The imagery here is that the natural order of heaven and earth is like a great bellows that stokes the fires of life.  Rather than being exhausted, completed, or even collapsing on itself, it is this open space or emptiness in the natural world that provides the opportunity for creation.  Openings in natural ecosystems and human societies are prime places for adaptation and innovation – that is where the greatest explosion of growth and generation occurs. 

Similarly, by emptying our hearts and minds, or making space in our lives and removing some of the clutter that sucks up our energy and attention, we create opportunities to thrive, opportunities for growth, and opportunities for change and self-improvement.  There is always a Way – a Way forward, a Way upward, a Way around; a Way through, a Way out of whatever challenges and situations we find ourselves in.  The Way naturally moves us toward greater stability, greater satisfaction, greater prosperity, and greater peace.  Look for our openings, then act on them, set things in motion.  When we find our Way, seize the day!  Don’t delay! The more we do, the more comes from it – the more emerges out of it.  Our efforts will be compounded and expanded – a great harvest comes from a single seed of action!

Conversely, since the Way is a course of action, a network of solutions, possibilities, and opportunities, if we simply hear about it or talk about it and do not “walk the walk” or act on it, we will miss out on the wonders of the Way.  As the English theologian Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994) once said, “The opportunity of a lifetime needs to be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity.”  If we spend our time and energy just following and talking about whatever is trending on social media, we will quickly feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and pointless as we crave for something more meaningful and substantive.  Get off the sideline and “get in the game!”  We miss 100% of the shots we don’t take!

Letting all the social chatter dictate our lives and happiness isn’t the Way to find acceptance, happiness, success (however we define that for ourselves), or significance.  It is better to preserve our core, stay centered and grounded, and maintain a level of moderation and balance.  Make ourselves into an empty vessel, free ourselves from meaningless distractions and frivolities, embrace our full potential! ~ DCB

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