What does it mean to be nothing?
Can you face the fact that you are absolutely nothing?
- J. Krishnamurti (1895–1986)
From within or from behind
A light shines through us upon things
And makes us aware that we are nothing
But the light is All
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
Last summer I attended a study retreat which had as its theme the question “What does it mean to be nothing?” To many people this might seem like a rather strange kind of focus for an enquiry, but it proved to be fertile ground for many different points of view and ways of looking at this issue. Most of us would probably automatically assume that a question like this one is merely something for intellectual entertainment and abstruse philosophical exploration, and that’s fair enough.
However, I tend to see it differently, because this question points directly to the very core of our most essential being, and the true nature of what we are. In other words, this has to do with self-knowledge, which in the true sense of the word is essential for dissolving the root cause of conflict and thus create peace on Earth.
There is a great and enlightening truth hiding in this idea of being nothing, and yet we all instinctively feel that surely we must be ‘something’, because at the very least, we do exist, don’t we? That is of course a fair point and certainly has the ring of truth to it, but being doesn’t necessarily equate to being ‘something’ or ‘somebody’ in particular.
We have all been taught to see ourselves as separate ego identities, a ‘person’ that is distinct from every other ‘person’. We learn this from a very early age, mainly through assimilation of the example that people around us set by the way they operate and interact with each other, and it’s constantly being reinforced by virtually every aspect of our culture and society.
The idea that we are distinct ego entities is so strong and so convincing that it is hardly ever questioned by anyone, which unfortunately means that self-knowledge is in rather short supply these days. We may have achieved a lot in our personal lives and also as a species, but as long as we’re lacking in true self-knowledge we are still essentially groping around in the dark, somehow hoping to come upon something that can be useful, uplifting and fulfilling.
It takes real sustained passion and an unquenchable thirst for truth to break through the fortress of solidified ego entity, and see the simple and obvious truth of who we are. I strongly suspect that the idea of ‘original sin’, as taught in Christian theology, arose from the insight that the belief in being a separate ego entity is the root cause of all conflicts and interpersonal problems.
Yes, it is indeed the source of all conflicts and wars because it’s an idea that automatically creates a division between ego and other, self and the world, and where there is division, there will be some level of conflict, however subtle it may be at first. This will affect how we feel about ourselves and how we interact with others, spreading out into the world in ever widening circles, joining all the other little streams of conflict created by other egos and eventually growing into a mighty river that will sooner or later express itself as open conflict between individuals, groups of people and nations, potentially ending up in war.
Having now looked briefly at the root cause of all the world’s conflicts, we may ask the obvious question: “If we’re not separate entities distinct from everybody else, then what are we?” The answer to that question is quite simply that we are universal, eternal and infinite consciousness. It is the very same consciousness that is aware these words, their meaning, as well as everything else, because that is the only consciousness there ever is.
Consciousness is beyond description, definition, compartmentalisation and categorisation, because all such attempts at pigeon-holing the totality of all that is and ever can be, must necessarily impose limitations. If you consider this seriously, you will realise that consciousness is not only all-inclusive, but also the very ground of all being, existence and creation. All of life and creation happens within the context of consciousness and all forms of life are but externalised expressions of consciousness; its way of ceaselessly and abundantly bringing forth ever new forms of life and creation.
In this context, it is very important to understand that there is and always will be limitations to what we know, and even if you have the most incredibly detailed knowledge of something or other, there is always the potential of knowing more, or something different, and of course also the possibility of being wrong.
However, the knowing itself is never limited by anything. Regardless of what we call it; spirit, consciousness, awareness, the divine presence, or anything else, what we are in essence is eternal, infinite, unchanging and always present now. The sheer miracle of being is such that it dwarfs all our accomplishments, activities and interests, and yet it’s mostly ignored by virtually everybody.
Almost everyone is chasing after experience, be they material, emotional, spiritual or otherwise, but how many of us will ever sincerely ask: “Who is the experiencer?” What is it that is aware of whatever may come our way on this extraordinary adventure of life? It is awareness, and it’s not as if there is an entity within that is aware, because only awareness can ever be aware.
Whether we call it awareness, consciousness or being is really all the same, because irrespective of what word we choose to use, it points to exactly the same: The formless dimension which includes all there is and ever can be. It is the foundation of everything on the level of form. It is what’s usually referred to by the words sacred, spiritual and divine. Without that sacred dimension of eternal consciousness, which is truly what we are, nothing could ever exist in any way, shape or form whatsoever.
You could of course argue that consciousness can’t possibly be eternal and infinite, because we do refer to someone who’s been knocked out by something or other, or fallen deeply asleep, as having lost consciousness. That might seem like a valid point, but isn’t this kind of reasoning born from the reductionist and materialist philosophy that is so common in our civilisation?
The philosophy of materialism suggests that consciousness is a by-product of some inexplicable and mysterious process in the brain, so therefore can’t be eternally present. However, nobody has ever been able to explain, let alone prove, how consciousness is produced by the brain. The fact that somebody deeply asleep seems to be ‘dead to this world’ doesn’t mean that consciousness has been extinguished, but rather that the human body-mind structure temporarily ceases to provide a workable vehicle for consciousness to fully explore and interact with its creation, other than in the most basic way, if nothing else, at least to keep the body operating on purely a survival level.
To suggest that the brain creates consciousness is equivalent to suggesting that it’s the screen that creates the movie that you’re watching. That screen or TV or whatever it is, is more like a transmitter or vehicle for a much wider reality. In the same way, the brain is just a way for consciousness to relate to its creation in human form and express itself accordingly.
So in light of the above, what indeed does it mean to be nothing? Does the question even make sense? If you enquire deeply into this, you will find that it makes a lot of sense, and you will also discover that there is a beautiful and delightful paradox at the heart of this enquiry.
The indisputable fact is that we have no other option but to act in the world as if we are indeed ‘somebody’, answering to a particular name, acting out our parts on the stage of life, and being actively involved as co-creators in this astonishing play of infinite possibilities and potentiality. And yet, delving deeper and deeper into the mystery of being, we realise that the ego entity that most of us currently identify with is nothing more than a practical necessity, so in that sense we are indeed nothing.
This gives us all the more reason to rejoice, because inherent in the realisation that we are nothing, we may also recognise that as universal consciousness, which is our true nature, we are everything. We realise that we are the formless spontaneously expressing itself through the medium of form. We are the infinite, eternal spirit or being that is all, having the privilege, honour and great good fortune of giving expression to the unconditional love and unlimited compassion that is at the very heart of life.
Our responsibility is therefore to consciously and intelligently engage in this creative process in whatever way is natural and truthful for each of us, bringing ever more love, harmony and beauty into this world. And to do that, it helps to bear in mind that life is not a problem to be solved or endlessly analysed. It is an unfathomable mystery to be lived, explored and celebrated.
And at the heart of the mystery of life is the abiding flame of consciousness. It is the eternal light; the true source of all life, and the essence of who we are. We don’t have consciousness; eternal consciousness is what we are, and there is no other identity separate from that. I am that. You are that. All this is that.
