The True Essence

From the Wild Unknown, the World; from the Pictish Oracle, Rectangular Figure:

Form is none other than emptiness. Emptiness is none other than form.

—Heart Sutra

We begin life awash in wonder; later, we focus on finding certainty and solidity, through both concepts and material possessions. The Sutra tells us that form - anything tangible or perceptible (objects, thoughts) - is "empty." Rather than a void, emptiness points out that all things are impermanent and interdependent. Emptiness is the canvas that allows form to happen. To recognize wholeness in our diverse and ever-changing world, rather trying to separate and petrify, allows us to develop compassionate understanding. Several of the Rectangular Figures have been found on stones that show monks carrying books in satchels that look very similar. We all carry concepts and ideas that help us to make sense of life. Hopefully, we don't latch our "satchels' too tightly, allowing room for new perspectives and new information. As Tara Brach said, "Belief without inquiry is like mistaking a map for the territory - guiding us but never capturing the true essence of what is."