David Peckinpaugh ~ Content Space

There is a very incisive teaching story in Tibetan lore that speaks of the one who foregoes the reference points set up for the self. In this story the seeker, Sri Simha, travels to meet with the venerable teacher Manjusrimitra. Upon his arrival at the abode of the teacher, Sri Simha is given the teaching through symbolism; a transmission that is concealed by Manjusrimitra within what Sri Simha mistakenly takes for ordinary acts. Sri Simha does not, at first, grasp these subtle teachings---the teachings elude him. Sri Simha has come to the teacher with his reference points; expectations about "how" the teaching is going to be given/received. At one point in the story Sri Simha does in fact recognize that he has missed out on the transmission of the teachings. He grieves over the apparent loss of having been so close, and yet, having still missed out on Manjusrimitra's wise instruction.

For each of the seven times that Sri Simha did not recognize that Manjusrimitra was in fact transmitting the teaching through symbolism, he spoke aloud..... "so even if I die now; it does not matter!"

Manjusrimitra consoles him thusly: "When you were ill due to the hindrances tied to the dualism of subject and object, while you were suffering and you thought seven times that it did not matter to you that you were dying, you purified the obstacles and were healed."

Precisely because Sri Simha did not fall back on his reference points in his moments of grief is precisely why he was purified of those obstacles that prevented him from recognizing the transmission of the teaching in the first place. The obstacles are the reference points; the expectations, the referenced looking fors. Sri Simha did not rationalize or refer his way out of his grief...... "even if I die now; it does not matter!" Yes, he had missed out on the transmission of the teachings he had traveled so far to receive, and it now no longer mattered if he died.... all reference points gone..... no-thing mattered anymore.

In those moments, when, for seven times, Sri Simha said, "even if I die now; it does not matter", he was in the understanding of a Christ when He shared that "whosoever seeks to save his life shall surely lose it; but whosoever shall lose her life shall surely save it."

Finally, alive to the nature of the unborn. No reference points carried over moment to moment..... only life/death, alive to the sound of Its own burgeoning, primordial nature now..... and ever now...... and still again now..... and yet again....... now.

Reference points are things; subjects/objects that we refer to. All things, all phenomena of mind/body are embedded within the Primordial Unity of Unbounded Space Itself. Space is content with Itself. Meaning that space is content with its own spaciousness, a spaciousness that embraces and transcends those phenomenal subjects/objects that rise and fall within its Whole/Holy Field-Fold. Though things may not be content---things may still be clinging to their thingness, to that thingness, not content with just so, still tied up with and into those referential points of conceptual subjection/objection---space is at ease with every arising/passing of thingness within the embrace of unbounded spaciousness. Non-referential space is content with What Is. Without "needing" to constantly refer to this or that in order to be content, space merely is content.

We are exceedingly referenced around, to, and as, the "thingness" of the world/worlds. What of space, though? Non-referenced space? Unbounded Conditionless Self-Existent Space? THAT which embraces and yet transcends content.... yet is content with whatever content that arises/fades?

Space has no problem/dilemma with that which arises within Its embrace and that which is refolded back into Its embrace by degrees of dissolution. Space is quite pleased with that which comes and goes; that which rises up into ever wider stretches of the imagination, only to fall..... to fall yet again, so as to...... arise.... arise yet again... so as to..... aaahhhh........

Walking through the woods last night I was struck with the impression that this movement of walking through space corresponded with the movement of consciousness through space. Consciousness can move through space in vehicles externally, and can move through space inwardly, transcendent of vehicles. Consciousness moves by degrees through the Awake to ItSelf Space of Primordial Infinitude.

As I walk the outer-trails near and far, I am moved by that which I interact with, that which is present for moments of engagement and deliverance from self-imprisonment. Innerspace is home to beings that interact, in very much the same manner as outerspace is home to beings that interact. Not-two these two---inner and outer. Not-two these two.

For instance, there are trees of the mind, meta-trees if you will. These meta-trees are ever freshly unfurled and psychically radiant; potent accompaniments to the breath as meta-legs walk within meta-fields and meta-forests, engaging and engaged with meta-life processes.... reflecting on, back to, and off of mayas mirror-like seductions...... within/without..... mirror-like seductions reflecting.

Who travels with-in, who travels with-in their own inwardness? There, a wilding content awaits; a civilizing voice expounds on the threats of such a veritable wilderness within; and the same battles thrive, both in and out. For they who travel with-in see the out there reflected in here, and the in here reflected out there...... mayas mirror-like seductions..... reflections through superimpositions in Space. The projections of things--subjects/objects onto Space.

Those who forego external references for a period of time, so as to "know" a more fitting comprehension of what it means to be walking this planet as a potent life-form, do so by engaging this Space. Foregoing reference points---inner and outer---is the experience, by degrees, of non-referential consciousness---expanding/dissolving space consciousness into Space Itself. This is not a vision-logic weighing of many perspectives---an addition of views. Non-referential space is that which is embracing of all perspectives by "knowing" the transparency of every perspective. Because perspectives are based upon points of reference, non-referential space is not a perspective...... there is no view here or there----no point of reference around which to form a view or views. Again, there is no view in non-referential space..... no locus nor center.... no view..... none chosen.

The first endeavors into meditation are usually efforts to "shut-out" the hum of the whirling worlds. There is the notion, for good or ill, that to access God/Spirit/Truth/Bliss--what have you--one needs to learn to block out the sounds of the world, the call of the world, the song of the world. The view is to shut out this so as to know that. An insidious dualism is built up by such proclamations. Such a division is not necessary and vital for meditation to be authentically lived. If the assumption is that this prevents access to that, then this can be deemed as less than that, and, furthermore, this as the obstacle to that needs to be done away with---overcome---and all of this is just another view about that which is no-one specific view! Getting away from and stopping are views..... views supposed or imagined are views, views that obscure present post-enlightenment status.

Much good-intentioned harm can and does exist within the spheres of those teachings that lead to a denial of What Is by projecting these rigid dualisms, born of conceptualizations, and then calling such dualisms real. How does presupposing a duality lead to Source---supposing Source can only be Singular? Source. Single. Supreme.

The dualism between stillness and movement, noise and silence, this and that; between meditation and not-meditation is extolled as a virtue that is meant to be fostered. With each shutting out---each running away from either space or content of space---a one-handed God is the prize.

Denials spread. Teachings affirm escape from the song of creation. Yet, what is not so clearly understood is that the outer is the inner; the inner is the outer. And denial of the inner sphere is denial of the outer sphere. Allowing is not denial. Denial is not allowing.

The denial of exterior liveliness of What Is--through shutting out---is a denial of an interior psychic potency that, at once and the same time, wows us and troubles us. These again are not-two. InnerSpace and content are outwardly formulated and derived---projected as the Soulcial Ecological Spheres of All Being Becoming. By negating one or the other; by privileging one over the other, specialness is created where primordial equality just is. The consciousness experience of the natural, spontaneous, effulgent plenitude is weighted by the burdens of conceptual choosings were none apply; by the tendencies to extreme views. This world of extremists longs for a place of balance and harmony...... a consciousness experience of a contented space that is "always already the case".

There is an open space to my left where I could place this table that I now sit at and write. Now, space, space itself, is resistance-less to the intrusion of a subject/object called table. Yet, if there was already an object there, then I would have to choose another space, or, perhaps, remove the object that was there so that I could place the table in that space. Space is resistanceless. Subjects/objects offer resistance in the primordial space of resistancelessness.

This table that I sit at, the one that the computer is placed upon, is a subject/object unto itself. The table is, at this point, a subject I am sharing with you, and an object that I am sitting at. Subjects/objects offer resistance in space. Space is resistanceless to subjects/objects. Things act on each other..... space allows things to act on each other..... we are temporarily things; eternally space.

If there is space, we, as a subject/object, can move into that space. I walk through space, project a voice into space, see other objects/subjects in space. Space embraces the Allness of the multiplicity of formulated subjects/objects that are for a time arising/passing within space embrace.

Again, I don't mean to harp on a point, but the denial of space consciousness in favor of a consciousness experience that is solely oriented around "thingness", leads to much of the trite dramas and tragedies that get played out. "Things" bump into each other and compete for space. Things bump into each other and compete for things. (Been to a crowded store lately.... lots of bumping into things and grasping after things; rushing into and through space).

If I am a thing I bump into other things and must learn to deal with things and co-exist with things and learn how to acquire things and learn how to care for things and learn how to manage my things and loan my things and beautify my things and..... la.. la-la... la..... la.... la-la. Yet, space persistently and obligingly allows.

In a simple act/art, such as walking, there is the noticing of things as we move through space, yes? As we walk we see things, no? Yet, what of space? How often do we notice the space that Is as well; that allows for thingness to arise and dissipate. Again, as our i-dentification is drawn from the realm of the "ten thousand things" we may neglect to Know that which is OurSelf as True Unbounded Space Consciousness; that which is the Infinite Ground and Spatial Suchness of all phenomenal arisings and passings.

Our gods are themselves of the realm of "things". These, our images and concepts of a god/gods that become naught else but stratified layerings over; layerings that are obscuring the boundlessness of all-pervading space. Space allows. The Infinite allows. The Ground Of Divinity allows. The Grace Of Divine Space allows.

It is thingness which goes bump in the night, which causes eternal fright, which reigns down vengeance. Thingness is where friction and gravity occur. Space is merely, eternally content with Its own Unbounded Condition..... and all that arises within Its Eternal Embrace.

Stars as things, as subjects/objects, attract and repel. Planets as things, as subjects/objects, attract and repel. Beings of all varieties, as subjects/objects, attract and repel. Thingness is formul8ted; aggregates of conditionings and karmas. Space allows all of these aggregated karmas to be and to become; to, for a cycle and a season, play out apparent causes within the field of an all-pervading acceptance; to once more project causes and effects while residing in THAT which simply "let's there be......"

I have never heard a story of space not allowing. I have never witnessed an occasion of space negating the present presence of a subject/object. Now, things, things move other things out of space. Yet space just Is. While things need other things in order to continue to be things, space is content with allowing things to be. Things feed off of other things---like a Great Food Chain of Being. The thing that is the vehicle of embodiment, is, by necessity, calling on other things to offer themselves as a sacrifice so that this thing that is the vehicle of embodiment may yet thrive to know another day. Things need things. Space allows all of this thingness to play out.

Space is content with things consuming other things. Space doesn't intervene, unless it acts through things. Space appears to say, " As you will things. Play out your causes and effects. Move through the conditional. Just know that as long as you remain identified as a "thing", you will have to compete with other "things" in order to secure your preferred standing in my embrace."

And things do compete---and co-operate. Things make allegiances with things. Things draw boundaries around things. Things draw identification from things that things love and hate. Things fight for things, fear things, follow things, chase things, consume things and are consumed by things. Space is content with all of this thingness. Things may or may not be content..... most often not..... Yet, space is content.

While things fight and compete with other things Space just Is. Space is not choosing here. Space is allowing the conditioned choosings of "thingness" to be what they will. Things choose, conditions choose, causes choose..... Space simply allows.