Form and the space that contains it.

Physical forms: Earth, Water, Air, Fire, etc. The combinations of these: planets, stars, plants, animals, humans etc.

Mental forms: thoughts, ideas, concepts, opinions, memories, imagined images(hence the word imagined) etc.

Emotional Forms: anger, sadness, emotional 'love' etc. I would also include desire here though its more a blend of thought and emotion. And really for that matter each of these is a blend of each level. Theres really no clear distinction.

Then theres the space in which all these forms are contained.

Dont get held up on the word 'space' or any other word like 'conciousness' or 'awareness' or even 'god'. A word is also just a form representing another kind of form in the mind we may use a different word(form) for this type of form like the word 'thought' or 'concept' or 'idea'.....all forms. So every word here is a form and every thought 'you', or 'I'. may have regarding these words or ideas are also forms.

'I' is also a form. Open up the folder titled 'I' and see what it contains......all forms: physical, mental, emotional.


Im going to introduce a concept here that many of you already know but some might not and its for them that im making this short thread. Remember this is only a concept until you actually realize it directly.

Concept: There is form and there is the space in which the form exists. The form you take yourself to be is temporary at best. The space in which this form exists is not. The form will come and go. The space will remain always. Therefore which are you really?

There is nothing on the level of form as beautiful and blissful as the space. Whatever beauty and bliss you feel or sense is simply the formless shining through the form.

If your mind is full of thoughts(form) all the time that space seems to be obscured. Your attention is pulled into the realm of form and the space is lost sight of.

Also when the mind creates an identity out of form that very form of 'me' also obscures the space.

When this form identity becomes less rigid a little more space comes in.

When more space comes in the realization that ultimately the space is your real identity and not the form starts to dawn.

This is called spiritual progress and culminates in a complete loss of identification with the physical, mental, and emotional forms although these forms continue for there allotted time period. Work can still take place on the level of form but the mistaken identity is now gone and beauty and bliss and peace and love now motivate all action.

But dont let this simply be another concept you add to your mind and its so called 'spirituality'. Let the forms fall away at least for a moment and be the space.

Learn to still your mind through whatever technique is most suited to your temperament and become aware of your own form identity. When you see it clearly the absurdity of it will be obvious and you will simply drop it.