Fullness On The Other Side Of Emptiness
Plenitud al Otro Lado del VacíoPor Mirabai Starr
En muchas tradiciones místicas, a lo largo del espectro religioso mundial, encontramos una enseñanza paradójica que afirma que el medio más confiable para conocer a Dios es el desconocimiento. El misticismo cristiano utiliza el término latino "vía negativa". Se nos anima a descartar activamente cualquier palabra o concepto que defina el vasto misterio de lo divino, confiando en lo que no podemos decir sobre Dios, en lugar de en lo que creemos poder decir...
Te invito a darle la vuelta a esta cruda técnica. Si bien el desconocimiento tiene su lugar en el camino del despertar, puede ser una práctica incorpórea que lleva a desconectarse de la realidad (a veces llamada trascendencia) en lugar de habitar plenamente la santidad de tu vida.
Prueba esto: Siéntate en una posición cómoda con la espalda recta, cierra los ojos, respira profunda y lentamente un par de veces y pregúntate: "¿Quién soy?". En lugar de responder negativamente, di que sí a todo lo que surja. Soy madre e hija, hermana y amante: sí. Soy ebanista, jardinera, activista: sí. Soy una persona sensible, una reina del drama, una artista atormentada: sí. Soy alguien a quien otros pueden acudir cuando tienen el corazón roto porque escucho con amor: sí. Soy parte del vasto universo, ni más ni menos importante que un álamo temblón: sí. Ahora, ponte creativ@: soy la luz del sol sobre el agua, una brisa que me levanta el pelo, la quietud de la medianoche, una sinfonía: sí.
Eres todo esto y vas más allá de todo. Puedes ser vast@ y particular, sin forma y gloriosamente cread@. Al aceptar todos los detalles, desde los más insignificantes hasta los más magníficos, de tu condición humana, y permitir que cosas aparentemente contradictorias sean igualmente ciertas, destierras la voz condicionada que designa algunas cosas como sagradas y otras como profanas. Define tu intención de acoger todo lo que eres y observa cómo tu vida se abre como un puño, como una flor, como una puerta.
Mirabai Starr es traductora contemporánea de literatura sagrada, oradora y maestra de práctica contemplativa y diálogo inter espiritual.
Mirabai Starr is a contemporary translator of sacred literature, speaker, and teacher of contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What do you make of the notion that embracing both the vast and particular aspects of your identity can lead to a deeper spiritual understanding? Can you share a personal story that highlights a moment when you allowed yourself to accept seemingly contradictory aspects of your identity, and how that experience transformed your perspective? What helps you cultivate the habit of welcoming all parts of yourself, both scruffy and magnificent?
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11 Past Reflections
On Nov 26, 2025 Usha wrote :
I feel when a person wants to reflect they will always find a way to reflect. This reading is absolutely good for the ones who should get inspired and accept what they are. (if they are good person) What about those people who accepts am selfish, greedy and there is nothing wrong hurting others if it serves me good? Will they ever reflect themselves. During the counselling sessions I come across so many twisted minds. It is good to accept positive and negative so that one can bring about a change to be better person. Without change 'accepting' is useless. Besides, after accepting they should find it immoral to do wrong things, which is very difficult. Even after explaining what they have done wrong - "They say that as a counsellor I cannot understand their perspective".
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On Jun 4, 2025 prakash patel wrote :
यह लेख मेरे दिल को छू गया। पहले मैं सोचता था कि अध्यात्म का रास्ता खुद को मिटाने का है, लेकिन अब समझ आता है कि खुद को पूरी तरह अपनाना ही असली अध्यात्म है।
जब मैंने अपने भीतर के विरोधों – जैसे कि कभी शांत तो कभी क्रोधित, कभी आत्मविश्वासी तो कभी डरपोक – को स्वीकार करना शुरू किया, तब मेरे भीतर की गहराई खुलने लगी। मैं अब सिर्फ 'कुछ' नहीं हूँ — मैं सब कुछ हूँ। मैं माँ भी हूँ, साधक भी, प्रेम में प... [View Full Comment]
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On Jun 3, 2025 Dinne wrote :
I have only a response. I think this is a wonderful method, to embrace all, dismiss nothing.
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On Jun 3, 2025 Lulu wrote :
I am resilient, hopeful, open.
Receptive and deeply sensitive and so much more…
Thank you for this writing. It brings tears to my eyes. So much transformation during this dark time. May we have the hearts and spirits to embrace what we cannot see in the present moment.
Receptive and deeply sensitive and so much more…
Thank you for this writing. It brings tears to my eyes. So much transformation during this dark time. May we have the hearts and spirits to embrace what we cannot see in the present moment.
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On Jun 3, 2025 stream wrote :
Wind Song
Blow Kamakani , blow!
Take away my fears and worries,
take away these pains.
Oh great spirit of the East, elemental air,
breath of the universe
refresh this body, breathe me
leave me with only your lightness of being
expand my cells, expand my mind, expand my soul.
just “ as pieces of cloud dissolve in sunlight” ( Rumi)
let all that is not love die
and allow this eye that is I to see and experience
the only reality ,
this vast expansive oneness
of the cerulean sea of bliss.
Blow Kamakani , Blow!
Blow Kamakani , blow!
Take away my fears and worries,
take away these pains.
Oh great spirit of the East, elemental air,
breath of the universe
refresh this body, breathe me
leave me with only your lightness of being
expand my cells, expand my mind, expand my soul.
just “ as pieces of cloud dissolve in sunlight” ( Rumi)
let all that is not love die
and allow this eye that is I to see and experience
the only reality ,
this vast expansive oneness
of the cerulean sea of bliss.
Blow Kamakani , Blow!
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On Jun 3, 2025 Christine wrote :
yes. this infinite love i am in allllll its glory-usness
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On Jun 3, 2025 Susan wrote :
This is a timely reading for me. The Starr writes about being open as our self is revealed to us when we ask, and reflect (and accept) on the answer to the timeless question, Who am I?
I was struck at how the answer is broader the older we get, and the more aware we are of the world around us. The answer is most certainly and obviously that we are not a solitary being, but rather we are all these things, as the author points out. This recognition, the re-connection to this fact, does bring fullness and wholeness and a sense of completion and belonging along with it.
The writing caused me to reflect on the idea that we as the author says we are 'all' these things, the sunlight on the water, the breeze that lifts our hair. In this time of global warming, and also of war when we connect our self to all these things we also realize the accountability we have for supporting and taking care of all these things. A bit like self-care when we actively care for our community, and more. ... [View Full Comment]
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On Jun 3, 2025 Giovanni Munay-Ki wrote :
I just spent some time in a Zen monastery. One of Zen main concept is Emptiness, so your post resonates a lot with my recent experience.
What the zen teacher explained us, though, is that "emptiness" is just a word. The invitation of Zen in general is really to go beyond any mental concepts. Once I get to that Space, the Beyond, I see that Emptiness may more easily be described as Fullness, the All There Is, Was, and Will Be. It's the Space of All Possibilities.
Another nice Zen concept is the "return to the marketplace." I can experience the Transcendent, and yet--sooner or later--I will be back to the "normal world" (the marketplace). Ultimately, there is where my "enlightened beingness" is going to be "tested" :)
What the zen teacher explained us, though, is that "emptiness" is just a word. The invitation of Zen in general is really to go beyond any mental concepts. Once I get to that Space, the Beyond, I see that Emptiness may more easily be described as Fullness, the All There Is, Was, and Will Be. It's the Space of All Possibilities.
Another nice Zen concept is the "return to the marketplace." I can experience the Transcendent, and yet--sooner or later--I will be back to the "normal world" (the marketplace). Ultimately, there is where my "enlightened beingness" is going to be "tested" :)
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On May 30, 2025 David Doane wrote :
I agree that embracing both the vast and particular can deepen spiritual understanding. Rumi said, "You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a drop." I am all that is and I am the particular expression and extension of all that is. That notion was contradictory and difficult for me to accept for a long time, and when I saw and accepted that I am all that is and am the particular, I was transformed, that is, my awareness of my being changed in a way that felt expanded and positive. What helps me accept all of me is seeing 'aspects' of me rather than 'parts' of me. There are no parts; all is one expressing in a zillion different ways. It also helps me to see all of me as me, as one whole, and not define some aspects of me as scruffy and other aspects as magnificent. It helps me to see some of me as somewhat known and the great majority of me as unknown.
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On May 30, 2025 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
Who am I? This is a core question asked by philosophers, spiritual seekers, mystics and scientists. Do we have oneself or multiple self? Do we have oneness in manyness? Can we transcend the dualistic, either- or -mindset and realize the Oneness of Self? We need to keep our mind and heart open to realize the underlying oneness in manyness. Sadly we have been conditioned to believe that our spiritual path is the only true path or is superior to other spiritual paths. Sadly such a mindset has caused alienation and enmity and battles in the world we live in.It is time for humanity to transcend this divisiveness and appreciate unity in diversity; oneness in manyness.
It is easy to talk about spiritual unity. Implementing it in our daily life is not that easy. I was born and raised in a family in which my friends from different religious traditions were welcome. As I grew up I studied and learned spirituality from spiritual books, spiritual teachers, spiritual mystics and from weekly ... [View Full Comment]