Flowing From Emptiness In Philadelphia: July 26-29, 2018

Imagine my surprise when Sandy invited me to host next year’s conference. As we talked about the generalities of hosting, I consciously checked in with the tan t’ien to hear what it had to say. While the personality/ego hesitated, the tan t’ien sensed that this was an opportunity for expansion and growth, so I (and it) agreed.

In addition to the “say yes” feeling, faces of people popped into my head for inclusion on the committee. The very next day, during a meeting with new teacher Kathleen McAllister about other things, I asked if she’d like to co-host next year’s conference because she was the first person that popped (or was pushed?) into my head. Kathleen had already planned to ask me to host next year’s conference with an offer that she’d help. Coincidence? I think not. Cosmos seems to be saying, “Look alive and pay attention to what is unfolding.”

Shortly after our meeting, I received a DVD that I’d loaned to a friend about a Zen calligraphic painter, Alok Hsu Kwang-han, who asserts that creativity “arises from emptiness, the silent space that houses the intelligence prior to thought.” Alok states that the journey of transformation becomes possible when we are simply “present, available, playful and not knowing.”

As it lay on my living room floor for days, I noticed the title: Moving from Emptiness. In T’ai Chi Chih language, it would be Flowing from Emptiness. I immediately felt a jolt of energy: This is the theme for the teacher conference.

The mind questioned it. Shouldn’t there be meetings to brainstorm? Shouldn’t there be a vote? Input from others? Could this be the effort of no effort in action?

Preparin to write this, I emailed some teachers for their thoughts and musings about Flowing from Emptiness and received several beautiful articles. (Thank you.) I pulled out my notebook and pen to jot notes down. The pen ran out of ink as if to say, flow from emptiness and type this without reference to others’ articles.

What’s the point of this? Perhaps it’s simply an invitation and gentle nudge for us to pay attention, to let go of preconceived plans and ideas and to allow ourselves to be present, playful and not knowing. Perhaps when we let go of what we think should happen, we open ourselves up to the impeccable guidance in the Cosmic Rhythm. When we simply and consciously allow, amazing things happen. The intention for next year’s conference is to do just that. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us in Philadelphia from July 26-29.

Have you flowed from emptiness today?