Leaves us in emptiness

written 4/26/24

Every evening, we use a chant of compassion to embody the bodhisattva of compassion, Quan Yin (aka Avalokiteshvara). The chant goes “Om Mani Padme Hum,” and also includes a visualization technique, which someone recites every week.

On this particular week (late April of 2024), Anandabodhi recited the visualization technique from memory. He ended it by saying the chant leaves “us abiding in emptiness.” We normally would say “and we abide in emptiness.”

This subtle distinction in wording was something the chant leader spoke to, after the chant was over. Soryu gave his own commentary as well.

Is there an “us” left after we dissolve everything? Is that what really remains? Soryu said this was a profound point. What does it mean to abide in emptiness? How does one do that?