reflecting on emptiness

 During the group discussion after meditation, we talked about the value of reflecting on the Five Skahandas and emptiness. Why would it be so important to do so? I think the answer is that doing so prepares a person for the inevitable surprises in life. My "status" as a person is always changing according to the times, and there is certainly no guarantee that what I have earned today is going to stay with me all the time.
   Emptiness is an opening into mystery, and reflecting on the emptiness of all things is actually an invitation to be more curious and fully aware of all these changes that are happening all the time. It's certainly not an invitation to stop trying! After all, what we find in the future is the results of what we are doing moment to moment in this time. But at the same time, there are times when there is simply nothing that needs doing, and those moments do need to be appreciated as well.
   Emptiness is not always about losing: it's being prepared for change. I only see something as a loss when I focus on deficit, rather than seeing that all loss is simply a shift into something else, a kind of transition state where what I once was sure of is less  sure. There is no harm in that, and it can be a healthy way to keep me on my toes.