I have been away from the blog for some time and am now returning with this reflection on emptiness.
For the past few months I’ve submerged myself in an conceptual cocktail consisting of Joseph Campbell’s Mythos, Richard Rohr’s daily meditations, and most recently (thanks to THE MAN, THE PRAYER DYNAMO, Terry Minchow-Proffitt) Thomas Keating’s The Contemplative Journey. All of these studies guide me to find rest in my “true self” and come to terms with the “false self” - my best fabrication of who I ought to be in the context of the world. Campbell talks about the “hero’s journey” beginning with the “left-hand-path” that takes you away from your established identity within the society to the unknown – the desert.
Dwelling in the desert as the true self, the quiet-still gives space to hear and clarity to see. The smallest detail of everyday objects becomes precious, the fleeting moment of a clear night sky becomes a treasure - a gift given to experience.
This piece, Void for Void exists because there is a hammered-metal lid for a pot I use when I’m cooking. It has a beautiful long-lasting tone. One day, I HEARD it, so I recorded it, played it backwards, and the piece wrote itself (as usual). What sounds can you hear around you right now? What do you see when you stop THINKING and start being?
The hammered-metal lid.
See this Instagram video by @musicofalexdavis * 8 likes