Reed's Contemplation, a Rustling Monologue (Chapters 1-5)
(Chapter 4) The Moon, a Conversation of Empty Things
Before long, the sun sank below the western mountains, and a time of silence arrived when all the world's noises fell asleep. The memory of the fierce downpour, the sparrow's petty jealousy, and the wind's incessant chatter all faded into faint echoes under the curtain of night. The round moon, rising above the slumbering river, looked down at me and began to speak. The moon has no words. It merely reflects its own empty, pale face. But in its silence, I read countless stories. "Reed, your inside is empty, just like mine." I answered by rustling quietly. Yes. My inside is empty. Because of that empty space, the wind can pass through freely, weary birds can rest for a moment, and insects can build cozy homes to weather the winter. Humans are hell-bent only on "filling." They struggle to fill their insides to the brim with knowledge, wealth, relationships, and all sorts of desires. I have seen countless times how they eventually burst, unable to bear the excessive weight, or rot and fester. They become trapped by the very things they believe they have filled themselves with. True fullness comes not from filling, but from emptying. Into my empty space, this beautiful moonlight pours in and lingers tonight. The gentle starlight also enters, caressing my deepest parts, the very heart of my empty existence. I possess nothing, yet at this moment, I feel a fullness as if I am holding the entire universe in my arms. Because I have empty space, I become a vessel that can accept anything. Just as the moon wanes after it waxes full, everything in the world is meant to be emptied once it is filled. That is the natural order. The sun, after hotly illuminating the world, yields its place to the night, and the river, once full, flows down to merge with the sea. In this way, nature continues the cycle of life by endlessly emptying and filling. But humans are anxious to remain in a perpetually filled state. Their fleeting desires and obsession with possession make them anxious, causing them to envy and claw at one another. Afraid of becoming empty, they cannot even fully enjoy the small satisfactions they have managed to obtain. I swayed gently, surrendering my body to the moonlight. I healed the small wounds within me, absorbing the night's energy with my whole being. The traces of muddy water left by yesterday's downpour and the scratch marks from the sparrow's claws slowly healed under the moon's gentle touch. Because I am empty, I can heal quickly even when wounded. Filled things, once scarred, end up spilling everything out, but my empty space is always ready to receive new healing energy.
My thought! Do not be afraid of emptiness. When you empty your mind, only then can the more beautiful things of the world fill that space. Sometimes, doing nothing and simply existing in silence is enough. Your "emptiness" will become a vessel to hold the world's light.
