Space has always been the most determining factor in my life. I have been fascinated with all sorts of spaces throughout my life. But more importantly, “Space” for me has been the phenomenon where endless untapped possibilities are hidden. Hence, they drive everything for me and around me; I’d rather say, for everyone and everything.
I remember this fascination began with the physical spaces. It took a form of love and madness for wandering, traveling, roaming; sometimes aimlessly, sometimes with some purpose. But being in a physical space has always made me sense and feel something different. I used to get drawn to wandering like a crazy person. Why?!
I got the answer to this question one day when I was traveling on the roads in India. It was a road tour of the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor of India. It’s the Indian National Highway network that connects the North, South, East, and West corners of the country. I was watching a sunset and enjoying the blissful state. Then a thought popped up. Why am I loving this? The answer was pretty simple. It just keeps me in the present. I am not thinking about the past, future, or anything. In fact, it’s the thoughtless state of mind. Even though I am moving, these spaces give me the “stillness in motion.” They make me feel the inner endless spaciousness. They have been the expression where the eternal spaciousness takes a physical and tangible form. A live reminder of the endless possibilities of the vast spaciousness.
Have you ever been to a Japanese house or any Japanese architecture? You will probably know what I mean when I say this. Japanese architecture is deeply rooted in the sense of space; be it a small window, or sliding doors, or a Tatami mat. Every single inch of Japanese architecture will make you remind of the “Space in between.” They call it “Ma”, i.e., the space between any two objects, things, notes, etc. It’s where the time and the tangible space that we generally refer to are irrelevant. This shimmering darkness which conceives the limitless hidden possibilities, then, just keeps drawing you towards it. But believe me, let it engulf you completely… Then, you will become the space yourself!
Once you have experienced this definite spaciousness even for a fraction of a second, it will keep calling you. And you won’t be able to resist it, how much ever you try to. And as you get familiar with experiencing this spaciousness, you start finding it in everything you do. That’s what is happening with me also.
It makes me explore the same spaciousness in other people, the places, the spaces, nature, everywhere. That’s why we feel connected to the people, places, nature, bodily experiences, spaces, etc. with whom we share this ever-expanding spaciousness. I am sure each one of us has, sometimes, in our lives have felt this oneness. Haven’t you? That spaciousness constantly tries to personified or get embodied in some or the other form. If we are aware, we do feel it, we do sense it.
Then, every single moment presents indefinite possibilities to us. It compels us to act without us knowing about it. That’s how nature works, that’s how everything works. We keep on exploring different spaces through various forms in order to stay connected to this spaciousness. We wander, we find something often, and we also get lost sometimes. However, are we really lost or are we home?! Hmm… A question to ponder upon!
