Space!

(Baonghean) - In Physics, there is the law of conservation of energy: "Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed from one form to another, transferred from one object to another." That's the theory, but in my opinion, it can be a valuable lesson in life. Nothing in life is perfect. People only fill one thing with another, and that another with yet another. Therefore, everywhere, at all times, there will always be at least a void.

Emptiness can be tangible, but it can also be intangible. Emptiness is tangible when it exists.

Illustrative image

Tangible voids often exist in material form. These voids are noticeable to everyone, and some even become obsessed with them. A prime example is money. Perhaps we have perceived money as having a higher value than its actual worth. If a person cannot earn enough money to cover their living expenses, they have a material void, specifically a financial void. Naturally, they will frantically try to fill that void. But as I said, people must use one thing to fill another, and another thing to fill yet another. Therefore, when we try to fill a material void, a new void inevitably forms, perhaps in our soul. But we must also reflect that if people live content with material possessions, they may not necessarily be happy. A person who knows how to enjoy life must know how to balance everything, meaning they will know how to balance the material void and the spiritual void.

So what is a spiritual void? It's the gaps that exist in a person's soul. These can be gaps in emotions, beliefs, or even a void of strength. If someone lost their mother at a young age, they will naturally have a void of love within them. If someone has lost faith in someone, they will have a void of faith. And someone who has stumbled in life may sometimes also possess a void of strength. This doesn't mean they can never find love, faith, strength, or courage. All these voids can be filled with a person's own willpower and determination.

In life, I believe there's still another kind of gap: the gap in knowledge. Humans differ from animals in that we possess knowledge. But knowledge is boundless. No matter how talented a person is, they cannot conquer all knowledge. Therefore, everyone always has a knowledge gap. But humans live to work and create, and to some extent, to fill this knowledge gap. In life, the measure of a person's worth is often the fullness or emptiness of that knowledge gap. A highly educated person is always loved and respected. Therefore, the process of filling the knowledge gap is also a process of self-improvement.

But life is full of colors and experiences. There are empty spaces, but they aren't necessarily empty. I once heard a story about a little girl who gave her mother an empty gift box, but it surprised and deeply moved her mother. Why? Because that empty box was filled with kisses and love that the little girl had for her mother. The story made me think of the empty spaces around us. We often mistakenly think that the space around us is completely empty, containing nothing at all. But in reality, that space is full of air – something that, if missing for even a few minutes, would cause us to die instantly. Sometimes, empty spaces are not simply empty spaces containing nothing; they are filled with priceless, intangible values. Don't forget those magical empty spaces.

Life is a gift that we must peel back layer by layer to discover. God has given us this wonderful gift, so we must explore it completely, especially things that are not what they seem, like emptiness, for example.

Ho Ngan Hanh