Yield: “Give in Return” To open a door is one thing; to step through the door is another. Spiritual truth opens a door, and what is revealed can inform one’s life in astounding ways. Exposure to the basic principle of cosmic inseparability can have immediate and profound impact on the components of normal human suffering and anxiety. Personal psychological conflict and strife can drop away virtually overnight. But there may, perhaps, be a degree of difference between a psychological revelation and a spiritual revolution. Psyche basically refers to “mind,” and spirit refers to “breath.” The breath is ephemeral, formless, dispensable—never gained back in the same way it was given. The psychological benefits of a spiritual inquiry (such as “peace of mind”) are manifold—and ever-presently accessible. This element is generally the particular attraction for those whose primary concern is the cessation of their private agony. Some find it possible, up to a point, to alleviate the tension of profane existence without having to significantly reorder their circumstances or to surrender any of the private ground previously “gained.” But the full breath of spirit is similar to the ocean: what you scoop up is proportional to the capacity of the vessel you bring to the beach. In other words, the bounty is there—as much as you apply for. The critical element is not so much the size of the vessel, but how empty it is for reception. Emptiness (in this context) can be equated to surrender (in another context). To surrender means “to give up; yield,” whatever completely yields all content is empty. To yield all content, in this context, would be to surrender to the
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