Life needs Spaces to Live
For too long we have emphasised solid entities rather than empty spaces. We are now realising how critical spaces are in the flow of life.
We need spaces to discover and become aware. We think we know everything. We assume we have all the answers and refuse to be with the question. We refuse to live the question. The question is the unknown space; the empty space. We don’t like emptiness. We don’t like discomfort. We want to be cushioned. All empty spaces get closed out because we feel we have all the answers. We live like the living dead. Life, to live, needs to grow and become. To experience the opening of doorways of understanding and insight. Life is inexhaustible and dynamic.
We need mental space to focus. If our minds are cluttered, we feel mentally cramped. We feel crushed by information overload or emotional exhaustion. We can’t get things done if we are in a state of mental fog. We need clarity and freedom. We need mental room to engage in a dialogue, experience or opportunity.
We need spaces while learning. When study sessions are spaced out, learning happens more effectively. The Internet has got us to assume that we can obtain everything instantly. Even knowledge and wisdom. Learning, however, is akin to the growth of a plant. We need to delve deep and absorb and integrate.
We need spaces between letters in a word, and between words and between sentences in order to create meaning and communicate in a meaningful manner. Conventions regarding the spaces will differ for different languages, but spaces are needed to make meaning.
In the human body spaces such as the nose, ear, mouth, intestinal tract, and lung are critical for our survival. If the spaces in the blood vessels are blocked, blood cannot flow normally and provide the nutrients necessary to each cell. With the narrowing of the bronchi, the free flow of air is constrained, and various symptoms occur as a result. Spaces in the intestines and urinary tract need to be clear to discharge the waste from our bodies. The spaces in the pores of our skin regulate the temperature of the body. Spaces are ubiquitous in the human body and play a vital role. In fact today the emphasis of medicine is shifting from solid entities to spaces.
Soil needs spaces to be an effective ground for life to grow. Soil has particles with spaces between them. These spaces are referred to as pores. A good soil has both large pores which provide drainage and small pores which hold water which the soil can access. For plants to grow, a fertile soil is needed with macro and micro pores.
Music lies in the spaces between the notes. In Japanese music, the term “ma” suggests the space in between sounds which one must master. Silences in the score have a purpose. They identify the different sections of the score and allow listeners to shift their attention as the sections change. Sometimes silences allow the listener to become an active participant. Like when listening to a limerick with the last word missing which is provided by the listener.
When communicating we experience the significance of a pause. An empty space. The break in the flow of human communication realises itself in a pregnant pause, a stunned silence, or an expectant hush. A meaningful pause. We need to pause while speaking.
“The reality of the building does not consist in roof and walls but in the space within to be lived in” Lao Tzu. Spaces can be designed to evoke surprise and delight. In fact work spaces are designed to enable greater collaboration and creativity. When designing a space one always looks at the functionality as well as what could be the possible emotional response. Space makes life come alive.
At the macro level it is the combination of matter acting on space and distorting it which creates gravity and keeps the planets in motion within their orbits. It is space — time that makes the world go around.
We need spaces in our relationships. Too much of clinginess and possessiveness leads to a breakdown of relationships. We need to respect the personal spaces of individuals. We need space around us which we can call our own. We need space to grow and become.
Space is basic to all that we experience. Space which is continuously flowing, changing, and becoming.
