In his quest for enlightenment, Buddha focused on understanding what could bring an end to suffering. His quest is one each of us can follow. I am tempted to say easily, but nothing is easy! including nothingness. The more I learn of the Dharma, the more I realize the importance of truths which I have known for a long time. This includes things like:
Every thing we do, say, feel, etc., all parts of our illusional self, have effects on everything else. We are inextricably connected. Our reactions to things which we encounter are amplified because of this. It is really important to react with compassion, with metta, for this reason. It is not necessary to be happy about the situation, but to react and dwell in the "pot of suffering" (to paraphrase Bob) is an affect which serves to amplify the effect of the problem. Being mindful of one's own reaction is a more useful and benign way to deal with things. Sometimes one realizes then that the reaction actually has little to do with the situation. Yesterday I realized that I was feeling impatient, and the reason was actually that I was angry that my partner was sometimes impatient with me in a similar circumstance. The "feeling" changed completely.
Today I stumbled on another interesting facet of this idea of interconnectedness. I said to my partner, "you are funny even if noone hears you." Then I did a double take, recalling some Zen Koans like the tree falling in the forest, or one hand clapping. I remembered the truth of our interconnectedness, in fact, the reality of my "non-self". What I choose to do, say, be, is and should be independent of being seen or heard. By acting not for my ego, but for the connection to all life which manifests in my breath, I can make "right" choices.
The illusion of presence, my ego, is subjective, impermanent, really nothing at all, but still reverberates karmic energy. I am a mistake-ridden human; my choice is not whether or not to make mistakes, but what energy I multiply in response to my own, or others' mistakes.
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How can nothing be impatient with nothing? The realization that the closer "one" can get to zero-ness, the clearer the truth of interconnectedness (and one-ness) becomes. "Getting impatient" is human. Mindfully expressing compassion and lovingkindness and joyful acceptance - INSTEAD of impatience - takes Practice. That practice is the dharma, the path that leads to the sessation of suffering. The pain is inevitable but the suffering is optional (and writing this reply is good Practice for me in a moment that I don't "need" it. Then it becomes part of my path when I DO need it.
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