Devote yourself to Absolute Emptiness;
Contemplate earnestly in Quiescence.
All things are together in Action,
But I look into their Non-action,
For things are continuously moving, restless,
Yet each is proceeding back to its origin.
Proceeding back to the origin means Quiescence.
To be in Quiescence is to see “Being-for-itself.”
- Lao tzu  courtesy of dailyzen.com 

There is something terrifying about absolute emptiness. To find yourself in a dark and strange place; no one to turn to; and completely alone is our worst nightmare. In therapy my client is seeking reassurance, support and encouragement. Our conversations take on a depth and curiosity that allows him to understand the sources of his fears and frustrations. At some point there will be a period of silence. We sit in our respective chairs, the minutes pass by very slowly and as they accumulate the importance of what is taking place begins to grow as well. I will ask him about his experience of the silence. We proceed to explore the non-action of our time together. All the feelings and thoughts that occur during that time are subject to contemplation. My client will express frustration and embarrassment about sitting quietly in front of me. There is also anger with me for allowing the silence to continue. Our mutual understanding of the experience is accomplished by proceeding back to the origin. We explore the patterns of experiences that come up in association with the silence between us. Times when my client felt ashamed and abandoned take on new meanings.  A quiescence emerges as the feelings give way to insights and new connections to old beliefs. And for a moment we both experience “Being-for-itself”.