glimpses of space:
the gift of feminine principle
Alice Haspray
Photo: Alice Haspray
What is the gift of feminine principle in our world? How do we receive that gift? That feminine energy may be misunderstood, ignored, or feared, has deep significance for the lives of both men and women and for any aspirations we have to create a better world. In the words of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, to experience feminine principle directly, you must first “take off your roof”. That is exactly what he invites us to do in his remarkable book, Glimpses of Space: Feminine Principle & Evam (Vajradhatu Publications, Halifax 1999—edited by Judy Lief). Glimpses of Space is a book that challenges us to think bigger, to give up tiny, constricted viewpoints about who we are both as women and as men. Perhaps the book’s most provocative insight is that masculine and feminine principles are indivisible. Each of us—as a man or as a woman—possesses both principles. As human beings, our path is to engage these energies in a dynamic and healthy way. It is crucial to remember that this is not a discussion of gender. The exploration of the inseparability feminine and masculine principles may raise more questions than it answers, and I hope we can engage playfully with the uncertainty that arises.
What is the essence of each—of feminine principle and of masculine principle? From the vast perspective that Trungpa Rinpoche presents in Glimpses of Space, feminine and masculine principles are none other than space and wisdom (feminine) and energy/activity and skillful means within that space (masculine). Accommodation is the feminine aspect, and activity is the masculine. Like a container that creates the space for the content—the container is the feminine principle. What is placed in the container (like tea in a teacup or soup in a bowl) represents the tangible energy of the masculine principle. The intangible elements are feminine principle. When we use words like tangible and intangible (as Trungpa Rinpoche does in Glimpses of Space) we can get beyond our hang-ups about gender. When we tune into the subtle play of tangible and intangible elements in our daily lives, we start to see the bigger picture of what is really happening in our world. That experience is liberating—and it is a cause for celebration.
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