When I first read this profound quote by Zen Master Huang Po, I thought it referred to the nature of the mind—if you start thinking of someone (or something), it can cause you to emotionally miss them (or it).
Intrigued by this idea, I read some more of his work. Now, as I’m re-reading this quote (an hour later), it’s even deeper than I realized! I now feel that he is saying that EVERYTHING (Heaven, bliss, eternity, Nirvana) is HERE NOW! It is actually our own thinking that gets in the way of this recognition. If we start thinking about it, we will miss it.
Our minds are the true void—there is no end to our thoughts, concerns, and desires! It is only through dis-entangling ourselves from our minds that we can find the peace that is already at hand. Beautiful!