Emptiness in Buddhism

EMPTINESS IN BUDDHISM

We don't have to be Buddhists to use or practice some of Buddha's
teachings to make our lives richer and be more compassionate towards
the sufferings of other people. In this regard, Buddhist meditation is an
ideal way to improve our health, to improve our concentration, to reduce
our lusts, to appreciate others, to share with people our thoughts and
feelings, and to lead a more tranquil and satisfied life, especially when
the present day world is full of hatred, revenges, dissatisfaction and
aggression.

The following two articles are on the key concept in Buddhism,
‘Emptiness' :

On Emptiness of Buddhism
By Yiu Yan Nang

The term emptiness空in Buddhism is often not properly understood by
those who are not familiar with Buddhism largely due to language
problem. It is the translation of the Sanskrit, "Śūnyatā". The adjective is
"śūnya" which can mean, empty, void, unreal, and non-existent. However,
none of these translations is entirely satisfactory. The teaching on the
emptiness of all phenomena is a core basis of Buddhist philosophy.
Therefore it is important to know what it means exactly. Unfortunately
language can only scratch the surface.

The attainment of super wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñāpāramitā; 般若波罗蜜多
or超智慧的完成) is necessary to experience its true meaning. To attain
this state of mind is the ultimate aim of a practicing Buddhist. An
enlightened Buddhist cannot find the exact words to explain his
experience. Even so Buddhism still has to rely on language to spread its
teachings.

Emptiness is the main theme of the Heart Sutra. The following quote from
the Heart Sutra can explain emptiness in application:
“ When the bodhisattva, Avalokiteśvara was exercising his super wisdom
he saw the five components of life ( form i.e. body, feeling, perception,
action and consciousness) are all empty. 观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多
时，照见五蕴(-色、受、想、行、识) 皆空。”

Emptiness in this context means no permanent and unchangeable
existence. The body is formed by many contributing factors which in turn
were formed by many factors and so the processes can be traced back
indefinitely. These factors are interdependent. The formation of the body
is interdependent origination, 因缘所生的事物. Like any phenomenon
the body is changing continuously every moment. It has no permanent,
unchangeable and independent existence. In this sense the body is empty
of independent existence. This is the truth of nature which is a continuous
process. We cannot imagine when the body suddenly stop changing – the
billions of elements that make up the body go on strike. Unfortunately,
people, particularly skeptics and opponents of Buddhism, often wrongly
liken emptiness in Buddhism to nihilism. the other four components of life
and to all other phenomena are also empty. The understanding of the
true meaning of emptiness enables one to understand Buddhist
philosophy better and to benefit from it.
5th Sept 2011
Note:
I am not sure if my explanations are accurate enough as I am not familiar
with the terms in English as I have in Chinese. I have used some
expressions from Wikipedia under the topic “Emptiness”. Any reader who
wants to know more can go to it online.

A Few Words on the Concept of Emptiness in Buddhism
By Anthony Tang

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss about the concept of
emptiness in Buddhism, which you highlighted from the most popular and
well known Mahayana Buddhist scripture- The Heart Sutra. This is a
very basic and key concept in Mahayana, and without the
comprehension of which, Buddhists would find it difficult to achieve the
stage of Enlightenment. This concept, being introduced from India about
two thousand years ago, was translated from Sanskrit language into
Classical Chinese and was further blended with traditional Chinese
culture such as Taoism, may have already been different from the
original text, but the gist and the essence possibly remain unchanged.
In the Heart Sutra, the concept of emptiness is much more profound than
the phenomena of non-existence, including sentient beings, animated
and non-animated things. It embraces the non-existence of one’s own
ego-selfness, the ego-selfness of another, selfness as divided into an
infinite number of living and dying beings, or selfness as unified into one
Universal Self existing eternally. In the circumstance, everything,
including human or non-human is equal without discriminations, mutually
co-exist tranquilly and peacefully without threats and worries. There is no
distinction of personal identify, fame and wealth.

In Mahayana Buddhism, emptiness does not mean void or non-existence
in its straight sense. It likens cosmos or universe, which embraces the
immensity of wholeness. It is neither decreasing nor increasing in
quantity, but abiding in perfect unity and purity. It possesses immense
potentiality because it is the fountain of all dharmas, of all natures and
merits, even to infinities of infinity. It also has the immensity of
manifesting activities, giving rise to all manner of good causes and
effects belong both to this terrestrial world and to the mind world leading
to the perfect purity and freedom of eternity. Emptiness has been
translated in Chinese as universe, or虚空 which is endlessly far and wide
beyond the sight of human eyes. Yet, it embraces innumerable and
uncountable matters in the cosmos which one knows that there is
something but it appears there is nothing. This is described in Buddhism
as (空中妙有)。

There are two other terms in Buddhism which is also related to ‘condition’
and emptiness. One is “Matters that Arise with Causes are Empty in Mind-
essence” (缘起性空), and the other is “Matters that Arise with Causes
are without Mind-essence”（缘起无自性）. Since sentient beings are,
under conditions and given space, formed by earth, water, fire and wind,
and are subject to the process of formation, development, decay and
demolition. Within the fluid, ever changing, impermanent process, there is
not an individuality of ego-selfness and in this regard, it is as if there is
not an element of Mind- essence (自性).

However, in Buddhism, there is no absolute emptiness because sentient
beings have to take on physical forms without which one could not
achieve Buddhahood and Enlightenment through delivering the
sufferings of the mass and through the practice of Buddhism. In the Sutra
Spoken by the Sixth Patriarch (六祖坛经)，the Sixth Patriarch, when he
became enlightened the night when he met the Fifth Patriarch, explained
of his realization that ‘’ all things in the universe are Mind –essence” （一
切万法，不离自性）. His famous remarks are,
“Who could have conceived that Mind-essence is intrinsically pure! Who
could have conceived that Mind-essence is intrinsically free from
becoming and annihilation! That Mind-essence is intrinsically self-
sufficient, and free from change! Who could have conceived that all
things are manifestations of Mind-essence!”
何其自性，本是清静，何其自性，本不生灭，何其自性，本自具足，何其
自性，
本不动摇，何其自性，能生万法。

In “Matters Arise with Causes have no Mind-essence” (缘起无自性)，it
means that everyone when comes to this world should possess with
Mind-essence, which should be self- sufficient without discriminations,
and should have the capacity to achieve enlightenment. The reason why
many of them could not do it is because in the beginning less of time, the
Mind-essence is clouded by Ignorance resulted from the misdeeds or
karma committed in one’s previous lives. In this regard, one has to pay
for the price of one’s previous debts through charitable deeds so that one
would eventually find one’s Mind-essence. In “Matters Arise with Causes
with Empty Mind-essence” (缘起性空), it does not mean lacking in, or
depriving of Mind-essence, or with empty Mind-essence. It tells the
significance of Mind-essence which is omniscient. When one practises
Buddhism, one is practising one’s Mind-essence to be free from all pre-
conceived concepts, free from discriminative thoughts, free from all
attachments, and free from all disturbances and entanglements. In the
end, one would feel the sensation of ‘emptiness’, which is the sensation
of ‘fullness’ (圆满实性)。

11th Sept 2011