Appreciating Emptiness
Posted: June 12, 2008 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Buddhism, Religion | 4 Comments »Emptiness is a concept in Buddhism that is both hard to grasp, and tends to get misunderstood by non-Buddhists, or Buddhists just starting on the path. I stumbled on this explanation by Master Yin-Shun in The Way to Buddhahood that I thought bears repeating (citations added by Yin-Shun):
The nonexistence of independent nature is emptiness; emptiness is the nature of things that neither arises nor perishes, and this can be called Buddha nature. These statements are true because otherwise — if all things were not empty and had independent natures of their own — the existence of ordinary people would be real and they would forever be ordinary people. Likewise, the existence of defilements would be real, and they would forever be defilements…there would be nothing for anyone to sever and nothing for anyone to practice, so no one could become a buddha (as is explained in the Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā).
Fortunately, all things are empty and without an independent nature, so defilements can become pure, confusion can become enlightenment, and the common can become holy…Therefore, it is said, “Because existence is empty, all things can be formed.”
I’ve read similar comments from Francis Cook’s book Hua-Yan the Jewel Net of Indra, which I think is the most thorough explanation of what emptiness is. All of this of course relates back to Nagarjuna, but also back to the Buddha’s sermons, the sutras, themselves.
Emptiness is no more than flux and change. If you steer the change in a positive, wholesome direction, the results will be self-evident. If you set your mind on Enlightenment, it will occur. The rest is just details.
Namuamidabu
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
I’ve got information on The philosophy of emptiness that goes a bit beyond quotes. You might be interested.
I like to call it fullness!
I’ve just read TNH’s commentary on the Heart Sutra, I don’t have it to hand, but he says something along the lines of “is this cup empty?” “yes” “empty of what?” “empty of water, but full of air. Or empty of rice, empty of lemonade and so on”….
“and is it still a cup?”
I like that.
I like that too, Marcus.
Here’s an interesting link on Sunyata and the Heart Sutra:
Introduction about Emptiness and the One Who Perceives It
Katinka: I will try and check that out.
Marcus: Yeah, I like TNH’s commentaries on the Heart Sutra. I don’t usually go his approach to Buddhism , but in general his commentaries are quite good. The ones on the DIamond Sutra is likewise good, considering how hard that sutra is.
Jeannie: I will check this one out too, time permitting.