Emptiness

[Guest guest]

Emptiness is not, for example, an Absolute that is

separate

from the world of ordinary experience. In fact,

emptiness

does not refer to a thing; it refers to the way all

things

actually are, namely, empty of the independent way

they

ordinarily seem to exist. To make emptiness into any

entity

about which one can have a view is to make the

fundamental

mistake Nagarjuna is trying to expose, namely, seeing

anything as having a substantial identity.

 

As Nagarjuna says: " Those who adhere to a view of

emptiness

are incorrigible " (Mulamadhyamaka-karika, XIII,8).

 

On the other hand, the proper realization of

emptiness, for

Nargajuna, brings " prapanca " (meaningful

conceptualization

of the world through use of language, important notion

in

Madyamika Buddhism), and its wrong views to an end.

One sees things as they are in truth.

 

1) In Nargajuna's words: " Beyond conditional

(realization),

quiescent, without conceptualizations by " prapanca "

not

discriminating a variety of meanings, these are

characteristics

(of one who has attained) the truth "

(Mulamadhyamaka-karika,

XVIIL,9).

 

2) With this wisdom insight into emptiness, one's

attachment to

things and the negative mental formations that result

in

unwholesome thoughts, words, and actions are also

brought to

an end. This freedom results in the cessation of dukha

 

(suffering) and the attainment of Nirvana.

 

3) In Nargajuna's understanding of this Nirvana, we

find another

important aspect of his philosophy. That is, with

wisdom, one sees

that the ordinary conditioned world of samsaric

bondage is not

apart from unconditioned nirvanic freedom.

 

4) Nargajuna says: " Nothing distinguishes samsara from

 

Nirvana; and nothing distinguishes Nirvana from

samsara.

Between even the extremities of samsara and Nirvana,

one

cannot find even a subtle difference "

(Mulamadhyamaka-karika,

XXV,19-20).

 

5) In short, there are not two realities, samsara and

Nirvana.

There is only the " field " of emptiness that is

experienced

through ignorance and unwholesome mental formations as

samsara

or through wisdom as Nirvana.

 

6) When one's experience of the world is conditioned

by

" prapanca " , it is known as samsara, full of dukha. But

when by

wisdom one experiences the ultimate truth that this

same world is

empty of own-being, then one finds Nirvana and

freedom.

 

7) In that freedom, one is attached neither to the

worldly

things nor to the state of Nirvana, which is itself

arising in

the field of emptiness.

 

8) With wisdom's penetration into the ultimate truth

of

emptiness, one is detached from both the world and

Nirvana, so

that one can freely turn with compassion to address

the needs of

all living beings.

 

9) This nondualism between the freedom of Nirvana on

the one

hand and the ordinary world of samsara on the other

brings us to

the Madhyamika doctrine of the Two Truths: the

conventional truth

and the ultimate truth. Nargajuna says: " Those who

don't understand

the distinction between these two truths don't

understand the

profound nature of the Buddha's teaching "

(Mulamadhyamaka-karika,

XXIV,8-9).

 

10) The " conventional truth " (samvrti-satya) is about

the world

as experienced by ordinary perception and the

conceptualizaion

process of " prapanca " . Through this experience, one

knows a number

of conventional truths about the world, such as the

fact that fire

is hot or that something is moving, or that a certain

person is

President of US.

 

11) The " ultimate truth " (paramartha-satya) about

existence is

that all things are empty of own-being, or are

dependently arisen.

This ultimate truth is realized in the attainment of

wisdom which

produces non-attachment and the freedom of Nirvana.

 

12) The goal of Madhyamika is to convince people that

the

conventional truths about things do not give one the

ultimate

truth about existence.

 

13) This ultimate truth does not deny conventional

truths; it

simply reveals the true nature of what one knows at

the conventional

level of truth. Nargajuna says: " Without relying on

convention,

the ultimate truth cannot be expressed. Without

understanding the

ultimate truth, Nirvana cannot be attained. "

(Mulamadhyamaka-karika, XXIV,10).

 

14) In other words, first one understands the things

and processes

of the ordinary world in the conventional way. Then

one gains

wisdom and sees the emptiness of these things and

processes, that

they are what they are because of dependent arising.

Only in this

way can one gain freedom within the dynamic of

existence, Nirvana

in samsara. However, one still experiences

conventional truths

about the world such as fire being hot, things moving

etc. By

the light of the ultimate truth of emptiness, one

re-envisions the

ordinary world so that one is no longer attached to

things in ways

that generate dukha (suffering) for oneself or others.

 

15) Here, we see why Nagarjuna's school is called

Madhyamika, or

the " Middle Way. " It does not reject the mundane world

for Nirvana.

Nagarjuna takes a middle position where

one-re-envisions the mundane

world from the standpoint of Nirvana on the one hand,

while dealing

compassionately with the conditions of samsara on the

other.

 

16) Realizing the emptiness of both samsara and

Nirvana, one is

detached from both samsaric conditions and the

unconditioned status

of Nirvana. Thus, one 's Great journey courses in the

Middle Way,

where one is transformed by the power of the

enlightened vision of

emptiness, non-attached and free, full of compassion,

living for

the benefit of all beings.

 

 

Ref: Buddhism - Introducing the Buddhist Experience by

Donald W Mitchell, Oxford Press 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Thanks So Much Pete :-)

 

Om.... Shanti !

 

Phil_

-

" pete seesaw " <seesaw1us

<Nisargadatta >

Tuesday, December 31, 2002 11:05 PM

Emptiness

 

 

Emptiness is not, for example, an Absolute that is

separate

from the world of ordinary experience. In fact,

emptiness

does not refer to a thing; it refers to the way all

things

actually are, namely, empty of the independent way

they

ordinarily seem to exist. To make emptiness into any

entity

about which one can have a view is to make the

fundamental

mistake Nagarjuna is trying to expose, namely, seeing

anything as having a substantial identity.

 

As Nagarjuna says: " Those who adhere to a view of

emptiness

are incorrigible " (Mulamadhyamaka-karika, XIII,8).

 

On the other hand, the proper realization of

emptiness, for

Nargajuna, brings " prapanca " (meaningful

conceptualization

of the world through use of language, important notion

in

Madyamika Buddhism), and its wrong views to an end.

One sees things as they are in truth.

 

1) In Nargajuna's words: " Beyond conditional

(realization),

quiescent, without conceptualizations by " prapanca "

not

discriminating a variety of meanings, these are

characteristics

(of one who has attained) the truth "

(Mulamadhyamaka-karika,

XVIIL,9).

 

2) With this wisdom insight into emptiness, one's

attachment to

things and the negative mental formations that result

in

unwholesome thoughts, words, and actions are also

brought to

an end. This freedom results in the cessation of dukha

 

(suffering) and the attainment of Nirvana.

 

3) In Nargajuna's understanding of this Nirvana, we

find another

important aspect of his philosophy. That is, with

wisdom, one sees

that the ordinary conditioned world of samsaric

bondage is not

apart from unconditioned nirvanic freedom.

 

4) Nargajuna says: " Nothing distinguishes samsara from

 

Nirvana; and nothing distinguishes Nirvana from

samsara.

Between even the extremities of samsara and Nirvana,

one

cannot find even a subtle difference "

(Mulamadhyamaka-karika,

XXV,19-20).

 

5) In short, there are not two realities, samsara and

Nirvana.

There is only the " field " of emptiness that is

experienced

through ignorance and unwholesome mental formations as

samsara

or through wisdom as Nirvana.

 

6) When one's experience of the world is conditioned

by

" prapanca " , it is known as samsara, full of dukha. But

when by

wisdom one experiences the ultimate truth that this

same world is

empty of own-being, then one finds Nirvana and

freedom.

 

7) In that freedom, one is attached neither to the

worldly

things nor to the state of Nirvana, which is itself

arising in

the field of emptiness.

 

8) With wisdom's penetration into the ultimate truth

of

emptiness, one is detached from both the world and

Nirvana, so

that one can freely turn with compassion to address

the needs of

all living beings.

 

9) This nondualism between the freedom of Nirvana on

the one

hand and the ordinary world of samsara on the other

brings us to

the Madhyamika doctrine of the Two Truths: the

conventional truth

and the ultimate truth. Nargajuna says: " Those who

don't understand

the distinction between these two truths don't

understand the

profound nature of the Buddha's teaching "

(Mulamadhyamaka-karika,

XXIV,8-9).

 

10) The " conventional truth " (samvrti-satya) is about

the world

as experienced by ordinary perception and the

conceptualizaion

process of " prapanca " . Through this experience, one

knows a number

of conventional truths about the world, such as the

fact that fire

is hot or that something is moving, or that a certain

person is

President of US.

 

11) The " ultimate truth " (paramartha-satya) about

existence is

that all things are empty of own-being, or are

dependently arisen.

This ultimate truth is realized in the attainment of

wisdom which

produces non-attachment and the freedom of Nirvana.

 

12) The goal of Madhyamika is to convince people that

the

conventional truths about things do not give one the

ultimate

truth about existence.

 

13) This ultimate truth does not deny conventional

truths; it

simply reveals the true nature of what one knows at

the conventional

level of truth. Nargajuna says: " Without relying on

convention,

the ultimate truth cannot be expressed. Without

understanding the

ultimate truth, Nirvana cannot be attained. "

(Mulamadhyamaka-karika, XXIV,10).

 

14) In other words, first one understands the things

and processes

of the ordinary world in the conventional way. Then

one gains

wisdom and sees the emptiness of these things and

processes, that

they are what they are because of dependent arising.

Only in this

way can one gain freedom within the dynamic of

existence, Nirvana

in samsara. However, one still experiences

conventional truths

about the world such as fire being hot, things moving

etc. By

the light of the ultimate truth of emptiness, one

re-envisions the

ordinary world so that one is no longer attached to

things in ways

that generate dukha (suffering) for oneself or others.

 

15) Here, we see why Nagarjuna's school is called

Madhyamika, or

the " Middle Way. " It does not reject the mundane world

for Nirvana.

Nagarjuna takes a middle position where

one-re-envisions the mundane

world from the standpoint of Nirvana on the one hand,

while dealing

compassionately with the conditions of samsara on the

other.

 

16) Realizing the emptiness of both samsara and

Nirvana, one is

detached from both samsaric conditions and the

unconditioned status

of Nirvana. Thus, one 's Great journey courses in the

Middle Way,

where one is transformed by the power of the

enlightened vision of

emptiness, non-attached and free, full of compassion,

living for

the benefit of all beings.

 

 

Ref: Buddhism - Introducing the Buddhist Experience by

Donald W Mitchell, Oxford Press 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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