The Study of Emptiness in Buddhist Thought

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  • Shiu Yiyu
    Department of Applied Japanese, I-Shou University

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  • 仏教思想に於ける空の研究
  • ブッキョウ シソウ ニ オケル クウ ノ ケンキュウ

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The development of the history of Indian Buddhism is centered on Emptiness (sunya). Emptiness in Buddhism is translated into Chinese as "the nature of emptiness, kongxing", "the form of emptiness, kongxiang", which means "all dharmas are empty". Also it says that "the true emptiness is the real; the wonderful beings are miscellaneous." (p. 344b, T47)It describes that all the miscellaneous phenomena in the universe are the results of the amalgamation of various conditions. Therefore, nothing exists independently by itself; furthermore, all things are interrelated with one another. In Buddhism, the relationships and conditions are called "cause and condition". In Nagarjuna's "Mulamadhyamakakarika", it says that "I declare that due to conditions, all dharmas arise. That is "emptiness." In Buddhism, therefore, "emptiness" is to "empty" out all attachments, to "empty" out all extreme indulgences, to "empty" out all false forms, and to "empty" out all relativities. It clearly reveals us a true world. Consequently, "emptiness" is not voidness, on the contrary, it is the noumenum that constructs the universe and human lives. Thus the Prajnaparamita Hrdaya sutra says, "observing that all the Five Aggregates are empty and liberating all beings from suffering." If we can thoroughly realize the teaching of "emptiness", extending our mind to be as all-embracive as the empty space, then we are able to perfect both doctrine and matter, and finding no obstructions in all matters.

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