Getting over emptiness

In the original teachings of the Buddha there is no mention of emptiness (suñña/shunya & suññatâ/shûnyatâ) as being important in his enlightenment.  It’s movement from obscurity to a rising star, where it gained prominence, was due to the Madhyamaka system of Nagarjuna.  

In the Pali Nikayas emptiness appears to retain its status as a syncategorematic term which must be joined implicitly or explicitly to a categorematic term which means it can’t stand alone. Here is an example of emptiness being used syncategorematically (brackets are mine).  “He sees an empty village [empty of people], “The rooms of the house are empty  [of people].” “It is, Ananda, because it is empty of self and of what belongs to self that it is said, ‘Empty is the world (sunno loko)’ [of the âtman or Buddha-nature].”    

As Buddhism enters into its Mahayana development emptiness begins to take center stage but still with some of its syncategorematic nature left.  E.g., emptiness represents the fact that there is no soul (pudgala) in the five skandhas (differently, in the Nikayas we learn that the five khandhas are not my self).  Curiously, with the rise of the doctrine of Ânatman in which there is supposedly no âtman, total negation or negation without implication (prasajya-pratisedha) enters the scene.  All is empty and illusory, in other words.  There is no noumenon or non-illusory absolute behind phenomena.  This is clearly not negation with positive implication (paryudasa-pratisedha).

The reduction of every thing to nothing leads, naturally, to nihilism—which is a huge mistake.  While it is true that things which are empty are dependent originations, upon what do they depend since they can’t depend on themselves or others or any such combination?  Rightly, one should think that things, which are mere illusory constructions, depend on the unconstructed and non-illusory from which they are formed which neither arises nor perishes; which is beyond the pale of temporal existence and non-existence.  This naturally calls for the absolute.  All phenomena, which are dependent originations, originate by dependence on the One Mind which is absolute; which is uncreated and independent of its phenomenalizations.

Of course, the average Buddhist can’t see this nor the Madhyamikas who tend towards nihilism.  In order to realize the One Mind or the same, the unconditioned Mind, requires more than average abilities.  As I have mentioned before using the analogy of a radio, it would be like a living radio looking for the radio signal using the various parts of the radio for its standard!  This is certainly a fool’s errand. The right standard is to see pure Mind in the midst of phenomena.  This, naturally, takes extraordinary skills which many lack.  But it’s certainly doable with extraordinary results.

Comments

[The Zennist]

Electric Black:

I can only say that was a great comment — awesome. Of course, if we were to say put the attâ before temporal breathing the contemporary Buddhists would crucify us! LOL

[Electric Black]

Then I can positively say The Buddha is not empty of Self.

When trying to rephrase the Dark Zen Meditation, I thought of the phrase, "...putting the cart before the horse." We are putting the Breath before the Self, and this leads to the illusion of 'self'. We should be putting the Self before the Breath!

In fact I just tried rephrasing the instruction as: "Put the Self before the Breath." It worked as before, and it is very easy to do, and very effective. One gets an intuitive notion of this Self and begins to see it's true nature.

Therefore The Buddha is the Dark Principle, or mysterious principle which originates the conceived universe. It is beyond the concept of the self, but it is not emptiness. It is Pure Mind, or the True Undying Self.

In essence, The Buddha is the Alpha and Omega of the universe, and it's Original Face. It is what we looked like before we were born!

[The Zennist]

Electric Black:

You've discovered that there is no other logical way to look at meditation. What is the point of following the breath or just comfortably abiding in Mara's body? We have actually never been a body; nor are we a byproduct of our brain. We are minds or spirits attached to the psycho-physical body in the belief that I am this body. I believe material shape is me, including feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness.

[Electric Black]

Something new and different has happened to me.

I suddenly understand that The Buddha is not a man, but a Principle. It becomes an Office when this principle is INCARNATE within a man. Therefore, it is possible to transcend rebirth by becoming One with this Undying Principle.

This realization came upon me when I rephrased the instruction for Dark Zen Meditation. I found the phrase, “Recollect that which is most antecedent to the in-breath and the out-breath during your normal breathing rhythm” to be long and difficult to follow. I rephrased it to “Place yourself before in-and-out breathing.” I went beyond my body within 20 seconds and I saw The Buddha Principle in that moment.

Now it makes sense to me what is being taught. This is no longer about reading words. I now have a better sense of direction.

Allow me to apologize for my lack of patience. May I suggest, this realization is the answer to the whole confusion here.

[n. yeti]

"The right standard is to see pure Mind in the midst of phenomena.  This, naturally, takes extraordinary skills which many lack.  But it’s certainly doable with extraordinary results."

This.