Mahachulalongkornrajavidylaya University,
Bangkok, Thailand
Buddhist Meditation VI
Lectured by:
Phra Pandit Cittasamvaro
A Comparison of Emptiness in Theravada and
Mahayana Buddhism
Submitted by:
Ven. Kuma Ra
(5101201094)
(The 3rd year of second semester student)
2554- 2011
Contents
Preface
Introduction
1
What is Emptiness?
1
The Conception of Emptiness in Theravada Buddhism
1
The Conception of Emptiness in Mahayana Buddhism
2
In Comparing of Both
3
Conclusion
4
Bibliography
6
Preface
This paper is an assignment of the subject of “Buddhist Meditation VI”,
Bachelor degree in year of 2011, in Mahachlarlongkornrajavidyalaya
University. The aim of my research is just to know the conceptions of
emptiness between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism in brief. I am
thankful to my respect teacher; name Ven. Pandit Cittasamvaro who
gives this lecture and advices me to write about this subject.
Ven. Kumara
(ID: 5101201094)
2 March, 2011
1
A Comparison of Emptiness in Theravada and Mahayana
Buddhism
Introduction:
Emptiness is one of the Buddha’s teachings and it’s very
interesting in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. Simply, before I knew
that emptiness is empty only. Indeed, the conception of it should be the
same but actually it’s not. Frankly, it’s known in Mahayana Buddhism
after the death of the Buddha. Since the Buddha time, it wasn’t discussing
much but later on, it’s becoming a big topic in Mahayana Buddhism. This
is the reason that I have researched about it and how are they different in
opening meaning, especially the conception of emptiness in Theravada
Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. I now will give you the comparison
of it in details.
What is Emptiness?
In Pali text, emptiness is Sunyata. It is actually based on the idea of
Anatta and it’s one of important teachings in Buddhism and it leads to the
liberation, especially in Mahayana Buddhism. In the Buddha’s teaching,
the realization of emptiness is the cultivation of insight which leads to
wisdom. Once the Buddha said;
The world is empty because it’s empty of self which
belongs to eye, forms, eye-consciousness, and eyecontact. Whatever feeling arises with mind -contact as
condition whether pleasant or painful is empty of self. 1
The world is empty and there is non-selfness. In the event of becoming,
there is always no longer exist. It depends upon the mind what is arising.
Otherwise, emptiness is insight meditation. Many scholars say it’s the
way to Nibbhana after we realized insight of self. I however understand
that emptiness is impermanent. This is by the cause of ‘everything is
impermanent’. This is the meaning of emptiness.
The Conception of Emptiness in Theravada Buddhism:
1 Bodhi, Bhikkhu, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2000, page
1163/1164.
2
Accordingly to the text of Theravada, the Buddha didn’t discuss about it
much and it’s not known in Theravada tradition. It was developed after
the Buddha death.
The realization of the emptiness of phenomena
(suññatānupassanā) is an aspect of the cultivation of
insight (vipassanā-bhāvanā) that leads to wisdom and
inner peace.2
In Pali, there are three doors of liberations, and they are: Shunyata,
Animitta and Apranihita. Sunyata means emptiness. Emptiness always
means empty of something. Here, I will discuss about sunyata only, and
not the other tow. I think the meaning of the liberation and emptiness is
similar. The essence of emptiness is liberation and liberation is also
emptiness. For example: Nibbhana. It is the ultimate goal of Buddhism
but there is nothing. This is in brief what I understand the emptiness in
Theravada Buddhism.
The Conception of Emptiness in Mahayana Buddhism:
In Mahayana tradition, the emptiness was developed after the Buddha.
It’s developed by Nagarajuna, the leader of Mahayana Buddhism. They
used the word of sunyata as empty of something. I think it’s similar to the
word of impermanent which Theravada used to. However, let’s see as the
followings what Mahayana has given the expression of it.
Emptiness is the emptiness of inherent existence of the
mind. It is a changing mind. All sentient beings have
within them the Buddha nature. Here, it means that all
sentient beings have minds which can change and became
the Buddha’s mind.3
This is the Tathagatagarbha’s view. The emptiness in Mahayana is not
existence. It means everything is impartment and it can change. As it
said, the emptiness is the ultimate reality, the true nature of emptiness and
it has self phenomena but it’s not existence and it can be change. One
point here to note, the conception of emptiness in Mahayana tradition is
2 Wikipedia .org, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81, date viewed: 19,
January 2011.
3 Williams, Paul, Mahayana Buddhism, Routledge, Landon and New York, 1994, Page 106.
3
similar to the word of impermanent in Theravada Buddhism. To support
this idea, I have been found out more details which given the expression
of emptiness in Mahayana tradition. Paul Williams, the author of
Mahayana Buddhism, describes;
Emptiness itself is in a sense an abstraction. It is the
absence of inherent existence and it is seen through
analytic understanding in its various forms. It is the
absence of itself related to the object which is being
existence and it is the ultimate truth. For the function of
understanding emptiness is simply to cut grasping.4
Of course, emptiness is to see the forms and realize to the object that
happens to our mind. After we realized it, we can understand that is
empty. As I have mentioned above the world is empty. So, from here, the
emptiness is very similar with the term of emptiness in Theravada
tradition but the emptiness in Mahayana tradition is very confusing.
According to Mahayana texts, the point of view on emptiness is not the
same. Some texts are argued that emptiness is not the ultimate truth.
Indeed, up to now, it’s unclear.
In Comparing of Both:
Accordingly to my understanding of it, I now will give you what I
understand on this point as well. In brief, the comparison of both, the
term of emptiness in Theravada tradition, is simply insight meditation
which leads to the liberation or Nibhana. It isn’t known in the teaching of
the Buddha in Theravada texts but in the Theravada tradition,
understanding emptiness is subordinated to the ultimate goal of liberation.
With the case of expression of emptiness in Mahayana, it is a big topic
which given the meaning of emptiness, is as all things are changing and
the ultimate truth. The essence of both, similar to each other but
Mahayana didn’t describe about the meditation at all but the conception of
final goal is the same, it’s just different meaning. If I say like this, surely
it’s not corrective because the emptiness in Mahayana was developed
after the Buddha.
4 Williams, Paul, Mahayana Buddhism, Routledge, Landon and New York, 1994, Page 62,63.
4
Once again, the website of Wikipedia.com describes the comparison both
of it. It says,
One reason for this is that emptiness is seen as a
liberating insight in the Theravada tradition, rather than a
philosophical view one needs to understand intellectually;
emptiness is often not taught until the teacher decides
the student is ready. Another reason is that in some
circumstance where a Mahayanist would use the word
"emptiness", a Theravadin would instead use the words
"impermanence" or "selflessness" (anatta) to mean the
same thing.5
Usually, in Theravada tradition, it is used as an advice for people who are
willing to die that to meditate on impermanence and suffering. If they
realized the truth, then there is nothing. Nothing means emptiness. That’s
why, the Load Buddha said, the world is nothing and non-self. The
Vijñanavada School, one of schools in Mahayana, saidThe practice of renunciation and withdrawal to embrace
the world in the belief that nirvana could be found within
the transience (samsara) of ordinary life.6
This is one of the cases that can be confused on the emptiness in
Mahayana as well but they believed that emptiness is nothing and they
can find Nibbhana within this life after realizing of it, not the end of life.
Mahayana also used it as to see the ultimate reality and motive their
followers to realize that everything can be changed. Of course, when we
realize the truth, there is nothing. Even in this life, you can find Nibhana.
I don’t think so; it is easy as they thought.
Conclusion:
To summarize it, I like to say that the conception of emptiness in both
Buddhism is the ultimate reality. When we attain Nibhana, there will have
no self because there is nothing. It is the ultimate goal in Buddhism.
5 (Unknown the author), Www. Wikipedia.org,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81#Origin_and_development_of_the_conce
pt_of_emptiness, date viewed 21, January 2011.
6(Unknown the author), www.mb-soft.com, http://mb-soft.com/believe/txh/mahayana.htm, date
viewed 21, January 2011.
5
However, when we compare with this case, it’s very confusing. Actually,
the meaning of emptiness is nothing or selfness but as I have mentioned
above it, the emptiness in Mahayana Buddhism is very confused. I just
want to make it sure that the emptiness in Mahayana is really confusing
and It is my best results what I’ve researched a comparison of emptiness
in both Buddhism.
6
Bibliography
1. Sumyutta Nikaya(The Connected Discourses of the Buddha), in
Suttanta Pitaka.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81,
www.Wikipedia.com, (Unknown the author), date viewed: 19,
January 2011
3. Williams, Paul, Mahayana Buddhism, Rutledge, London and New
York, 1994.