Buddhism: What is Emptiness | Pali Canon (The Teachings of Buddha)

Sunyata Episode 1: Buddhism: Emptiness (Sunyata) - The Essence of Buddhism.    • Buddhism: Emptiness (Sunyata) - The E...  
Sunyata Episode 2: Buddhism: What is Emptiness | Pali Canon (The Teachings of Buddha)

The Meaning of Emptiness - What Did the Buddha Preach About Emptiness In?
- "Emptiness" is a unique and specific concept within Buddhist teachings. No other civilization, system of thought, philosophy, religion, or science has articulated this concept apart from Buddhism. It transcends all religions, including "Buddhism" in its more ritualistic, popular forms.
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The Buddha perceived that no phenomenon in the universe or in the consciousness of any individual can exist independently, autonomously, and permanently. Every phenomenon that arises does so only through a combination of many causes and conditions, and the absence of even a minor and secondary cause or condition means that the phenomenon cannot occur. This demonstrates that all phenomena are composite and do not contain an independent, individual entity. The absence of an independent, permanent entity in all phenomena is referred to as their "emptiness" or Sunyata in Sanskrit and Sunnata in Pali.

This discovery by the Buddha is profoundly unique and transcendent, relating to the entire human understanding process—spiritually. Today, the concept of emptiness, along with other Buddhist concepts, continues to astonish thinkers, philosophers, scholars, and scientists across all fields worldwide.

For Buddhism, the application of this concept has played a crucial role in the practice aimed at ultimately helping humans escape from suffering.
What Did the Buddha Preach About Emptiness In?
Returning to the Buddha's teachings through the original sutras in the Tripitaka shows that they are concise, specific, and very practical, not laden with the argumentative nature of metaphysical philosophy. Therefore, to avoid misunderstandings about the definition of Buddhism and to better understand how the term "emptiness" (sunyata) was explained and perceived by the Buddha, we present here the meaning of "emptiness" according to original Buddhism, based on two Pali sutras: Culasuññatasutta (The Lesser Discourse on Emptiness, MN 121) and Mahāsuññatasutta (The Greater Discourse on Emptiness, MN 122) - considered two of the most important discourses the Buddha preached on emptiness.