shunyata

• SHUNYATA

The Greater Discourse on Emptiness

Mahā Suññata Sutta  (MN 122)

https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN122.html

(1) as a meditative dwelling https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN121.html

(2) as an attribute of objects https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN35_85.html

(3) as a type of awareness-release. https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN43.html

Shunyata in the style of Cormac McCarthy:

The emptiness of all things

The world is an illusion.

A dream.

A mirage.

There is no substance to it.

No inherent existence.

This is the teaching of shunyata, or emptiness.

Shunyata is not nothing.

It is not a void.

It is the absence of inherent existence.

It is the realization that all phenomena are interdependent and impermanent.

The world is not as it seems.

It is not a collection of separate things.

It is a web of relationships.

Everything is connected to everything else.

And everything is constantly changing.

When we see the world as it really is, we see the emptiness of all things.

We see that there is no self, no other, no subject, no object.

We see that everything is simply arising and passing away.

This is not a nihilistic teaching.

It is not a teaching of despair.

It is a teaching of liberation.

When we see the emptiness of all things, we are free from the suffering caused by attachment to appearances.

We are free to simply be.

We are free to live our lives without fear or judgment.

We are free to be compassionate and kind to all beings.

The road to shunyata

The path to shunyata is the path of meditation.

Through meditation, we can learn to see the world as it really is.

We can learn to let go of our attachments and our aversions.

And we can find liberation in the realization of the truth.

The practice of shunyata

There are many different ways to practice shunyata.

One way is to focus on the breath.

As we breathe in, we can contemplate the emptiness of the body.

As we breathe out, we can contemplate the emptiness of the mind.

Another way to practice shunyata is to focus on impermanence.

We can observe the changing nature of the world around us.

We can see that everything is constantly arising and passing away.

The realization of shunyata

The realization of shunyata is a gradual process.

It takes time and effort.

But it is a journey that is well worth taking.

When we realize shunyata, we find true freedom.

We are free from the suffering caused by attachment.

We are free to simply be.

We are free to live our lives in peace and compassion.