Is the Buddha's EMPTINESS the Brahmin's BRAHMAN?
In the high Hindu Vedanta teachings, the goal of the spiritual path is the realization of one's ultimate identity with Brahman, the Absolute, which is said to underlie all existence. Brahman, the indivisible, eternal, uncreated, is also called "the Deathless"—that place beyond birth and death, beyond the world. Gautama the Buddha was acclaimed as a challenger and radical reformer of the decaying Brahminism of his time. One of the revolutionary ideas that he taught was the doctrine of Emptiness, said to be the cornerstone of Buddhist understanding. What he meant by Emptiness has been over the ages a source of much debate (even the close disciples of Buddha didn't understand it properly). Is Emptiness, as many believe it to be, a radical departure from the concept of the all-pervading eternal Brahman of the Vedas, or is Emptiness the Buddha's description of what is, in essence, none other than the Vedantic Brahman?
In other words . . . Is Emptiness nothing? Or is it something?
How the Brahmins, describe Brahman:
In the highest golden sheath is Brahman,
stainless, without parts;
Pure is it, the light of lights.
This is what the knowers of the Self know.
The sun shines not there,
nor the moon and stars,
these lightnings shine not,
where then could this fire be?
His shining illumines all this world.
Brahman, verily, is this Deathless.
- Mundaka Upanishad
How the Buddha describes Emptiness:
Where water, earth, heat
and wind find no footing,
there no stars gleam,
no sun is made visible,
there shines no moon,
there the darkness is not found;
When the sage, the brahmin,
himself in wisdom knows this place
he is freed from the form
and formless realms,
from happiness and suffering.
- the Udana
Source: What is Enlightenment Magazine Article. :: www.wie.org ::
Also more resource on Buddha's Emptiness Concept
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/emptiness.html
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/tibet/void.htm
http://buddhism.about.com/library/weekly/aa120602a.htm
Labels: buddha, buddhism, comparative religion, esoteric, mysticism
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| posted by Sadiq Alam @ 12:18 PM
13 comments
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13 Comments:
I think the reason that Buddha doesn't accknowledge God is that he was sort of an anti-establishment kind of fellow to begin with in that he neglected his householder status to seek enlightenment, and also because even in the scriptures it states that all ritual and action can only take you so far, and worship can only take you so far, and the whole point is to realize God as Self, but in worship, and in the name Brahmin it is easy to it is easy to think of it as something other than the Self. I think ultimately Buddha was a jnani and in order to take away all distractions from that path for his followers, he eliminated much of the ritual and worship and downplayed the idea of God in order to reduce the sense or thoughts of a separate 'I'.
very well said dear. you have the insight and perhaps you are well enlightened already.
its good to have u back in the comments.
Namaste.
Even if the concepts of emptiness and brahman were fundamentally different (which I don't consider myself qualified to have an opinion on), it's not surprising that Gautama would describe it in similar language to the Vedas. After all, that is the culture in which he was raised, and as a noble prince he certainly was familiar with Vedas and associated literature.
Once again, Sadiq, you make a beautiful and reflective post that "hits the nail on the head."
My answer to your question is "yes," to both! It is Nothing, and it is also Something, and it is also, not figuratively, but very literally, Everything.
How does Something come from Nothing?
It does not make sense to the mind. It cannot be described except as metaphor, because it is the essential Mystery.
All manifestations, worlds, galaxies, subatomic particles, birds and trees, rocks and buildings, Zen and Sadiq and Jon and Tiel, come from it, and are nothing but it, although all manifestations are unique and constantly changing.
Tat twam asi--You are that!
Its words manifest in the heart as It talks to itself.
Only It is, and even it isn't!
In persons, it is personal.
In religions, it is God.
In the Universe, it is infinity.
In Itself, it is emptiness.
Even in everyday life, emptiness--though nothing at all, is seen in many different ways: the capacity of a bowl to filled, the distance you can drive before you run out of gas, the space a decorator works with in interior design, the room that allows all things to be in space-time.
Nine days ago, I had a brief experience of It as Nothing. It was a shock. Seeing nothing, I felt utterly alone in the Universe. Now the emptiness feels like fullness.
How can there be fullness without emptiness to contain it?
Nothing is dreaming itself as Everything. You are that Nothing dreaming, so am I. This is the terror that brings peace beyond understanding.
In awakening, we appreciate the sweetness of the Dream.
Beautiful thoughts Sadiq and posters!
Jon asked "How can there be fullness without emptiness to contain it?" Good question, and of course it works the other way too: "How can there be emptiness without fullness to contain it?"
It seems like one of those optical illusions, where you may see a candlestick or two faces - but in fact it is the same picture.
im in meditave writin this now and i read your logical comments,emptyness is somekinde a rest forgeting self but is so hard to get out of self,they 123456789 nummbers,but zero is no exist,no emmptinees .this nine nummbersare godes ,and we have 33 signs real voices of all languages,zero is just nothing ,but zero or emmptyness dont exist,om om
"Emptiness makes everything possible. If it were not for emptiness, nothing would be possible because everything would be fixed, solid. If everything is solid and fixed, then nothing can change, nothing will happen, nothing will improve, nothing will get worse. Emptiness explains why everything is always changing, why everything happens to everyone, and why we can improve. It explains why those who don’t see things clearly and don’t relate to things appropriately sometimes develop tremendous ignorance and aggression. All possibilities are based upon emptiness. Emptiness provides space for everything."
taken from the teachings of a great Tibetan master, H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche.
more: http://www.sherabling.org/teachings/index.htm
see, buddhist concept of emptiness does not mean total voidness.
best wishes and many thanks! :-)
Ula, Poland
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An interesting ref. i found:
http://www.silkentiger.com/public/general.html
"Is Emptiness nothing? Or is it something?"
- it isn't either :-) Thinking about this in terms of dualistic concepts will not help you realise this ;-)
" Is Emptiness, as many believe it to be, a radical departure from the concept of the all-pervading eternal Brahman of the Vedas"
- it is indeed a radical departure, it would seem. There is no-thing which lies behind, before, or in causal relationship with that which seems to appear. Emptiness is none of that. The way that experience appears to us and how experience really is are not in causal relationship, nor can one be said to lie behind the other, nor one to be more 'real' than the other, nor one 'emanating' the other, etc. Emptiness is how things really are, which is capable of being realised directly. However, appearances 'appear' to arise, but these are inseparable. You will not find one without the other, though neither lies behind the other. Inseparable appearance and emptiness is an teaching which is 'a finger which points to the moon'.
"What he meant by Emptiness has been over the ages a source of much debate (even the close disciples of Buddha didn't understand it properly)."
- indeed so. Without direct experience and then realisation of this one is liable to try to make sense of these teachings conceptually. Given the dualistic nature of concepts, and the non-dual nature of what is being pointed to: given that what is being pointed to cannot be expressed directly in words or concepts, it's hardly surprising that much confusion lies along the way. However, the path to experience and realisation by direct knowing is open ... so can be directly realised by all.
many thanks indeed for sharing this topic ... very best wishes to you.
Note:
"How the Buddha describes Emptiness:" .... this is part of a teaching, not the whole concept, and with the greatest respect not really a particularly good choice of quotation to find conceptual expression as to what is being pointed at by the notion of Shunyata or Emptiness
Dear Zen,
it's always seemed to me that the whole thrust of the Buddha Dharma is to point to the nature of experience, point to the difficulties that we create for ourselves and others through how we react to our experience, and the pointing out of the means to transform those reactions and our experience itself. As such, notions such as God are not really of any significance, as they have little relevance to this whole spiritual enterprise.
All manner of notions and beliefs arise in one's mindstream, but only certain notions and methods have potential for liberation and awakening. That's not to say other notions do not have the capacity to help beings develop kindness, compassion, and even some direct knowledge, and as such may provide benefits.
Buddhas teachings of No-thingness really explain the the straight way of islam from another angle.
I believe that Emptyness is a mistranslation for nothingness which is not the same thing. emptiness makes me think of a void or a container that does not contain anything.
Nothingness is the same thing as oneness. No thing or no seperate name for "things" because they are all one. Huwa is Ahad.
The teachings of Buddha destroys the illusionary concepts of the Transended state of God, which cannot be know by man. What is left is the iminant image which is the vicegerant of God, Man. He who knows himself know his lord
beautiful angles of thoughts added here. appreciate all the comments.
blessings and peace to all.
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