Sunyata

Lord Buddha says; “Sunyata is the ultimate reality.  It is above all comprehensions and any attempt to describe would be an error.  The ultimate reality, the limitless luminosity, the eternal noumenon beyond all phenomena, ought to be evidently infinite, unlimited, unconditional and without attributes.” 

Sunyata is the underlying essence of phenomenal existence.  It is the non-substantial undifferentiated state of being.  It is the cause of all causes but itself has no cause.  That Sunyata is the cause by itself –the Dharma Dhatu, the potential with which Samsara come into existence and through that same potential the Nirvana is possible. 

Sunyata is the consciousness beyond conceptual mind.  Sunyata is the monistic absolute.  It does not mean empty or refer emptiness in physical sense.  It is in every being, and it is infinite and eternal. 

Sunyata is the state of being enlightened.  One may realise Sunyata –the ultimate truth, through the experience of Nirvana, a complete cessation of desires. 

The Sunyata is the dialectical version of the doctrines of Anicca –the impermanence; and of Anatta –not self. 

Sunyata is Dharmakaya, Tatha-ta, the ultimate actuality. It is beyond relativity.  At relative level, in the scale of time and space, everything is impermanent, but beyond time and space everything is one and absolute.  That is Sunyata, the ultimate cosmology.

Sunyata could be explained at least in six different perspectives:

1...Sunyata is not nihilism.

Lord Buddha did not speak of nihilism, nor does Sunyata imply to nihilism. 

Sunyata implies to the absence of imperfections. 

Sunyata means the undifferentiated state of being beyond self-centred intellect and judgemental level of feeling.

2...Sunyata is the transcended state beyond impermanence.

All phenomenal worldly existences are void of independently existing self-nature.  All forms are void of independently existing self-nature, but beyond the phenomenal world there exists Sunyata, the cause of all cause, and Sunyata is the form by itself.

3...Sunyata is the transcended state beyond dependent arising.

Behind every phenomenon there is a causal factor and every worldly object or event originates from a causal factor. 

Everything perpetually originates and ceases, and everything is impermanent.

Once the phenomenal existence comes into being, its existence is sustained by Pratitya Samutpada –the dependent co-arising. 

When an entity exists due to dependent arising, it lacks independently existing self-nature.  When an entity lacks independently existing self-nature, the self nature of that very entity is Sunyata.

The self-nature of every phenomenal existence is Sunyata.  This is the essence of wondrous existence to which we belong. 

4...Sunyata is the transcendental state beyond delusional grasping.

Maya –the illusory attachment comes into being out of our ignorance and it is the root cause of suffering.  The delusional grasping arises when we do not understand the true nature of phenomenal existence.  Along with delusional grasping all other negative emotions arises which are responsible for suffering. 

When we understand the truth that the self nature of every phenomenal existence is Sunyata, all forms of delusional grasping and craving are destroyed. 

5...Sunyata is the nature of mind.

The true nature of our mind is Sunyata.  Sunyata refers to the purity of our mind.  The essence of the true nature of all realms is Sunyata.

Our mind incessantly generates thoughts and it does so until it is enlightened.

It is the thought generated by our mind either binds us to Samsara and makes us suffer or attain enlightenment and eventually Nirvana –the ultimate state of liberation from Samsara. 

In our mind, when there is no hatred nor affection, no greed nor anger, no wining nor losing, neither illusion nor discernment, we are enlightened. 

6...Sunyata is the ultimate truth.

Sunyata is a phenomenological term for the experience of absolute truth, the state of equipoise, the union, the end and the beginning of the cycle of existence.  It is the state of everythingness, fullness, and wholeness.  It is a condition of mind from which unconditional state of mind begins to unfold. 

Sunyata is the ultimate reality of worldly existence. 

Sunyata is the Dharma Nature of all phenomena.  It is from Sunyata arises every phenomenon and to Sunyata every phenomenon dissolves.  Sunyata is that great platform from where everything evolves and dissolves, rise and fall and at that state everything is just one. 

Sunyata, the concept of it, should be correctly understood before trying to perceive it. 

In English language, it is incorrect to literarily translate Sunyata into Emptiness.  It is incorrect because Sunyata truly means the undifferentiated state of being from which radiates Bodhi Citta -the compassionate feeling, for delivering sentient beings from suffering. 

Sunyata is the supreme state of our mind.  At the supreme state of mind, Sunyata means both, Sunya and not Sunya.  It is Sunya –void, because there is no intent, no dualistic views, no ‘I’ or Ego.  It is not Sunya because there is Buddha Bhav –the Buddha Nature.

Sunyata is the true nature of our mind.  The universal oneness in nature, non-dualistic, and non-substantial is the essence and the nature of mind.  When the true nature of mind is realised, one experiences the complete absence of I, me and mine that binds us to Samsara.  With the realisation of the true nature of mind, spurs the Buddha Nature from where Bodhi Citta –comassionate feeling outflows.

Just as the true nature of our mind, the true nature of the phenomenal world too is Sunya –non substantial and undifferentiated state; empirically zero.  It is self-luminous. 

Sunyata is mind based concept and mind focussed principle, because Sunyata is the true nature of mind.  So long our mind is dictated by Ego, we cannot have the wisdom to realise the sublime state of our mind and generate Bodhi Citta.

To nurture and generate Bodhi Citta, the expedient compassion for universal good, one should contemplate on Sunyata.  It is only upon realising the true nature of our mind at which our mind stops generating thoughts dictated by Ego, we are able to cultivate Bodhi Citta 

At the pure state of the mind, our mind settles in Sunyata, a state of complete thoughtlessness.  At that state of mind, our inner consciousness, the consciousness beyond our conceptual mind, takes control over our conceptual mind. 

Our mind at its pure state, under the control of inner consciousness, generates thoughts only when it is directed to do so.  Whatever thought generated by mind at its pure state, in command and control of pure consciousness, is wholesome. 

Lord Buddha says; “Sunyata is the essence of material world.  All Dharmas are essentially Sunya.  Every phenomenal existence is subject to change and dissolution.” 

The Dharmas refer to fields of action and it includes five sense organs and their objects, and their corresponding consciousnesses, the mind that perceives unceasingly, and the living symptoms. 

The living symptoms are the judgemental feelings that express when the mind responds to the activities of the senses.  They are desire, hatred, happiness and distress, fear and worry. 

Lord Buddha says; “By desire, you are becoming implicated, so make all your desires extinct.”

Extinguishing material desires is the gateway to spiritual life in spiritual world.  With cessation material desire and action there will be manifestation of spiritual state of being.  When we cleanse our heart of all material desires the spiritual life begins thereof.

With the right knowledge and understanding on Sunyata fully established in our mind and heart, we will be able to culture and cultivate right attitude and behaviour that are in harmony within self, with others and with nature. 

Lord Buddha says: “It is the right Prajna –wisdom that enables us to see thing through as they are.” 

Sunyata is not negation of existence but the way to ultimate liberation, the final liberation from all forms of human bondage.

Sunyata is an idea of emptying oneself of illusory constructions.  Becoming Sunya does not mean going out of existence but becoming truly oneself i.e. becoming truly self aware, being out of the spell of Avidhya –ignorance. 

Sunyata is the ultimate ground of everything.  It is not Abhava –non-existence but Bhava –becoming or existence. 

Sunyata is the original condition of reality prior to all conceptualisation and phenomenal distortion.  It is the state of pure consciousness beyond the scope of conceptual mind. 

Nagarjuna (150-250 AD), promoted the philosophical ideas of Lord Buddha on Sunyata.  Nagarjuna says Sunyata refers to pure consciousness, the non-conceptual state of mind.  It is the unconditioned state of being, a condition in which there is no subject-object polarity.  There is absence of both negative and positive thinking because it is the undifferentiated state of being.  It is the non-dual state of being.

Nagarjuna further says Sunyata means the pure state of being, which is empty of moral defects, empty of imperfections of Samsara, and empty of impurities of mind. 

Nagarjuna explains the worldly desires are subject to change and they are not eternal.  Anything that is not eternal is not truth, and not desirable.  When one comprehends Sunyata, one ceases to cling to grasping desires.  When desires are gone, the state of un-satisfactoriness –Dukkha is also vanquished. 

Just as worldly desires, Dukkha is also susceptible to change.

Nagarjuna’s teaching on Sunyata spurs from his understanding of the Lord Buddha’s doctrine of the Anicca –dependent origination, inter dependence or dependent co-origination, and Anatta –not self.  Sunyata when contemplated in the light of these doctrines, it becomes clearer. 

Lord Buddha says, “Whoever sees the true nature of Anicca will see the true Dhamma and whoever sees the true Dhamma will see Buddha and become Buddha.”  

Sunyata truly means worldly beings are not self existing inherently.  Every being is void of independently existing self nature because every being interdependently exists.

When the physical body comes into being, the undifferentiated consciousness comes along with it.  As one grows, the undifferentiated consciousness differentiates into material consciousness and pure consciousness.  With time the whole body is suffused with material consciousness with which one perceives and expresses the feeling.  The pure consciousness comes under the dominance of material consciousness and becomes dormant and inactive. 

Those who live with material consciousness remain in the ocean of ignorance and suffer.  But the one who recognises and awakens with pure consciousness, perceives Sunyata and expresses the feeling of oneness, devoid of I, me or mine, and attains Nirvana.

Every worldly existence has dependent origination.  They are not self-existing or independent, having their own self nature. Considering what is not self-existing and has dependent origination as self-existing and independent is ignorance.  It is because of the ignorance of the truth, there is suffering. 
  
In this phenomenal world everything is possible; because everything is Bhava –becoming.  Everything is subject to change and changing, and nothing is permanent.  In this impermanence nature of phenomenal existence the possibility of all other things is embedded.

Every phenomenal existence is compounded and dependently co-arising.  In this context Nagarjuna goes to the extreme and says even Nirvana is dependent on Samsara.  

Considering what is impermanent as permanent and inherently interdependent as independent is ignorance.  Being ignorance of this truth is the root cause of suffering.  The time we understand this truth, the sense of oneness begins to spur and the suffering begins to dispel, and we begin to value and respect other beings.

The concept of Sunyata has seamless continuity from Vedas and Upanishads.  In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, sage Yagyavalkya was asked by his pupils to explain the nature of Brahmn -the universal consciousness, the universal oneness.  The sage replied: “Neti Neti -Neither This, Nor That.  Such is the Brahmn.”

In this enigmatic answer of Yagyavalkya lies the profound philosophy of existence.  The numerical equivalent of Neti-Neti is Zero, neither this nor that, neither positive nor negative.  It is undifferentiated value, neutral but quantifies an integer when added to it, be it positive or negative.  The numeral Zero is analogous to spiritual nature of Brahmn –the oneness of existence.  The Brahmn is the undifferentiated, incorruptible, non-substantial essence of existence, and that is the true nature of existence. 

Siva Samhita says, “He who contemplates on Sunya.....is absorbed in space....Think on the great void unceasingly.  The great void, whose beginning is void, whose middle is void, [and] whose end is void.....By contemplating continually on this, one obtains enlightenment [success].”

In Chandogya Upanishad, sage Udyalak asked his son Shvetketu to cut the seed of Banyan tree into two halves and enquired, “Could you see anything in it?”  Shvetketu replies, “I can see nothing in it.”  The sage remarks, “What you call it nothing is actually the source of everything.  From what you call Sunya –nothing; springs the whole universe.” 

In Bhagvad Gita (18.66) Krishna says, “Renounce all the Dharmas and take refuge in Me.  I shall liberate you from sins and grant you Moktsa –liberation.”

To understand this verse one needs to understand the meaning of Dharma and who Krishna really is.

Krishna is the pure consciousness, the inner consciousness, the Brahmn, the pure spirit residing deep in us which is uncreated, unborn, incorruptible and ever pure and universal. 

Dharma means doing dutiful action ought to be done selflessly with renounced state of mind in the path of righteousness.  Dharma does not only mean to attain a union of self with the supreme reality but to live a righteous life here on earth. 

Rishi Kanda has defined Dharma in Vaisesika as “that confers worldly joys and leads to supreme happiness –Moktsa.”  Practicing Dharma means attaining highest ideal and eternal bliss here and now on earth within oneself and make life disciplined. 

In this verse Krishna, who is the embodiment of pure consciousness says, if you do not understand transcendental knowledge, cannot perform dutiful action selflessly or renounce Ego, leave them asides and simply take refuge in Me -the pure consciousness.  With faith, love and devotion who ever take refuge in Krishna -pure consciousness, is sure to be liberated, and whoever is subservient to Ego, the outer consciousness, and work for it is certain to doom.

Our mind creates thought and from thought action is being done, both wholesome and un-wholesome, creating Karma.  When we realise true nature of our mind, it is Sunya.  At that state our mind stops generating fleeting and random discerning conceptual thoughts on its own. 

The way to realise true state of our mind is Samatha and Vipassana Bhavana –meditation.  With meditation, we are able to have our mind in a state of non-distraction, a state of selflessness in our intent where there is no Ego.  That is the true nature of our existence. 

Meditation takes us to the deeper depth of our inner consciousness where, we find the pure state of mind.  That pure state of mind is same in all of us.  It is indivisible and eternal.  When we know it, we are in harmony and oneness as we see the same nature in all of us. 

The pure state of the mind is the Buddha Nature.  In this sense Sunyata connotes universal oneness, and it is the fountain of equanimity and loving kindness and compassion. 

Lord Buddha did not provoke spiritual existence beyond material existence.  His teaching begins at the material platform and there is no God –independently self existing and governing the phenomenal existence. 

Lord Buddha teaching on Karma considers inner consciousness as a continuum of consciousness and it is within that continuum of consciousness the individual consciousness is recycled. 

The Middle Way advocated by Nagarjuna is based on the concept of Sunyata.  The primary intent of Middle Way is the liberation of mind from ignorance and attachment.  Nagarjuna taught the Middle Way to reach the state of perfect harmony. 

The skilful way of Nagarjuna shows the way for liberation from ignorance of clinging to error, and attain ultimate realisation of truth, which is Sunyata.

Nagarjuna deduced the doctrine of Sunyata from Lord Buddha’s teachings and used it to defend the teachings of Lord Buddha. 

Nagarjuna says Sunyata is Tathata Dharmata, the Suchness.

“Freedom is the world and world is freedom.

The enlightenment is readily at hand. 

One simply needs to sift one’s perception to find it.”

                                                          Acarya Nagarjuna