Freebie mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org!
@benjaminben23923 жыл бұрын
Thanks Doug Having 4 d offer of free access online course Hv 2 find time 4 that which am sure will further cocsolidate my fine tuning of yr lectures.Great Meanwhile it wld b more convenient 2 contiiue listening 2 u on youtube postings U know the thing abt buddhism or whatevet isms or religiousity ppl make of it is the buddha s message is not too far off from science.... I mean 4 e.g. like u mentioned based on yr understamdg of the buddha s definition of freewill as compatility determinism i couln t agree more.... Hey thanks again 4 the interest u promoted in us
@adruvitpandit5816 Жыл бұрын
Doug there is a problem, the current research suggests that Upanishads came much later around 14-16 Century. Also we havent found any actual evidence of existence of Upanishads or other brahminic literature at the time of buddha. It is quite clear Sanskrit didnt exist at the time. So Buddhas description of Nothingness is an original thought to buddha and not something he was responding to.
@emptyemptiness83724 жыл бұрын
The perfection of wisdom sutras were what first made me accept buddhism, as well as the sutra of Hui Neng which i found inspiring at the time ,latter in life i turned to Theravada yet those sutras still have great influence on my perception or how i veiw the world and my practice ...and even my sense of humour.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Great! Thanks empty, I can tell by your name this is a topic that captivates you!
@Antonio-uc7vn Жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma there is also shunyata concept in hindu texts
@lorettas11714 жыл бұрын
Good Morning, Great lecture - Very well thought out - Good talk Doug - on this specific topic, looking forward to the next - follow up, Thank You..
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Simon! 🙏
@xiaomaozen3 жыл бұрын
I first stumbled upon "emptiness" due to my engagement with Chan/Zen, and I've always understood it as the absence of a permanent self or essence. But unfortunately some (or should I say: most?) authors made and make a thing, a metaphysical entity out of "emptiness". They reify "it". So that it ultimately resembles "brahman" again. That's one reason why I came back to Early Buddhism. Thanks for this brilliant video, Doug! ❤
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Yes it can get quite confusing. You're very welcome xiao mao! 🙏
@patrickkeyes5916 Жыл бұрын
This is invaluable-clear, helpful, well-informed, well-explained and fair minded.
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much Patrick. 🙏
@blackhunk22654 жыл бұрын
You lectures are informative, increase knowledge and interest..
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much I Bhardwaj!
@brianreeves4 жыл бұрын
I am continually blown away by your videos, thank you Doug.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
You're very welcome Brian! Thanks for the comment.
@kierkiboy Жыл бұрын
Your channel is full of so many insightful and clearly explained videos. You're really making a difference Doug. Thank you for all the content you're putting out into the world, it's really helping me a lot in my life.
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
My pleasure, glad it is useful to you! 🙏
@noahdanielg4 жыл бұрын
The concept of Sunyatā is very beautiful to me, and reminds me of Hinduism's Advaita. Thanks for all the videos Doug! (Our class passed the Buddhism exam with great succes, in part thanks to your explanations!)
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Hey that's great to hear Noah! Glad they've been helpful to you. 🙏
@Raj-sc8qs3 жыл бұрын
This two should not be mixed they are totally different..... Shunya and Advait vedant
@JayaDevaMusic3 жыл бұрын
@@Raj-sc8qs Both concepts can be mixed, in the porridge of the mind. Both of them have many similarities, and both can dance toghether. You can change that slokah of Poornam for Shunyam easily.
@Raj-sc8qs3 жыл бұрын
@@JayaDevaMusic greg-goode.com/article/from-advaita-to-emptiness/ No they aren't same, kindly read this article
@kaustubhnigam6283 жыл бұрын
@@Raj-sc8qs why aren't they same ??? And why are they different ?? Bro I have many doubts , will you try to clear it for me
@paulthomas2814 ай бұрын
Wonderful, accessible introduction.
@DougsDharma4 ай бұрын
Many thanks!
@jgarciajr82 Жыл бұрын
We are not selves but we are persons 🙏❤️
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
Well, I guess that's one way to look at it! 😄
@ariefbudiman1544 Жыл бұрын
glad that such a deep and rich topic of buddhism is presented in english.. I learnt a lot
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
My pleasure, Arief. 🙏
@ScottSee Жыл бұрын
Nice shirt. My grandfather was in the Black Watch battalion.
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
Thanks, yes it's a pretty pattern!
@sidstovell21774 жыл бұрын
...attainment too is emptiness'. Thank you, Doug.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
You’re very welcome Sid! 🙏
@parkpatt2 жыл бұрын
4:10 I like the parallel between this idea of fullness and the mathematical concept of infinity 14:15 this interpretation of the middle way really resonates with me, and expands my understanding. Such a beautiful idea.
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
My pleasure, Parker. Glad you find the material useful. 🙏
@manojsaranathan67062 жыл бұрын
I was exactly thinking the same thing- infinity minus infinity is still infinity
@swaminic Жыл бұрын
Everything arises dependent on causes, which in turn are dependent on other causes. This chain of causation can never be traced back to an independent thing. Thus nothing has a separate existence from anything else, they are completely embedded in a network of relationships that include the whole universe and all time. As a result there is no thing that can be separated out from this network, nothing has an independent existence, nothing has a “self” separate from an “other”. Nagajuna is very good in interpreting this.
@MrCmon113 Жыл бұрын
Yes, I think the central mistake is to give heuristics and accounting tricks metaphysical or ontological character. We can treat a leopard as an agent making decisions and predict it's behavior in a computationally efficient way, but that doesn't mean that there's actually a leopard spirit floating around in the aether. Similarly we can use counterfactuals to guide our understanding and actions, but that doesn't mean that somehow things really could have been different.
@philmcdonald60882 жыл бұрын
thank you for your clear and skillful teachings. rest in present awareness be still close eyes listen to your breathing".
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
🙏😊
@Alexlinnk5 ай бұрын
Thank you, invaluable information
@DougsDharma5 ай бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@BrennosNetwork2 жыл бұрын
Great synthesis, thank you. Been working on those distinctions for a while
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
Cool, my pleasure Les Druides!
@cecehurst35094 жыл бұрын
Thanks, helping me think deeper for my eastern philosophy paper. Since I’m missing out on in person discussion that I really need for philosophies. Corona sucks
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Yes it’s too bad but I’m happy to help out! 🙂
@cecehurst35094 жыл бұрын
Doug's Dharma do you have any insight on the perfection of wisdom tradition and how it relates to Buddha’s basic teachings?
@benjaminben23923 жыл бұрын
Thnanks Doug Besides clarity n earnst 2 honest unbiased Understandg of an honest 2 gdness being We can feel the genleness n steadfsatness in all yr convictions Tq again
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
🙏🙂
@arun.kahaduwaarachchi2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for enlightening us with such great topics.
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
My pleasure, Arun! 🙏
@marcosdaniel74924 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for this video! Great info.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
You're very welcome Marcos! Glad you found it interesting.
@EFerri3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this!
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
You're so welcome!
@corpuscallosum4184 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for your videos, they are really helpful and orientational. Looking forward for the video on emptiness meditation. :)
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
You're very welcome Corpus Callosum, the early practice video will be out next week. 🙂
@toohdvaetihom70883 жыл бұрын
You present both Buddhist and Hindu ideas very neutrally and without any bias. I like that.
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
I try my best to be as neutral as I can given the evidence. 🙏
@kms57502 жыл бұрын
Hindu religion never have teach sunyata. Stop your proboganda What is sunyata do you know
@wladddkn15172 жыл бұрын
@@kms5750 Siva is Sunyata
@nextgen89042 жыл бұрын
@@wladddkn1517 no shiva is black hall
@nextgen89042 жыл бұрын
@@wladddkn1517 no shiva is dark matter
@dolkarlhamo95222 жыл бұрын
As bhuddism generally focused as our mind is everything... If we can control mind, we can achieve everything.. so if you can explain on this point then we would be very happy
@perfectsims Жыл бұрын
Thank you Doug!!
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
My pleasure!
@victorroux4932 жыл бұрын
Finally I get it. The law of nature is impermanence. Iam constantly changing at cellular level. Therefore I cannot point to something permanent. The conclusion then the self does not exist.
@chengatang44 жыл бұрын
very clear and concise explanation, thank you so much!
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
You're very welcome chengatang4! Thanks for the comment.
@PavaniGanga2 жыл бұрын
Clarifying and fascinating! Till today I never understood the process by which Shakyamuni's teaching eventuated in notions of Dharmakaya, Cosmic Buddhas, Pure Lands, a raft of esoteric correspondences (e.g., Dhyani Buddhas with four directions and specific colors), et cetera. OMG. The Trojan horse of Emptiness re-imagined. Dependent origination can then be correlated with the limiting and conditioning impositions of Maya Shakti by which Brahman (aka Buddha-nature) can appear as this universe. Finally, the extravagant entertainment of Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra can be placed in context. No wonder the Buddha has only to press the ground with his big toe and everything is revealed as the Pure Land. No wonder I, a "non-dual" path Shiva devotee feel my own faith confirmed by characteristic attitudes and practical recommendations of the Chinese Huayan-Chan-Pure Land symbiosis. I'm an old lady now. But even if I had my life to live over, I could never find anything more interesting than the family of ideas/visions that emerged from India.
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
Yes, it all does merge together, depending on how it's interpreted.
@perfectsims Жыл бұрын
Love you Doug!! And your channel…….💜💜💜💜💜💜💜…….Liked and Subscribed.☝️
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
Awesome! Thank you and welcome aboard! 😊
@commonsensenowplease4084 жыл бұрын
Awesome video. Thank you sir!
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
You’re very welcome CommonSenseNow!
@handynas65294 жыл бұрын
I heard from a Chinese venerable that Emptiness is none other then 2 of the 3 marks of existence - that of change and non-self...I believe this then allures to the 3rd mark - that which is subject to change and is not-self is thus unsatisfactory...
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
That's certainly a reasonable way to understand it handy nas, thanks!
@Magnulus764 жыл бұрын
It all comes down to the limitations of language, as in practice, both systems (Advaita and Buddhism) are nondualist. The real differences are political. Atman and Brahman were concepts that were part of the Brahminical system, which was believed to be a divinely revealed system. Buddha never claimed his religion was divinely revealed, on the contrary. So he's emphasizing the interdependence of phenomena or dharmas, rather than their origins in some kind of divinely revealed order.
@RAHIMKHAN-bc9kk Жыл бұрын
You made a good point.
@sonamtshering1942 ай бұрын
Emptiness just affirms the interdependence of all phenomena
@Tusmylon3 жыл бұрын
Hi Doug! Great content:) Just want to comment that the there are also parts of the Pali suttas that were not present in Chinese agama (meaning that it might have been written down later) and vice versa. This would also means that the Pali Canon isn't necessarily the 'most original' version of Buddhavacana, it is simply the only complete surviving text written in its original language of writing. Unfortunately, because the Chinese agama was composed from at least 4 different early Buddhist schools, it is quite difficult to ascertain which parts can truly be considered the original. For example the turning the wheel of dhamma sutta was written in a rather different manner in the Sarvastivada version (yet the way it was written in the sarvastivada version makes more sense chronologically if put alongside another Pali sutta which describes the same event)
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
The comparative study of the Āgamas and Pāli Nikāyas is still somewhat in its infancy. Bhikkhu Anālayo has done a lot of work on that front, and I'm always learning from his studies.
@Tusmylon3 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma Yes! Bhikkhu Sujato also did some great work in this area. His book on 'history of mindfulness' was very insightful, although can feel quite condensed.
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
@@Tusmylon Yes, I did a video dealing with Bhante Sujato's book awhile back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jn7Xk4mFgJlgaZI
@sherelak4 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much ... !
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
You are welcome!
@briansprock224810 ай бұрын
Hi Dough,.... permenance or impermanance are the same coin. Just like science saying change is the only constant. The non-dual philosophy. Indeed, the skillful application of internal dialogue to further and go deeper into stillness/emptiness. Emptiness or fullness, is the same story of when the Buddha was sked if there is or isn't a God when he knew to give what answer seeing clearly why they asked that particular question. This is why I liked the books of other traditions and even those of Castañeda For me there is really no one there, but I'm not in a constant state of absorption to realy intensly iron out the wrinkles so as to go beyond the threshold. I would think right understanding is to have the right insight to build up to go beyond, which is much like priming and focussing the mind to go inyñto a controlled letting go. Our minds given the right space will solve itself much like creeping slime mold does find the most effective way through a maze. There is no one at the wheel, but still being the silent observer at the same time.
@samo4003 Жыл бұрын
I once asked my guru, which is more fundamental, emptiness or dependent origination. He answered emptiness which confirmed what I have been thinking for a while. My view is that from emptiness arises dependent origination which creates and is the reality in the realm in which everything is relative, and where time is beginless and endless and so too is space. In parallel to the realm of the relative or the realm of phenomena, there is another realm/dimension as mentioned by the Buddha in Udana 8 and there is an intimate connection between these two realms which I see as being two sides of the same coin.
@andreyacates44243 жыл бұрын
Have you ever considered making guided meditations? Your voice is very calming
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
It's something I've considered; I might do so eventually, we'll see! 🙂
@andreyacates44243 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma I'd be the first listener 😊
@georgeice43894 жыл бұрын
Hint to grasp emptiness:: look to the present reality with the memory of past reality.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Yes, thanks George. That's a good way to highlight change.
@JayaDevaMusic3 жыл бұрын
Beautiful
@kms57502 жыл бұрын
Suneyata is really interesting 👌 very important teaching
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
Yes, I agree!
@victorroux4932 жыл бұрын
Wow great explanations
@chinkayeok61172 жыл бұрын
Profound wisdom / Prajna Paramita sutras brought me here. Recite it like this 'Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi suvha' You may want to visit Bob Harris teaching on this sutra.
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@nordmende732 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@Tom-sd9jb Жыл бұрын
The understanding I get from other sources is that "emptiness" is a bit of a misunderstanding, where the word interconnected/interdependent in a web is possibly more appropriate if you're looking for one word. So the idea of a chariot - it is not a chariot, in itself but only a chariot because of its constituents and it's use. It is not a chariot but it is the wheels, and everything that went into making it. It is not a chariot but the wood that and metal that went into making it's planks. The horses, the grain they eat. It is the people that were needed to chop the wood and craft it. It is the food that fed those people, the rain that watered those crops, the instects that pollinated them, the dead matter that provided nutrients and so on and so forth until you get to... I don't know... Everything and nothing. We are empty because without everything else we wouldn't exist. We are only the sum of all of our parts. What do you think of this interpretation on "Emptiness"? Alas, for the curse of thoughts lost in translation.
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
Well the word "suññatā" does mean "emptiness," and the practices used in (for example) the shorter discourse on emptiness are about lack of things rather than (say) about interconnection or interdependence. See my video at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpOrlKSLo7x1osU . The notion that "emptiness" connoted interconnection and interdependence appears to be a later teaching, as expressed for instance in the metaphor of Indra's Net. I have a video on that as well, and on the Buddhist notion of interdependence: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYKxaKaMosieqdE .
@Mountain_Dhamma Жыл бұрын
Hi Doug, what do you make of the Buddha’s declaration to Mogharaja? “Be ever mindful Mogha Raja, see the world as empty, and abandon thoughts of self”
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
I would have to know the context to be sure, but it sounds like a declaration of anatta.
@SHurd-rc2go4 жыл бұрын
'Not even wisdom to attain Attainment too is emptiness' Still trying. Thanks, Doug.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Indeed it is! Thanks S. Hurd. 🙏
@konstantinNeo11 ай бұрын
The "fullness" is the property on onenenes or wholenes, something that is undivided.
@lotusblossom108 Жыл бұрын
Gandharan canon also is part of this, pointing at alternate early-material texts.
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
The Gandharan canon includes some material from the early texts as well as some later material. Exciting stuff.
@happylum3 жыл бұрын
Hi Doug great to see your new videos. I have been a Mahayana practicing Buddhist for 30 years - or so I think:) It was only in 2018 that when I talked to a Theravada Buddhist that I found our the notion of "emptiness" was NEVER present in Theravada! I was shock to hear that because I always assume the concept of emptiness is prevalent among all Buddhist schools. This Theravada Buddhist went on to say the notion of Anata is always present in Theravada and one achieves Anata, one becomes an Arhat. The concept of emptiness, though present in Pali canon, could have been briefly mentioned or discussed by the Buddha. It was indeed further developed in Prajnaparamita sutras. But the Theravadans do not recognize these Mahayana sutras because they evolved only about 600 years after the Buddha's passing. The Tiantai School of China has marked out the different periods of the the Buddha's life that he spent teaching from the four noble truths, twelve dependent originations, prajnaparamita sutras, etc. I do not know how they got their source. DIFFERENT TRANSLATORS - could have translated differently. In the past, I always thought all translators would be have translated all sutras and even tantras the same. But lately, I discovered that assumption is very wrong! I recently, got to read some of the tantras translated into English and I found that there were indeed some minor to major differences. For example, the Chinese version would read 8,000 mantras while the English one reads 1080. Its the exact same tantra and yet translated to differently. I just wonder if its the translators that added their own ideas into it.
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Yes Buddhist history is fascinating happylum! And there are indeed questions and matters of interpretation every time we consider a translation. Sometimes the translators simply make errors, everyone does. One small point though which is that in these videos what I'm discussing is more "early Buddhism" than "Theravāda". Theravāda dhamma is based upon later teachings as well such as the abhidhamma.
@flyingspaghettimonster29252 жыл бұрын
Attributing later texts to Buddha is a classic way to legitimize your work. Likely made up.
@middlewayers Жыл бұрын
Concept of emptiness is present in theravada..i can give you reference
@alakso7772 ай бұрын
🙏🏼
@yifuxero540811 ай бұрын
Complete story of Emptiness from Nagarjuna to the modern Shentong School of Tibetan Buddhism at "Swami Sarvapriyananada - Emptiness".
@mingyaowu77202 жыл бұрын
I don't know how to explain this "nothingness " or "emptiness". It does not mean really empty. It takes many years and with many ups and downs in life for me to understand this. Even now not fully understand to full content. But, back then if you tell me "emptiness" I would be scare. Cause thought really empty. Very hard to explain in words what this means. As life goes on. I slowly feel this "emptiness" very useful in our daily lives. It helps me let go and be relieved in many things. Well as a simple human life myself. Yes I might not reach that so called spiritual awakening. But, as life goes on you start to realise many things are not permanent and at times you need to let go. At times just a simple of sitting down in a corner drinking that coffee or tea unwind to me also considering a simple mediation or I call the let go or empty negative thoughts moments.
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
Yes exactly so. It's good to see it in the frame of practice like that. 🙏
@aidanharrison38882 жыл бұрын
In the context of shunyata the phrase " Scooby dooby doo where are you ? " Is profound .
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
😄
@manufacturedreality87064 жыл бұрын
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~Lao-Tzu.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Yes, and it's also important to become aware of what is most skillful.
@blackhunk22654 жыл бұрын
What types of. Questions I list about study effect of post vipassana (meditation) regular practice. How vipassana impact on Vipassana practioners' individuals behavior and social relationship ?
@eladsinger92155 ай бұрын
Hi Dr. Dharma---would you say that idappaccayata is the "god" of the religion of Buddhism? Bhuddadasa, the Thai forest monk said as much in his writing at Suan Mokkh. I was trying to find more info on that concept. Thanks....
@DougsDharma5 ай бұрын
That’s the concept of conditionality, as in dependent origination. I wouldn’t say it’s anything much like a “god” though.
@eladsinger92155 ай бұрын
I listed the link where you can see Bhuddadasa's book. He explicitly refers to the law of dependent origination as a 'god' that 'creates' everything in the Universe. @@DougsDharma
@rodgerricketts3353 Жыл бұрын
Sorry but Emptiness is not a notion that The Buddha came up with as an abstract construction. It is clear in his teachings that his knowledge of Emptiness was based on his experience of Awakening. As I wrote in my books...'We know that the Buddha’s Awakening was a life-altering experience which gave him a radically new perspective. Awakening, or pure experience, unveiled for the Buddha the cognitively-based, dependent, complementary relationship of the subject-object world. In other words, his enlightened mind became free of the dichotomy of subject and object. This was a crucial distinction between mind and mind events. ‘Mind’ is understood as a direct awareness without any conceptualization, while mind events arise immediately when they become identified with an object. So, although there is a mind at pure experience that exists without mental events, we don’t normally experience this. It was through this experience of emptiness that the Buddha confirmed that meditation allowed him to experience non-substantial wholeness. The Buddha had the experience of freedom which provided a superior criterion of certainty rooted in actual experiential knowledge. The obstacle of mental constructions, ignorance, and its accompanying egotistical, driven self, was removed'....Best wishes...
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
Thanks for that, Roger. FWIW I did an earlier video on non-dualism in early Buddhism: kzbin.info/www/bejne/amTZZ5-CrMqoock
@mcgee2274 ай бұрын
A completely moot point. It all came from the same place, it is all concepts. Therefore empty
@ryandigiovanni27244 жыл бұрын
Can you please do a video about the dalai lama and his supposed reincarnation and chinas political exploitation of his leadership to unite tibet. How do we feel about the tradition of finding a new dalai lama in tibetan buddhism? Thank you in advance
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the suggestion Ryan. It's a very sad issue. My practice is secular, so I view things like the claimed reincarnations of important people to be more about sociopolitics than anything.
@oliverbravo13212 жыл бұрын
Hi Doug, it's Oliver from Barcelona. I've been reading the early texts and watching your videos, and there seems to be a contradiction (or rather a misunderstanding of mine) that I'd be greatful if you could elaborate on. In previous videos of yours you've understood (maybe wrongly) that the formless attainments are not conducive to enlightenment, and that is the reason why the form jhanas are higlighted rather than the formless attainments. However, from my understanding of the topic, and you actually mentioned it in this particular video, the formless attainments are indeed conducive to enlightenment by realising their impermanence and dependence upon form (perception, bodily organs that allow perception, etc). So, with this understanding, both form and formless jhanas are equally leading to awakening. On the other hand, this would also make sense if we had a look at the three realms of existance, as this understading makes it possible to attain enlightenment through the three realms (in Mara's realm by becoming enlightened within this current lifetime of ours, in the jhanas' realm by fully attaining the 4th jhana, and in the formless attainments' realm by understanding the impermanence of the very last attainment upon reaching it). Following this reasoning, there won't be any need of moving from the formless attainments' realm to the jhanas' or Mara's realm to attain enlightenment in future lifetimes. I wonder what you make of all this. I'm deeply grateful for these videos of yours. May your generosity and wisdom bear fruit. With deep love and respect, Oliver Myôsen
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much Oliver. It's a bit of a conundrum in early Buddhism how to approach these states of deep samādhi. On the one hand, in his own search for enlightenment the Buddha-to-be left behind the formless attainments as essentially unedifying, as not leading to nibbāna. On the other hand, there are suttas from later on in the Buddha's life when he or others state pretty clearly that any deep state of samādhi can lead to nibbāna if understood and investigated wisely enough. It might be worth my making a video on this conundrum eventually, so I'll write it on the list. I'll be doing some upcoming videos on these sorts of states, so I may add it. 🙏
@oliverbravo13212 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma Thank you so much for your answer. I'm looking forward to your next videos 🙏🏼
@mapetlv10 ай бұрын
was the video on topic of jhanas made?@@DougsDharma
@DougsDharma10 ай бұрын
There is this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/emq1mIeHhdN6aqM
@AbhishekDabhanim3 жыл бұрын
Does the Madhyamaka concept of sunyata negates the ultimate transcendental reality? I have read that post nagarjuna philosophers actually said only truth is the conventional truth and the ultimate truth is also conventional because purpose of it is to deny the transcendental reality. Like chair existing in a room and chair non existing in a room. There's nothing like non existing chair. That's why they claimed emptiness itself is empty. What do you think? My another question is if this concept developed by madhyamaka can be used to deny even rebirth, god and other supernatural claims from other school of buddhism?
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Well take a look at my videos on the Two Truths. Here is the first one on origins: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p33CpKamf9-Erpo , then there's a second one that discusses a bit about Nāgārjuna.
@camillamoen75302 жыл бұрын
For me it’s difficult to differentiate emptiness/lack of attachment and indifference… if you are indifferent, it seems difficult to not be pacified and to bother doing things that are good for you, but more challenging. Would you be able to offer some insight on this? Mostly how to motivate yourself without attachment:p
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
I think lack of motivation usually stems from something more like depression or boredom. We can be encouraged and energized even by things with which we are not identified. That said, check out this earlier video for a nuance: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIXUmpWCgr5kgq8
@camillamoen75302 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma amazing, thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I will check out the video you linked:)
@FromPlanetZX2 жыл бұрын
Nagarjuna copied Neti-Neti concept for describing Brahm from Vedas and popularised sunyavad(emptiness/void/no-thing) concept by codifying it. However Ashvagosh had already mentioned it in earlier Buddhist text.
@christalhat96064 жыл бұрын
Is it true that some schools of Buddhism (like Dzogchen) consider perceived reality literally unreal like a dream ? Maybe I am an ignorant lay person but it sounds rather depressing because supporting and loving people then makes no more sense if they are actually not existing.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
There is some discussion of reality being like a dream in various schools of Buddhism. Exactly how seriously we are to take such claims depends on the case, it’s hard to generalize and different people will interpret that differently.
@sawtoothiandi4 жыл бұрын
Why not choose to love and support people in your dream?
@winniekhongkp4 жыл бұрын
Christmas Hat ... u need to investigate further.
@winniekhongkp4 жыл бұрын
Sorry ... speller auto correct .. It shld b Christal Hat
@radekkubica60893 жыл бұрын
Christal hat I have the same impression like u mate.
@uuutuuube36914 жыл бұрын
I like the history because it helps me understand where the practice comes from but I'd like more on emptiness philosophy and practice and less on the "study" . However that is the best video of yours I have seen, i wish i could explain why it was so engaging but i cant put my finger on it. Sorry
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Thanks John. I do have a separate video on emptiness practice that should be linked to there in the show notes or somewhere.
@uuutuuube36914 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma I will find it
@uuutuuube36914 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma Hi Doug, Is there a particular reason why you chose calmer, wiser and kinder? Ie is there teaching on those aspects? I was thinking about it this morning and it seems to me that they are mutually reinforcing if im kinder I will be calmer ( less thinking about me for one thing) if I'm calmer I can make more room to see wisdom and so on. So to contradict a previous e-mail of mine is there particular Buddhist teaching on these? I havent seen 3 anythings yet but I bet there are. Thanks John
@blackhunk22654 жыл бұрын
Doing sir, I am seriously on need of preparing questionnaire for my responends who are practicing vipassana . I am a PhD student .
@FasTeaa2 жыл бұрын
Mr.Doug, we must never keep the statue of Lord Buddha below its traditionally kept in a special shrine above human Tallness. Sorry if rude
@Graviton-cc9bn3 жыл бұрын
Well, shunyata in sanskrit should mean zeroness or nothingness, why is it called as emptiness?
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
It doesn't really mean nothingness since that would imply the Buddha was arguing for nihilism. Instead the Buddha argues that śūnyatā is a middle way between eternalism and nihilism, through dependent origination. So a different word is needed. "Emptiness" implies "empty of (an eternal) self".
@imnotbilly8480 Жыл бұрын
At 5:34 what you're describing is advaita vedanta. Change out the words Brahman and atman With the word energy and you have exactly what quantum physicists are saying about the universe today.
@VBL16 Жыл бұрын
shunyata is not 1 advaita is not 2 in brahman there is still I ,shunyata is beyond brahman
@imnotbilly8480 Жыл бұрын
Well actually they're both just opinions from ordinary people like you and me so both of them could be wrong and probably are wrong.
@georgekuttygeorge82476 ай бұрын
Indescribable nature of Reality to me is a more convincing explanation for emptiness...I have heard that Buddha himself said that one should not cling to the idea of emptiness as an absolute argument.
@DougsDharma6 ай бұрын
Do you have a reference for that statement of the Buddha?
@georgekuttygeorge82476 ай бұрын
@@DougsDharma Thomas J McFarlance - Meaning of Shunyata as per Nagarjuna
@georgekuttygeorge82476 ай бұрын
@@DougsDharma Prsannapada on Karika 13.8.. I think commentry on Mool Madhyamika Karika
Emptiness has another side, conceptual emptiness. It is not just empty of self but also empty of concepts in all objects appearing on consciousness. E.g., chariot, rainbow, body parts. Is my understanding correct?
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Well perhaps so, though this is a later interpretation of the concept of emptiness.
@purumr3 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma thanks for the reply. When you say later interpretation, when was it? Is it during nagarjuna's time or 8th century Mahayana tradition or nyingma/mahamutra sub school time or 13th century Soto Zen time or new age 1970's time? Sorry if I'm being specific. I am just curious because recognition of conceptual emptiness really helped me in my spiritual path.
@comentario-ur8rd2 жыл бұрын
According to Adyashanti, the emptiness of Buddhism is more similar to our concept of spirit than to our concept of nothingness
@4imagesmore4 жыл бұрын
The three characteristics of "reality" - or the three perceptions? I think Thanissaro Bhikkhu describes them thusly? What do you make of this? Thank-you.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
The simple answer is that they can be understood either way. The Buddha doesn't really distinguish these two interpretations, though he does talk about "contact" with forms, sights, sounds, etc., which themselves would have these three characteristics.
@SuperYouthful4 жыл бұрын
Oh yeah... ms. Buddha... I will DEFINITELY modify this...
@emilromanoagramonte91902 жыл бұрын
I Wonder if you could provide the original Hindu teaching of the vedic literatura about fullness,that you quote as the source of the Buddha's teaching? Thank you!
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
Well it wouldn't have been Hindu at that time, it predates modern Hinduism. Instead it's from the early Upaniṣads. Essentially it's talking about the unity of the self (ātman) with the universal principle of Brahman.
@emilromanoagramonte91902 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma Thank you, indeep not Hindu... but part of a tradition that May have more importance than we realized... From emptyness, fullness arrive, the moment we wake from it and see the totality without focusing in the specific. Zero turn into one, and from these, two naturally arrive... I am curious how the ancient sages saw it... zero and one, give us the original diad, from were the World of Brahma appear and it continúe the creative process that is the work of zero... Following the Buddha these give us the poétical manifestation of reality... alaya and samsara... OR so it can be seen that way... Sorry, I forgot to take the medicine... Deep Gassho!
@mawi76442 жыл бұрын
Can I ask. Does experiencing the "emptiness" just come to you or something that is practiced in meditation?
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
I think it depends on the person and the context. This video is about a meditation on emptiness, so the experience here will be gained through meditative practice.
@unknowngaming32569 ай бұрын
I am confused can you help? Can you use something like a example please
@DougsDharma9 ай бұрын
An example of what?
@unknowngaming32569 ай бұрын
@@DougsDharma I don’t really understand nothingness like what it means
@DougsDharma9 ай бұрын
@@unknowngaming3256 Check out the accompanying video on early practice with emptiness. It contains meditation examples: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpOrlKSLo7x1osU
@acatssoftnose39403 жыл бұрын
So emptiness is the middle way between saying something exists and that nothing exists?
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Well sort of, yes. The Buddha said it was a middle way between eternalism and nihilism. Eternalism is sort of the idea that everything exists forever in some fixed way, and nihilism is that nothing exists.
@counterculture102 жыл бұрын
Hi Doug, Quick question: I've heard nirvana and emptiness described as "non-existence." Is this the case? Thanks
@DougsDharma2 жыл бұрын
I think that would be a misunderstanding.
@counterculture102 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma I agree
@Fukiran73 жыл бұрын
All phenomena is void of an intrinsic personal self because the world is interdependent and coexistencening
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Well yes, that's one way to look at it.
@sdnnir47234 жыл бұрын
Hello doug, i have a trouble with the concept of the emptiness on what does it really mean. Because buddha did always about non self or anatta. That means there are nothing to cling and grab in world or everything doesnt mean the term 'mine' probably the five aggregates. That is to make the viwe of people right or right viwe. The right viwe is the one that tend to stop the three sin roots and every sins associated with it. For ex. Main reasons for make person a liar is thier particular needs based on ignorance or can be the enjoyment based on particular desires. So right viwe take the person away from these as the main sin root ignorance that make wrong viwe is stoped . There are suthras of these informations. But i realy have a trouble with how emptiness connect with that as it end up from its definition 'emty'.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Well "empty" can be thought of as "empty of a self or anything belonging to a self". In the way you put it, that would mean "empty of anything to cling and grab".
@sdnnir47234 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma Ok thanks. But one thing which i see is that emptiness is based on things that we see and non self is based on what we do.
@user-Void-Star4 жыл бұрын
@@sdnnir4723 it takes time think more and read many books on Sunyata. You will understand later. It takes time so don't get frustrated lol
@sharanagato4 жыл бұрын
The sloka is not from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, It is from Isha-vashya Upanishad.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
It’s Brhadaranyaka 5.1.1.
@nsbd90now Жыл бұрын
Kind of funny trying to talk about parts of the human experience of reality that are ineffable. In some ways it seems to me a both/and situation with "fullness 'n emptiness" depending on how you approach the issues. Also, definitely a difficult process for someone raised in the Abrahamic Traditions to realize that nsbd90now does not continue past death... i.e. there is no "soul"... but is just another form of energy-matter that rises up from "The Unified Field" (a terrific, pertinent song by IAM{X} check it out!) and then dissolves back into it. And yet... eventually that then becomes a kind of odd wide-open vista... "I" am aware of nsbd90now as an object among all the others of which "I" am currently aware. But of course, that "I" isn't really any thing, is it? And while it isn't nsbd90now, it does seem like "me". Maybe. 😀 I've heard you mention in vids that you don't have a "literal" sense of reincarnation which hits me at this point as "yeah, of course". Seems more like a metaphor for how rare it is to achieve existential success and be an arahat, and how much work and practice it takes for most people. (Or, at least how much it's taking me! lol!) Another aspect of all this seems like it has to do with how we experience time as a flow. Today, we know that is an illusion, not the reality, but is the reality of our experience of reality. That makes the universe kind of like a set, static object that isn't actually changing other than from our perspective. Anyway, these are among my favorite topics and I sure do appreciate your videos on them!
@DougsDharma Жыл бұрын
Happy to oblige! 😊
@shivendias96023 жыл бұрын
Do you think that the concept or emptiness is the same as the Hindu concept of Brahman. Because in some ways they are both talking about the same thing. If you were to have a cup with nothing in it, you could call it empty or full. The Buddhists say it’s empty but the Hindus say it’s full. Do you think these are the same things?
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Well there are certainly similarities there, though it would sound offhand as though these are sort of opposites.
@shivendias96023 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma I have heard of the Ananda sutta where the Buddha is asked by a Brahmin whether there is a self or whether there is no self. The Buddha doesn't reply. He is then asked by Ananda why he didn't answer, and the Buddha said that there is neither a self nor no self. Instead their is a middle way between externalism and nihilism. Advaita Vedanta, the concept of Brahman also takes the middle way by saying that there is no eternal individual self. This school of philosophy agrees with the Buddha in saying that all concepts of individuality are false. Instead their is an Atma, however, it is impersonal and our individual consciousness is the same as the cosmic consciousness. Do you think it is the same as the Buddhist concept of Shunyata which says that all beings arose from the void, where the void is = to Brahman?
@kaustubhnigam6283 жыл бұрын
@@shivendias9602 good question dude I have this same doubt But if we are from void , then is the void from us ??? Because it is also arising dependely and not independently
@rajivbaisoya42923 жыл бұрын
Hindu says soul is permanent and look inside all is inner self. disagree with both as never got anywhere with it so far, no help. bhudha was great psychologist, understood falacy, great detail on frugality of human mind. but aloofness of monastery is sad from family life. bhudhism was tough for early hindus to convert, less than Jainism. liked empty ness concept.
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Yes the monastic life is very rigorous and not very popular as a result. I think nowadays there are more "middle ground" practices that encompass the lay life but include some monastic practices such as meditation that can be very useful. Hopefully it will make a difference.
@benjaminben23923 жыл бұрын
Ps Consciousness
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Consciousness is a way to understand emptiness in the Yogācāra tradition, yes.
@generalu.gooshe5 ай бұрын
Salam Alekhum. Who sweeps the streets in Wellington when we got Polynesians out? Because I am not doing it. Make it make sense to me, then you speak to me. Cool??
@SusmitaBarua_mita4 жыл бұрын
Interesting ...Emptiness described as Fullness (Brahman) in Brhadaryanka Upanishad. No discourse in emptiness; in chinese emptiness added as 4th after 3 marks of existence. In Pali sunnyata Imho is the direct Realization/supramundane experience of Non-Self as fruit of stages of awakening.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Susmita. I'd say following Bhikkhu Bodhi that emptiness was the Buddha's rejection of the "fullness" doctrine of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka; they aren't the same thing, but opposites. And there are two major discourses on emptiness in Pāli.
@JayaDevaMusic3 жыл бұрын
Heat and Cold are opposites but as well both of them are temperature. Hatred and love are opposites but both of them are emotions. Black and White are opposite colours but both are just colours. And we can continue going on with all kind of opposites. So easily Poornam and Emptiness are seemingly opposites but both of them are concepts or visions of the same reality or existence. So .. there is not a big problem at all with this two. It's just the mind trying to grasp reality, existence. We could say existence, reality is full, and empty, and it's hot, and cold, and black and white and its love and hate, all of them are qualities of existence. There is place for all of them.
@Raj-sc8qs3 жыл бұрын
@@JayaDevaMusic sir if i ask you..... What if i say Emotions are empty of independent existence.... This means there is nothing like love and hatred existed without emotion, but here emotions are too empty, empty of independent existence .....। Even emptiness is empty sir....so How can you say both shunyam and purnam are same thing..... It could be sad so if we just stop at emptiness, but we do not stop at emptiness we take one more step that emptiness is even itself empty of Emptiness 🙏🙏🙏
@JayaDevaMusic3 жыл бұрын
@@Raj-sc8qs close your eyes.. feel emptiness.. now feel poornam... everything that you see.. that you know.. that you can gasp of this reality is trough your perception, senses, and mind. You can perceive emptiness cos you are empty, you can perceive fullness cos you are Poornam. The infinite is dwelling, boundless, unattached, empty, full, its beyond gunas, understanding. So it can have all the qualities and none. it doesnt matter.. its just the mind trying to grasp. Name it silence. Name it love. Consciousness. All the saints try to describe it, so ones see it as empty, and it's true and others as fullness and its also true. Its the perception of the infinite.
@Raj-sc8qs3 жыл бұрын
@@JayaDevaMusic Sir......Emptiness even itself becomes Svabhava.....that means Svabhava of being empty and so the Fullness is also Svabhava..... Svabhava of Being full Sir here you are still holding, emptiness and fullness, because you are still holding svabhava.... Svabhava of Being empty and Being Full Swabhava means essence.... Essence of being full or being empty.... Here im saying that emptiness is empty of Essence...... Which means it is empty of emptiness and fullness both. Emptiness is empty of emptiness, it holds no essence neither emptiness nor fullness. However you are holding Fullness, and thinking that we too are holding emptiness. We don't say emptiness is every thing, and it is absolutely full and it is the ultimate emptiness is like a medicine given to a patient who has fall under prapancha. so Sir even this Emptiness is empty of Emptiness and fullness In this way these teachings are not same... You are not understanding sir, because you are wearing glasses of Advait Vedant. you have not understood emptiness, you are taking it as something which is absolute.....❌️ emptiness is not absolute, it is like medicine given to break all views, but people hold this Emptiness as absolute and full, so it becomes like a medicine which doesnt come out of stomach and makes the patient ill.
@shinjokagama75214 жыл бұрын
Your take on what emptiness means is interesting but it does not really help to understand what Buddha meant by 'emptiness is form and form is emptiness'. Buddha was an incredibly sharp dude with amazing skill in putting ideas into word. If he wanted to say empty our minds of negative thoughts etc he surely would not have used such perplexing phrases. May be he is saying something way deeper than what we are able to comprehend now. We have to explain the equation emptiness=form by not approaching it only from the religious angle. Buddha was not a self righteous i am the saver kind of religious nut. He was a very rational person and his teachings are based on reason and logic.
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment Shinjo. In the video I'm discussing emptiness in early Buddhism in particular. The phrase you cite is from the Heart Sutra which is quite a late text, from the early centuries of the Common Era. So the ideas cited in it are different from what one finds in those early texts.
@Sunshine-gi6ev4 жыл бұрын
Around 21:40 mts. of the video, you state that Nirvana is identified with a kind of emptiness or in other words, Nirvana could be defined as a kind of emptiness; this is fallacious because, except Arhants, nobody knows or understands Nirvana. It's a bad comparison, metaphor, simile or whatever you call it as. Anyhow, to me, Mahayana & Vajrayana are distorted or corrupted version of Buddhism because many brahmanic doctrine & ideology has been incorporated in their Abhidhamma Pitaka.
@anjalib22104 жыл бұрын
Sir it's Buddha Dhamma it's not Buddha Dharma There were many Buddha Stupa/Vihara/monasteries in India which have been converted into Temples🙁
@DougsDharma4 жыл бұрын
Yes dhamma is the Pāli term, but since dharma is already in English it works better and is less confusing. It's the same word anyway.
@kaustubhnigam6283 жыл бұрын
Both are same Buddha dharma = Buddha dhamma And btw , I have something to ask you on emptiness and dependent arising if you know about it ....
@kaustubhnigam6283 жыл бұрын
I wonder if you even know anything about it ...
@phraalanjames61843 жыл бұрын
THE BUDDHA NEVER SPOKE PALI. He probably spoke Magadhi (Magadhi Prakrit) and other local dialects. Pāli seems closely related to the Old Indo-Aryan Vedic and Sanskrit dialects; but is apparently not directly descended from either of these. Pāli in Sanskrit means 'a line, row, or series' and by extension 'sentence or text'. Hardly any Pali manuscripts are more than about 500 years old - with the vast majority being less than 300 years old. Thus it was a textual language used to preserve the teachings of the Buddha: NOT A SPOKEN ONE. In fact the earliest archaeological evidence of the existence of Pali is not on palm-leaf and not even to be found in India, but comes from Sri Ksetra, one of the Pyu city-states, of Burma/Myanmar. Buddhist literature begins with the oral instruction given by the Buddha himself to his immediate disciples. And even during his lifetime these teaching were being committed to memory & recited. Just how the language we call Pali originated we do not know - the physical evidence is scant, and the linguistic analysis is inconclusive. It appears to be an admixture of several dialects and effected by sanskritisation over time. The texts into which the Buddha's words came to be formalised were preserved orally by monks and nuns over many generations. It is also evident that just as there is a gap in time of nearly 400 years between the death of the Buddha and the writing down of the Pali Canon; and there is also a distance of some 1,500 miles between the area in which the Buddha lived & preached and where the Pali texts were eventually written down in central Sri Lanka; that it was during this much later time that the Pali language evolved.
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Yes thanks Alan. I’d simply respond that one of the leading experts on Pāli, Richard Gombrich, has argued in his most recent book “Buddhism and Pāli” that the Buddha spoke Pāli or at any rate some language very, very close to it. This is a controversial claim to be sure but it at least opens the door to the possibility among scholars.
@phraalanjames61843 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your reply Doug. Just a point that I think worth noting is that the importance of recording the Buddha's teachings in a textual language - rather than a spoken one - is that words in spoken languages have a tendency to change their meanings over time. One example I often use is the word 'gay'. As a child this word meant 'happy' (as in Wordsworth's poem 'Daffodils' where he wrote, "A poet could not but be gay in such a jocund company"). However, whereas in my childhood days I may have described my mood as 'gay', I would certainly never do so today given its radical shift of meaning. And, as Wittgenstein famously remarked, "The meaning of a word is its use." With a textual language like Pali the meanings of words remain - to all intents and purposes - static; precisely because they are not exposed to conversational usage. That aside, I want to congratulate you on presenting an impressive and enjoyable set of videos. You are doing an excellent job and are making a valuable contribution to the spread of the Buddha's Dhamma. Thank you and bless you Doug!
@kbgirel69653 жыл бұрын
I prefer Dhamma
@preciousreading19344 ай бұрын
Your thinking of 'Brihadaranyaka Upanishad' to have been around or written before Buddha is only correct, if this is found written in Dhamma script in pali. In fact from the page sample that can be seen in the Wikipedia is not even written on palm leaf but on paper and in 'debanaagari script'. This script and sanskrit was not fully developed and made in full use of it not before the 7th century. Get your research matured before false information getting propagated. It is in fact 'Brihadaranyaka Upanishad' was adopted from Buddhism very lately.
@Pantoffla3 жыл бұрын
Nagarjuna contributed to the biggest messy dizzinesse of emptiness. He got it all wrong and contributed to devilompent of min buddhist buddhism
@Pantoffla3 жыл бұрын
Right wiew...
@DougsDharma3 жыл бұрын
Well it all depends on how Nāgārjuna is interpreted, and his writings are notoriously difficult to interpret.
@Pantoffla3 жыл бұрын
@@DougsDharma We whill never know. Butt we can learn from the results off hes learnings...
@sugarfree18945 ай бұрын
Don't look at it too hard, it will disappear :)
@DougsDharma5 ай бұрын
😄
@stephenhoward2245 Жыл бұрын
Wrong
@TreeGreenOak9 ай бұрын
I don't think Tantra will agree with what you saying. Absolutely not we don't need to empty ourselves or withraw ourselves from the world in fact we can be more helpful to benefit all beings been in the world and we can never be separate from it. Fullness lies in all that we have and that is Tantra that is why it is an indestructible vehicle. What Buddha taught by emptiness is not what you saying in this video. Emptiness is misunderstood because lots of people I have met take in literally. Emptiness doesn't mean void which most people tell me. Emptiness refers to the phenomena of lack of inherent existence. Empty of what of self and independent existence. Buddha said it is empty because it is made of elements like and echo in the valley and cannot exist independently of mountains thus it is empty of its self-inherent existence. Also you talking about non-self which is also wrong there is nither self nor non-self both must be negated. Buddha nature is always empty of other never empty of itself. Like a cup can be empty but cannot be empty of itself that is why it is empty of other. The non-self is the wrong view. There is neither self nor there is non-self.
@DougsDharma9 ай бұрын
Well, read the suttas and see what the Buddha seems to have said. They are linked in the information box below the video.
@TreeGreenOak9 ай бұрын
@@DougsDharma I don't need to read Sutras I know that there is nither self nor non-self both are wrong. If there is no self there is no Buddha nature and no sentient beings and no one to save. Buddha nature is always present even in deep sleep when five skandhas are dissolved including consciousness yet you still pull a blanket on yourself or hug a pillow. I don't read suttras because I'm self-realised I know this from my own experience. I will explain you where you went wrong as obviously you are a scholar. Now when one meditates on the nature of mind one comes to the conclusion that there is no mind as it is used in Zen and thus because one cannot see mind concludes there is no such thing so he call it no-mind or no-self. However this is true and the reason why one got it wrong is because mind cannot see the mind just like the eye that can see but cannot see itself. Now in order for you to see you eye you need a mirror likewise to see mind you also need a mirror. The only way you see yourself is through other beings. All beings posses Buddha Natrue and have mind. If you ask every1 does rock have a mind or does a three have a mind? Any1 will say no but living beings have minds and Buddha Nature even theo they are not aware of it. I have a cat that digs litter every time he goes to the toilet and he likes it to be clean and noth filthy now is that an expression of no-self or is it and expression of Buddha Nature. Even tho animals not aware of their minds or emotions they still have Buddha's minds. If you look at an ant how diligent he is working for his ant nest and if you put sugar there he will come and eat it and spread the news to other ants to come. You cannot convince me that ant or a cat or any living being for that matter are self empty. Now Buddha nature is always empty of other never empty of itself. It is fullness compassion love joy and all these qualities are Buddha Nature. The only and true thing is our Buddha nature which is alwas present and always there it is knows without knowing it does without doing it is this mind that is hollness. The Buddha nature is not dependent on anything and thus is empty of everything except itself. It is our true self that is Buddha. If you like to know more about this, check out some books on Zhentong teachings that will clear your understanding.