I am planning to do a series of posts on the significance of Shunyata [Emptiness] in Zen (and other forms of Mahayana) Buddhism. I would be happy to receive any questions, comments, or suggestions on the thoughts and ideas expressed in this series.

Shunyata: Part 1

Introduction to Shunyata [Emptiness]

Depending on the version of Shobogenzo, Dogen’s commentary on the “Heart Sutra” is included as the first, second, or third fascicle (chapter). It is probably the first thing he wrote on his return from China. The Heart Sutra is the most popular of those Buddhist scriptures known as the Prajnaparamita Sutras (usually translated as “perfection of wisdom scriptures”). These are the Buddhist scriptures that deal most extensively with the Buddhist teachings on ‘Shunyata’ (usually translated, inexactly, as ‘emptiness’). The Heart Sutra, as its name suggests, is a short, succinct presentation of the core principles, the ‘heart’, of the Buddhist teachings on Shunyata.

Shunyata is a noun that comes from Sanskrit, based on the adjective “Shunya.” Shunya, while not an exact equivalent, signifies the English “zero.” Note that zero is not simply a denotation of “nothing.” ‘Zero’ is something with a vast range of meanings and uses. It can indicate “fullness” as well as “emptiness.” Imagine a jar that can hold 500 pennies; zero can describe its ‘emptiness’ as how many pennies it contains (zero)—or its fullness as how many more it can hold (zero). As a figure, a 0 placed after a 1 will increase the denoted value by 10; it also stands as the pivot-point between positive and negative. The adjective, Shunya, like ‘zero’, is infused with vast potential—the capacity of potential is greater to the noun, Shunyata, and its lack of English equivalents is even more significant.

Because of the lack of a precise English equivalent as well as its central importance in Mahayana Buddhism, it might be best to leave the term Shunyata untranslated whenever possible. While the English term ‘emptiness’ can serve to more or less accurately discuss certain ideas and aspects of Shunyata, it can also (and frequently has) lead to distortions of its true import. A number of ‘native’ Buddhist terms have already been incorporated into English without alteration. In most cases this seems to facilitate a more accurate understanding than qualified, inexact translations. For example, becoming familiar with the term “Bodhisattva” through definition and its actual use in Buddhist literature allows for an understanding of its various connotations and how they are emphasized in differing contexts. Bodhisattva has been rendered into English as, “Enlightening Being”, “Enlightened Being”, “Future Buddha”, “Baby Buddha”, etc. None of these “equivalents” adequately (or accurately) represents the term, and can actually distort the original meaning. Other examples that easily lead to distorted understandings include: zazen, as “sitting (or seated) meditation”; prajna, as “wisdom” or “knowledge”; koan (Ch. kung-an), as “riddle”, “conundrum” or “paradoxical statement”; and shikantaza, as “just (or sole) sitting.” Therefore, Shunyata is left untranslated here, except where translation may offer a clearer indication of some specific aspect of the term without a significant risk of distortion.

In Buddhism, Shunyata is described as the nature of everything, and the nature of each thing. Shunyata as the nature of everything reveals the oneness of everything, the interconnectedness of everything in time and space. Because Shunyata is the nature of everything, everything is an aspect of each thing; the first dinosaur to walk the Earth and next year’s Superbowl champions are two real aspects of the one and only Shunyata. Shunyata as the nature of each thing reveals the impermanence of each thing, the transient nature of all particular things, times, and events. Because Shunyata is the nature of everything, each thing is an aspect of everything; the first dinosaur to walk the Earth and next year’s Superbowl champions are two illusory abstractions, unrealistic distinctions arbitrarily divided from the one and only Shunyata. In short, each and every thing is Shunyata, and Shunyata is each and every thing.

This concludes Part 1 – Look for Part 2, “The Shunyata of Things”, coming soon…

Peace,

Ted