Emptiness Illuminated

 

Buddhism analyzes two indivisible aspects of the nature of reality: emptiness and luminosity. Most Buddhist paths emphasize the realization of so-called "emptiness," and neglect the aspect of luminosity, or radiance, or energy. 

The Sanskrit word translated as "emptiness" is shunyata. Shunya is the term for "zero" in Indic mathematics, and shunyata literally means "zero-ness."

The "emptiness" or "zero-ness" that Buddhists yak about refers to our indefinable, ungraspable, insubstantial, unknowable condition. But such words as "emptiness" (or "nothingness" or "void," etc.) are misleading, because they seem to connote an absolute absence, while at the same time reifying such a void, turning it into a solid, conceptual thing -- as if you could walk into an empty room and say "I met Mr. Emptiness." 

Here, we have run into the inevitable problem of trying to "eff" the ineffable. What can't be said, can't be said; and it can't be whistled either. 

Too much focus on awakening to the "empty" nature of all phenomena easily leads to nihilism, or what Zen calls "void sickness." There's a Zen tale about a student telling his teacher that he has fully understood the empty nature of all appearances. His  teacher grabs his nose and pinches hard. "How empty is this?"

"Emptiness" is not an inert void, a deadness at the very heart of the cosmos. "Emptiness" is the pure potential or perfect aliveness that is the source of every passing moment, now and now. Emptiness is plenum. Emptiness is glorious. Emptiness is form; form is emptiness. 

Most Asian spiritual paths tend toward asceticism and can readily become nihilistic and fatalistic. (If Buddhism were not inclined to psychological/social withdrawal from the world, there would be no need for the corrective: "Engaged Buddhism.") 

In truth, there is no substantial, permanent thing. All is flowing. You don't have to wait until your dying moments to realize, "You can't take it with you when you go." ALREADY, you own nothing; ALREADY there is no solid "you." That's the fact of emptiness.

But while recognizing our freedom from thing-ness, let's not neglect our potential to shine, shine, shine!