Emptiness is not Nothingness

This year I have a better understanding of Heart Sutra and Buddhism thanks to Venerable Master Sheng Yen. I like his teaching as it is easy to relate and funny. He departed in 2009 but fortunately there are many of his teachings available in youtube. 

The 5 aggregates (a whole formed by combining several separate elements) are empty. The 五蕴 or 5 aggregates are 色受想行识 or form(material), sensation, perception, volition (act of making a choice) and consciousness. 

Your action is determined by your thoughts and what you see/sense. Life is composed of the 5 aggregates. 

The 5 aggregates have no permanent nature and so are empty. Our physical body is changing, our mental actions are changing, our main entity of life consciousness is constantly changing. The content is changing, and appearance is changing. That’s why its said that five aggregates are all empty. 色即是空，空即是色 (form is empty, empty is form). 

Although we don’t take thing seriously due to emptiness, but karmic causality is certainly always at work. Buddhism advocates the concept of “emptiness” to teach us not to be attached to anything while we are working hard for the well-being of other people.  

The True Meaning of Emptiness