Heart Sutra and Buddhism : Emptiness is not Nothingness

心经 Heart Sutra

观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄。舍利子，色不异空，空不异色，色即是空，空即是色。受、想、行、识，亦复如是。舍利子，是诸法空相：不生、不灭；不垢、不淨；不增、不减。是故空中无色，无受、想、行、识；无眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意；无色、声、香、味、触、法；无眼界，乃至无意识界，无无明，亦无无明尽，乃至无老死，亦无老死尽。无苦、集、灭、道，无智亦无得。以无所得故，菩提萨埵，依般若波罗蜜多故，心无罣碍；无罣碍故，无有恐怖，远离颠倒梦想，究竟涅槃。三世诸佛，依般若波罗蜜多故，得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。故知般若波罗蜜多，是大神咒，是大明咒，是无上咒，是无等等咒；能除一切苦，真实不虚。故说般若波罗蜜多咒，即说咒曰：　　揭谛揭谛！　波罗揭谛！波罗僧揭谛！菩提萨婆诃！

Saturday, October 14, 2017

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.