Emptiness in nature and its application in daily life by Master Sheng-Yen

In this video, Master Sheng yen explained the relationship between impermanence, no-self and emptiness and how we can apply in our daily life. 

Emptiness indicates change that things won't exist eternally. Emptiness doesn't mean nothingness. 

Emptiness implies that there's certainty, definitely existence, ever-evolving existence and ever-changing existence. 

Any object or thing exists in appearance but empty in nature. Why is it empty in nature is because we see that the appearance is constantly changing. It exists because of causes and conditions. Take water for instance. Does it exist or not? It exists right? But if you heat it ups what will happen? It'll evaporate and disappear in the air. When boiled, it will eventually disappear. So does water exist or not? You can't say it doesn't, but you can't say it exists either. 

So Buddhism talks about emptiness in nature 自性空， existence produced by causes and conditions involves changes. We know existence is produced by causes and conditions and recognise that it is changing, unfixed, non-staying, without ever remaining in the same state. This is what impermanence 无常means. Since it is ever-changing, constantly changing in appearance, then what about its nature? Its nature changes too. The nature of clouds and that of water are somewhat different. So they exist out of emptiness, in their existence, you see emptiness. So the Heart Sutra says Neither increase nor decrease 不增不减, it is neither arising nor ceasing 不生不灭, in the the first place. This actually means it's neither empty nor existing.   

Emptiness in Buddhism refers to the kind that is neither empty nor existing, and that is true emptiness. Rather than a distinction separation between existence and emptiness. That would be a kind of void, hollowness, a lonely kind of nothingness. Buddhist emptiness is not lonely at all. Instead it's lively and bustling, ever evolving and changing. So this is existence of impermanence. We can see impermanence from changes, from existence. 

Therefore impermanence is also referred to as no-self. 

Take our body for instance. We often think our body represents "I". However is it true? Is yesterday "I" the same as today "I"? They are different. There is no continuous "I" that stays the same and never change. This is what no-self means. It doesn't mean this body is not existent now. The body does exist. However this is only temporary existence, not eternal. This is emptiness or no-self.

Things in our daily life can be divided into three categories in terms of how we feel. The first are things that benefit us, the second are things that are unfavourable and the third are things that neither benefit or unfavourable.  

Sometimes when we face unhappy situation, instead of wallowing in sadness, just reminds ourselves that this is temporary and it will pass. When good things happen, don't be too happy or arrogant as this will pass too. 

The Rareness of Being Human

I always feel sad whenever I read of someone giving up their life. Life is a gift and to be born as a human is very rare. Just look at the billions of animals around us from the sea, land to the sky in this planet earth alone. 

Buddha was a skilful teacher who was able to teach others with parables (I think he was the first teacher using differentiated teaching). To help his disciples to understand the rareness of being born as a human, he said that to be born as a human is like a sea turtle that comes up to the surface once every hundred years and the sea turtle's head passed through a small hole of a wooden plank floating in the vast ocean. 

According to Buddha, there are 31 planes of existence which include the lower realms like hell, ghost and animals and higher realms like human and other heavenly realms which include sensuous and immaterial world (form or formless).

Being born as a human besides being rare is also precious. It is the only realm where you  can do good deeds and cultivate merit. Only a human can attain enlightenment as a Buddha. Thus we should  use this opportunity to do good deeds and help others. It is said that to be born as a human being, it must also be your past life good karma as you have cultivated many merit in past lives.

Thus we should use the opportunity to do more good, follow the five precepts or eight precepts and hopefully be enlightened in this life.  

Image from Fo Guang Shan website here

 Image from Access to Insight, The Thirty-one Planes of Existence

Ajahn Keng on How to Survive and Overcome Office Politics

Loving kindness and patience are the keyword to survive and overcome office politics. I guess as long as there are people, there be office politics. Sometimes I just remind myself of the Heart sutra and just ignore people with ill-will.