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.