Suññatā — Emptiness

This is part 25 of a course going through the similes and metaphors of the Buddha. Course home 1: Introduction to Imagery in the EBTs2: Taṇhā — Craving3: Rāga — Passion4: Vyāpāda — Hatred and Aversion5: Thīnamiddha — Sloth and Torpor6: Uddhaccakukkuca — Restlessness and Worry7: Vicikicchā — Doubt8: Vedanā — Feelings9: Vedanānupassanā — Investigating Feelings10: Sukha — Happiness11: Upekkhā — Equanimity12: Yathābhūtañāṇadassana — Knowledge and Vision of the Way Things Are13: Vimutti — Liberation14: Upādāna – Grasping15: Sakkāyadiṭṭhi - Self View16: Sammādiṭṭhi - Right View17: Saṅkhāra — Activity18: Vitakka — Thought19: Yoniso Manasikāra — Wise Attention20: Vipassanā — Insight21: Samatha & Vipassanā — Tranquility & Insight22: Samādhi — Immersion23: Viveka — Seclusion24: Vossagga — Letting Go25: Suññatā — Emptiness26: Conclusion

Illustration by Ayya Vimalayani aka "Ven Yodha"

Seeing in terms of the Four Noble Truths is the foundation which supports the realization of emptiness.

Textbook

Read Chapter 12 of:

From Grasping to Emptiness: Excursions into the Thought-world of the Pāli Discourses Volume 2 – Bhikkhu Anālayo (.pdf)

Suttas

SN 35.85: Empty is the World (.pdf)

SN 22.95: A Lump of Foam

Snp 5.15: Posāla’s Question

Similes

This being the last section of our course, we will read the three remaining similes from Hecker we haven’t covered yet: 4, 30, and 73. Congratulations! You’ve now finished the entire book!

Reflection

It’s interesting to me that Bhikkhu Anālayo placed “emptiness” last. It seems to borrow from later Mahayana thoughts on the “two truths” and “perfection of wisdom,” since emptiness in the EBTs seems more closely related to vipassana than vimutti. What do you think? Is emptiness the end of the path, or merely instrumental? How does understanding the EBTs as rhetoric help you to answer this question?

Continue to Part 26, Conclusion

...or go back to part 24