<p>My teacher has a straight forward 4 steps method to learn and realize the Dharma</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Listen - Learning the Dharma is frequently described in the scripture to hearing. ("Thus I have heard", "Savaka - one who hears"), essentially coming across teachings whether by paying attention to teachers, reading and so forth.</p></li>
<li><p>Contemplate - You reflect on the meanings of the Dharma, slowly making sense of it</p></li>
<li><p>Application - You apply the Dharma in your practice and your daily life.</p></li>
<li><p>Affirmation - You affirm the truth of the teachings through your practice.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Rinse and repeat as necessary.</p>

<p>With regards to emptiness:</p>

<p>You can study sutras, listen to lectures. But the fundamental break through I had with understanding emptiness in the context of Mahayana came from Nagarjuna famous stanza.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>All things arise through causes and conditions. </p>
  
  <p>That I declare as emptiness. </p>
  
  <p>It is also a provisional designation. </p>
  
  <p>It is also the meaning of the Middle Path</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This is essentially rephrasing dependent origination</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This is because that is</p>
  
  <p>This is not because that is not</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Prior to this I could hardly make sense of the Heart Sutra or the Diamond Sutra. But now more often than not feel like very much self evident truth.</p>

<p>And there you have it, this simple concept is all there really is into understanding emptiness. It's not some mystical transcendental experience. It is essentially a rehash of the truths of impermanence and selflessness that is staring at our face everyday. Yet the issue is actually what one do with this realization. It is not that the common person doesn't see impermanence, the common person simply refuse to accept and acknowledge these truths. As I have deepen my practice I start to observe how my friends and family including myself often act in ways that are unenlightened as if we are blind to the truths in front of our face. Our mindless cravings and anger when we don't get what we want. Our selfishness. Our attachments to very impermanent things.</p>

<p>The teaching of emptiness is there to break our attachments to personal views of the world which we construct, even doctrines which are held sacred such as the perfection or infallibility of the Ariyas (Stream Entry, Arahantship). We treat Stream Entry as a magical state where the Stream Entrant no longer have any feelings of doubt, in contrary to what the Buddha have stated from the beginning, that all phenomena are impermanent, and why should doubt and confidence be any different. We treat Arahants as someone who's infallible with no shred of ignorance and other afflictions, someone who attained Nirvana and will never suffer again. Even when the Buddha said that the five aggregates are impermanent, so how can the birth of sankaras be permanently ended? Wisdom is dependently originated, attainment is dependently originated, end of suffering is dependently generated, how can any of them actually be permanently attained or ended? The realizations essentially allow us to see things we ought to have seen before but couldn't due to our ignorance and delusive state of mind. </p>

<p>Ultimately learning the Dharma is to benefit ourselves and others. And maybe just maybe next time we face a difficult situation, we can calmly keep in mind that the situation we are facing is too impermanent and dependently generated, so that we can plant good causes and conditions while being unattached to our troubles and handle them with wisdom.</p>

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2017-01-28T07:44:46.747Z
2017-01-28T07:44:46.747Z
Yinxu
<p>Listening, Studying, Reflection are vital.</p>

<p>Assuming you practice sitting meditation with joyful investigation for ~30min a day, you can probably have a direct insight into emptiness from one of the excellent sutras such as the Diamond Cutter Sutra or the Heart Sutra. </p>

<p>It will take a lot of consistent practice but every step is closer, so in short:</p>

<p>Grow your bodhicitta.  Cultivate a deep compassion and weep for the sufferings of all countless sentient beings.  Rest in the absolute nature.</p>

<p>Love your teachers</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-30T03:46:51.560Z
2017-01-30T03:46:51.560Z
sova
<p>The most concise answer I have found comes from Nagarjuna:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>That which arises dependently we explain as emptiness.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-27T00:21:44.850Z
2017-01-27T00:21:44.850Z
Michael Pettigrew
<p>Although this peculiar question seemed got a Mr./Ms. Right to claim the bride/groom, I, however, would like to offer a short answer, sometimes one's patience boiled when reading too much words. Here, my short little trick of how to realize emptiness: </p>

<p><em>It's both easy and difficult. Easy part is, to understand that the world is mind constructed; the difficult part.... hmmm... is to then walk into a wall and through it, for it's "made of" emptiness :D ~!!</em></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-29T17:02:29.280Z
2017-01-29T17:02:29.280Z
Mishu 米殊
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Suññatā</a> means more or less <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatta" rel="nofollow noreferrer">not / nonself</a>, i.e., the aggregate and empty as they are not self (they are empty of self, there is no self in it), meditation attainments are empty as they are not self, sense bases are empty as it is not self, the world is empty since it is not self. Anything you call self cannot be absolutely controlled and does not last for ever and the experience always ends misery.</p>

<p>Also the world is made of vibrations and heat hence in this sense the world is empty, as in <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/19032/295">this answer</a>.</p>

<p>To realise not self you have to do <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassan%C4%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Vipassana</a> to achieve the state of yathā-bhūta-ñāna-dassana. When progressing further in stages of sainthood you will experience Phala Samapatti where all perception and sensation stops. This is also know as empty. Even before this any attainments like Jhana is not self, hence empty. Also higher meditative attainments can be considered empty when there is no roots.</p>

<p>See: <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/48.7-Kamabhu-S-2-s41.6-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(1) Kāma,bhū Sutta 2</a>, <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/40a.9-Culavedalla-S-m44-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(2) Cūla Vedalla Sutta</a>, <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/30.2-Mahavedalla-S-m43-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(3) Mahā Vedalla Sutta</a>, <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/11.4-Maha-Sunnata-S-m122-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(4) Maha Sunnata Sutta</a>, <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/11.3-Cula-Sunnata-S-m121-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(5) Cula Sunnata Sutta</a>, <a href="https://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh087.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(6) The Greater Discourse on Voidness: The “Mahā-Suññatā Sutta” (Majjhima Nikāya No.122) And the Commentary from the Papañcasūdanī</a></p>

<p>1:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“When a monk has emerged from the <em>attainment of cessation of perception</em> and feeling, houselord,</p>
  
  <p>3 kinds of contacts touch him, that is,</p>
  
  <p>the <strong>empty contact</strong>,</p>
  
  <p>the signless contact, </p>
  
  <p>the undirected contact.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>3:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>This is empty of self or what belongs to self</strong></p>
  
  <p>...</p>
  
  <p><em>This, avuso, is the way of explaining by which these states are different in meaning and different in
  name.</em></p>
  
  <p><strong>Same in meaning, differing only in name</strong></p>
  
  <p>“And in what way, avuso, are these states same in meaning, differing only in name?”</p>
  
  <p>(1) THE UNSHAKABLE FREEDOM OF MIND THAT IS FREE OF MEASURING</p>
  
  <p>Avuso,</p>
  
  <p>lust is a measure-maker; </p>
  
  <p>hate is a measure-maker; </p>
  
  <p>delusion is a measure-maker. </p>
  
  <p>For a monk whose influxes are destroyed, <strong>they are cut off at the root,</strong> made like a palm-tree stump,
  done away with so that they are not subject to further growth.</p>
  
  <p>Avuso, of all the immeasurable freedoms of mind, the unshakable freedom of mind is declared as
  the foremost. Now, that unshakable freedom of mind is <strong>empty of lust, empty of hate, empty of delusion.</strong></p>
  
  <p>(2) THE UNSHAKABLE FREEDOM OF MIND THAT IS FREE OF “THINGS.” Avuso,</p>
  
  <p>lust is a something; </p>
  
  <p>hate is a something; </p>
  
  <p>delusion is a something.</p>
  
  <p>...</p>
</blockquote>

<p>6: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Voidness internally: in himself internally; the meaning is: produced in regard to
  his own five aggregates. [Commentary to MN 122]</p>
  
  <p>“And which, friend, is the mind-deliverance of voidness? Here, friend, a bhikkhu,
  gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty place, considers thus: ’This is
  void of self or property of a self’. [MN 43]</p>
  
  <p><em>Of self</em>: void of self, called personality, man, person, and so on. <em>Or property of a self</em>:
  Void of anything belonging to self called requisite of robes and so forth … . The minddeliverance
  of voidness belongs to the sense-sphere as to plane, and its object is
  formations; for it is insight that is here meant by “voidness.” [Commentary to MN 43]</p>
  
  <p><em>Possessed of full awareness</em>: fully aware through successfully knowing the
  meditation subject. Externally: in regard to another’s five aggregates. Internally and
  externally: at one time internally, at another time externally.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><sup>This follows Universal Teaching of the Buddhism as preserved in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81li_Canon" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pali Canon</a>.</sup></p>

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2017-01-26T03:25:03.637Z
2017-02-13T17:37:24.250Z
2018-08-14T22:06:13.773Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>WHAT IS A ANYWAY?<br />
A PLAY OF THE MIND?</p>
<p>THE PLAYERS</p>
<ul>
<li>The Hero &amp; Our Weapon, The Pervader –
Non-conceptual consciousness PERCEIVING
whether things inherently exist or in other
words whether they can be found under
analysis</li>
<li>The Henchman - Consciousness that normally
PERCEIVES inherent existence, as if things
can be found</li>
<li>The Damsel, The Reason – A (or anything
else), The Reason we will realise emptiness</li>
<li>The Villain, The Subject – The inherent
existence of A, Our Target
The Happy Ending, The Predicate – Emptiness
or NO A</li>
</ul>
<p>THE SCENE</p>
<p>At the moment we cannot help but
APPREHEND things as if they inherently
existed as if they can be found (the other two
ways are nominally, to one side for a moment,
and as illusion-like or void).</p>
<p>Because a Non-Conceptual Consciousness
perceiving whether things can be found under
analysis, finds nothing upon analysis the
subsequent pervasion of a/the reason by a
predicate (Emptiness) will invalidate the
subject. So because the reason is “where” it is,
in the subject, a successful pervasion of the
reason by the predicate will contaminate the
whole subject category, INHERENT
EXISTENCE. Each player must fill the roles
assigned above with no cast changes. The
reason why the players do what they do, the
action (the analysis); the success of the
pervasion is entirely up to you.</p>
<p>STORYLINE (PLAN) B</p>
<p>If we are to understand the Emptiness of A we
first need to acknowledge A’s appearance as
inherently existent.</p>
<p>STORYLINE (PLAN) A</p>
<p>We gain an EXPERIENCE of emptiness by
attacking/refuting the findability of A.</p>
<p>SCENE 1 The Villain has The Damsel –</p>
<p>Presence of Reason in subject
A or / - \ has been kidnapped by its appearance
as inherently existent or as if there is an entity
that can be found amongst / - . Until we
realise that the Damsel cannot be found with
The Henchman (in fact cannot be found at all),
A exists in the category INHERENTLY
EXISTENT.</p>
<p>SCENE 2 Introducing our Hero</p>
<p>If we want to find Inherent Existence it would
make sense that the only weapon we can use is
our consciousness that analyses WHETHER
things exist inherently or whether something
can be found under analysis. When, finally,
we do try to find A, because it happily sits in
the inherently existent category the realisation
that we cannot find it should contaminate the
category inherent existence for us.</p>
<p>SCENE 3 Payback Time</p>
<p>Because we accept things exist the way they
appear we never have reason to look for them.
But if we use our hero to try and find
something simple like A then we should come
to the conclusion that it cannot be found.
Why? We want to profit, to experience
Emptiness, so we must activate our hero to
look for the A that in fact has been kidnapped
by the appearance (The Henchman) that it can
be found. If A exists it cannot exist separately
from its parts because of a very fair criterion;
to find A we must be able to point to A. But
we can never point to A or / or – or . There is
no A we can point to. To realize emptiness
you must be utterly devoted to this criterion
and look for yourself over and over and
over…..</p>
<p>So if we 1) keep looking at A and 2)
simultaneously decide enough pussy footing
around we want to look for A, we activate our
hero. Then 3) sorry, you cannot find/point to
A either separately, outside its parts and not in
its parts either. It is no good to decide that if
we look for A we should find it; we must
employ our hero to go and look for the
damsel, A. Not finding A the category
inherent existence is incidentally
contaminated. So put aside valid
establishment, conventional and nominal
existence. The masters are clear – emptiness
means not finding something, remember we
are not looking for emptiness because it will
do for now to say that if you cannot find
something, it doesn’t exist! See The
TantricDistinction,Jeffrey Hopkins Chapter1</p>
<p>WHAT IS A ANYWAY?<br />
A PLAY OF THE MIND?<br />
WHAT THE CRITICS THOUGHT!</p>
<p>Critic A writes that when the hero comes
along, conceptual play is made redundant
because he doesnt find an A, amongst / - , a
true damsel amongst the aggregates.</p>
<p>Critic B has an alternative understanding – the
hero is a hero because he is searching for a
specific damsel and not just coming in with his
gun ratta-tat-tat, refuting everything in sight
so that even the damsel “dies” &amp; the play
ends!</p>
<p>Critic A understands the skilled reasoning
work of the hero could be used in another play
or to refute another self because the
story/pervasion has a good ending.</p>
<p>Critic B sees the performance of the hero as
focused and enough because the hero is only
looking for a specific inherently existent
A/damsel and that this is only successful as
focused confirmation of the non-existence of a
specific inherently existent A/damsel, nothing
else – because even after we stop looking at
“the play” in everyday life things like A are
seen all the time, they continue.</p>
<p>Critic A sees the space-like non-finding of A
under its basis of designation, / - , as a green
light to write - “...because the hero's
performance is so strong reason undoubtedly
refutes as untrue the damsel and by extension
all other “plays” and productions, the play of
cause/effect, the I, an independent self, mine,
objects etc in the realization of the ultimate
ending (space-like non-finding Emptiness), so
final it beats all ignorance in all plays and
their accompanying philosophies”.</p>
<p>Critic B on the other hand allows themselves
to be deeply affected by the ending, for them,
because they allow the play to have a full
focused impact, the continual non-finding of
an inherently existent A acts as very freeing
confirmation of the utter non-existence of an
inherently existent self (the root of actual
innate ignorance) that serves as the basis of
the afflictions that contaminate experience
rather than seeing another philosophical
implication. Emptiness is not looked for or
“found”!</p>
<p>Critic B writes – “...the space-like realization,
the non-finding of an inherently existent A
achieved by the hero, is fundamental not just
to the way The Damsel and all conceptual
play is perceived but to the way “A” is
produced and hence to the way all “play” is
produced because the realization of the
Emptiness of one thing is as good as
realization of another’s Emptiness – the truth
pervades all existent things equally”.</p>
<p>Critic B then takes away the point of the
performance allowing it to pervade their
understanding of reality (what comes up) to
reach a hidden meaning, not just how we
perceive A as inherently existent.</p>
<p>Critic B writes “...A, / - , is an analogy for
reality, so this “play” is trying to tell us
something deeper”. Reality is all existent
things that arise at once together but are empty
(of inherent existence) at once together (even
emptiness itself is empty). So it is said the
actual difficult meaning of the non-finding of
inherent existence, Emptiness, is dependent
arising as only by this view all cause and
effect is possible rather than annihilated by it!</p>
<p>Critic B most critically understands if we
dont qualify the performance of the hero and
if they dont exist as dependent arising’s - as
do-able conditions - the much higher
experiences of the actual existence of Ultimate
Truths via direct perception of Emptiness
couldnt be True Cessations of afflictive
experience and the achievement of cessation
of afflictions couldnt entail Nirvanas, so
pursuit of the irreversible experience of
Nirvanas as the complete liberation from
suffering would be a fools game.
(See The Great Treatise on the Stage of the
Path to Enlightenment Vol.3 Lama Tsongkapa
esp chapters 16&amp;17)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-26T11:40:29.427Z
I edited -- the "markdown" format uses empty lines to separate text into paragraphs.
ChrisW
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2022-09-26T11:39:52.887Z
2022-09-26T11:39:52.887Z
Alex
<p>Pali Buddhism offers the following instructions for realising emptiness (<em>suññatā</em>):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>And what is the emptiness mind-release? There is the case where a monk, having gone into the wilderness, to the root of a tree, or into
  an empty dwelling, considers thus: 'This is empty of self or of
  anything pertaining to self.'</em></p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.043.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 43</a></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>And what is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self?</em></p>
  
  <p><em>The eye is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self.  Forms... Eye-consciousness... Eye-contact is empty of a self or of
  anything pertaining to a self.</em></p>
  
  <p><em>The ear is empty...</em></p>
  
  <p><em>The nose is empty...</em></p>
  
  <p><em>The tongue is empty...</em></p>
  
  <p><em>The body is empty...</em></p>
  
  <p><em>The intellect is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Mind objects... Intellect-consciousness... Intellect-contact is empty</em></p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.085.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 35.85</a></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>There is this (mental) dwelling discovered by the Tathagata where, not attending to any themes, he enters &amp; remains in internal
  emptiness...If...dwelling by means of this dwelling...no covetousness
  or sadness...will take possession...In this way he is alert
  there...keeping track of arising &amp; passing away (thus): 'Such is form,
  such its origination, such its disappearance. Such is feeling... Such
  is perception... Such are fabrications... Such is consciousness, such
  its origination, such its disappearance.' As he stays keeping track of
  arising &amp; passing away with regard to these five aggregates, any
  conceit that 'I am' with regard to these five aggregates is
  abandoned...</em></p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.122.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 122</a></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>A monk, not attending to the perception of village, not attending to the perception of human being — attends to the singleness based on the
  perception of wilderness...not attending to the perception of
  wilderness — attends to the singleness based on the perception of
  earth...not attending to the perception of earth — attends to the
  singleness based on the perception of the dimension of the infinitude
  of space...not attending to the perception of the dimension of the
  infinitude of space — attends to the singleness based on the
  perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness...not
  attending to the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of
  consciousness — attends to the singleness based on the perception of
  the dimension of nothingness...not attending to the perception of the
  dimension of nothingness — attends to the singleness based on the
  theme-less concentration of awareness...he
  discerns that 'Whatever is fabricated &amp; mentally fashioned is
  inconstant &amp; subject to cessation.' He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the effluent of sensuality... the effluent of becoming... the effluent of ignorance, are not present. And there is only this modicum of disturbance: that connected with the six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its condition.' He discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the effluent of sensuality, empty of the effluent of (self) becoming, empty of the effluent of ignorance....his entry into emptiness, accords with actuality, is
  undistorted in meaning, pure — superior &amp; unsurpassed.</em></p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.121.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 121</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Suññatā</a> means more or less <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatta" rel="nofollow noreferrer">not/non-self</a>. Therefore, the instructions is the <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.059.mend.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Anatta-Lakkhana Sutta</a> may also be followed.</p>

<p>In summary, to realise emptiness, as described in MN 121 (above), the mind first be made empty or clear. Then the clear mind can observe everything it observes is empty/vacant/void of any self. </p>

<p>For example, if the mind observes a rock, cloud or tree, it can see clearly there is no 'self'/'ego' in a rock, cloud or tree. When the mind is clear, empty of thoughts &amp; judgments, it can see the breathing &amp; body are the same as a rock, cloud or tree, namely, empty of any self. Observing like this, the breathing will calm &amp; feelings of rapture will arise, which are observed like a rock, cloud or tree, as empty of self. When rapture calms, the mind will be even clearer &amp; all mental phenomena are observed the same as a rock, cloud or tree, as empty of self. This is how to realise emptiness. </p>

<p>To realise not-self &amp; emptiness, the mind must do <a href="http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Bhikkhu_Buddhadasa_Anapanasati_Mindfulness_with_Breathing.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">vipassana</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>Through vipassana, by observing carefully with a concentrated mind, we see the Truth of all things. We realize that everything is
  impermanent. Anything that we are experiencing now is impermanent.
  Even the things of which we are unaware are impermanent, that is,
  continually changing and transforming. The single exception is
  nibbana, the only thing that does not change. Thus, we know the
  aniccam (impermanence) of everything. Fur­thermore, the fact of impermanence
  oppresses and forces us to ex­perience dukkha (unsatisfactoriness)... This state of dukkha
  can not be endured by anyone; there is no self or soul that can stand
  up to it. This is anatta. And so we realize aniccam-dukkham-anatta.
  Together we call them sunnata, voidness of self. Then know tathata,
  suchness or "just like that." This is the first step of the fourth
  tetrad. It is called "aniccam-nupassi." Just this one word encompasses
  the realization of aniccam-dukkham-anatta-sunnata-tathata!</em></p>
</blockquote>

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2017-01-26T12:01:59.550Z
2017-01-26T12:01:59.550Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>Are there specific practices, meditation instructions, intended to identify and realize/experience emptiness? Is this different than realizing non-self, or the emptiness of the self? or the emptiness of other/objects?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-29T13:43:42.190Z
Yes, I'm interested in how different lineages instruct students to practice for identifying and realizing or experiencing emptiness.
Linda Wright
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2017-01-30T17:53:48.557Z
Yes, this is amazing - such depth and incisiveness of responses!  It has been really helpful, seeing that the practices I've been doing as reflected in various perspectives.
Linda Wright
<meditation><sunyata>
How does one Realize emptiness?
# How does one Realize emptiness?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-25)

Are there specific practices, meditation instructions, intended to identify and realize/experience emptiness? Is this different than realizing non-self, or the emptiness of the self? or the emptiness of other/objects?

**Tags:** meditation, sunyata

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Yes, I'm interested in how different lineages instruct students to practice for identifying and realizing or experiencing emptiness.  
> **username_0**: Yes, this is amazing - such depth and incisiveness of responses!  It has been really helpful, seeing that the practices I've been doing as reflected in various perspectives.  

---

## 7 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2017-01-26. Score: 4

Pali Buddhism offers the following instructions for realising emptiness (*suññatā*):

> *And what is the emptiness mind-release? There is the case where a monk, having gone into the wilderness, to the root of a tree, or into
> an empty dwelling, considers thus: 'This is empty of self or of
> anything pertaining to self.'*
>
> [MN 43](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.043.than.html)
>
> ---
>
> *And what is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self?*
>
> *The eye is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Forms... Eye-consciousness... Eye-contact is empty of a self or of
> anything pertaining to a self.*
>
> *The ear is empty...*
>
> *The nose is empty...*
>
> *The tongue is empty...*
>
> *The body is empty...*
>
> *The intellect is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Mind objects... Intellect-consciousness... Intellect-contact is empty*
>
> [SN 35.85](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.085.than.html)
>
> ---
>
> *There is this (mental) dwelling discovered by the Tathagata where, not attending to any themes, he enters & remains in internal
> emptiness...If...dwelling by means of this dwelling...no covetousness
> or sadness...will take possession...In this way he is alert
> there...keeping track of arising & passing away (thus): 'Such is form,
> such its origination, such its disappearance. Such is feeling... Such
> is perception... Such are fabrications... Such is consciousness, such
> its origination, such its disappearance.' As he stays keeping track of
> arising & passing away with regard to these five aggregates, any
> conceit that 'I am' with regard to these five aggregates is
> abandoned...*
>
> [MN 122](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.122.than.html)
>
> ---
>
> *A monk, not attending to the perception of village, not attending to the perception of human being — attends to the singleness based on the
> perception of wilderness...not attending to the perception of
> wilderness — attends to the singleness based on the perception of
> earth...not attending to the perception of earth — attends to the
> singleness based on the perception of the dimension of the infinitude
> of space...not attending to the perception of the dimension of the
> infinitude of space — attends to the singleness based on the
> perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness...not
> attending to the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of
> consciousness — attends to the singleness based on the perception of
> the dimension of nothingness...not attending to the perception of the
> dimension of nothingness — attends to the singleness based on the
> theme-less concentration of awareness...he
> discerns that 'Whatever is fabricated & mentally fashioned is
> inconstant & subject to cessation.' He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the effluent of sensuality... the effluent of becoming... the effluent of ignorance, are not present. And there is only this modicum of disturbance: that connected with the six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its condition.' He discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the effluent of sensuality, empty of the effluent of (self) becoming, empty of the effluent of ignorance....his entry into emptiness, accords with actuality, is
> undistorted in meaning, pure — superior & unsurpassed.*
>
> [MN 121](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.121.than.html)

[Suññatā](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81) means more or less [not/non-self](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatta). Therefore, the instructions is the [Anatta-Lakkhana Sutta](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.059.mend.html) may also be followed.

In summary, to realise emptiness, as described in MN 121 (above), the mind first be made empty or clear. Then the clear mind can observe everything it observes is empty/vacant/void of any self.

For example, if the mind observes a rock, cloud or tree, it can see clearly there is no 'self'/'ego' in a rock, cloud or tree. When the mind is clear, empty of thoughts & judgments, it can see the breathing & body are the same as a rock, cloud or tree, namely, empty of any self. Observing like this, the breathing will calm & feelings of rapture will arise, which are observed like a rock, cloud or tree, as empty of self. When rapture calms, the mind will be even clearer & all mental phenomena are observed the same as a rock, cloud or tree, as empty of self. This is how to realise emptiness.

To realise not-self & emptiness, the mind must do [vipassana](http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Bhikkhu_Buddhadasa_Anapanasati_Mindfulness_with_Breathing.htm).

> *Through vipassana, by observing carefully with a concentrated mind, we see the Truth of all things. We realize that everything is
> impermanent. Anything that we are experiencing now is impermanent.
> Even the things of which we are unaware are impermanent, that is,
> continually changing and transforming. The single exception is
> nibbana, the only thing that does not change. Thus, we know the
> aniccam (impermanence) of everything. Fur­thermore, the fact of impermanence
> oppresses and forces us to ex­perience dukkha (unsatisfactoriness)... This state of dukkha
> can not be endured by anyone; there is no self or soul that can stand
> up to it. This is anatta. And so we realize aniccam-dukkham-anatta.
> Together we call them sunnata, voidness of self. Then know tathata,
> suchness or "just like that." This is the first step of the fourth
> tetrad. It is called "aniccam-nupassi." Just this one word encompasses
> the realization of aniccam-dukkham-anatta-sunnata-tathata!*


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### Answer by username_1 on 2017-01-28. Score: 2

My teacher has a straight forward 4 steps method to learn and realize the Dharma

1. Listen - Learning the Dharma is frequently described in the scripture to hearing. ("Thus I have heard", "Savaka - one who hears"), essentially coming across teachings whether by paying attention to teachers, reading and so forth.
2. Contemplate - You reflect on the meanings of the Dharma, slowly making sense of it
3. Application - You apply the Dharma in your practice and your daily life.
4. Affirmation - You affirm the truth of the teachings through your practice.

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

With regards to emptiness:

You can study sutras, listen to lectures. But the fundamental break through I had with understanding emptiness in the context of Mahayana came from Nagarjuna famous stanza.

> All things arise through causes and conditions.
>
> That I declare as emptiness.
>
> It is also a provisional designation.
>
> It is also the meaning of the Middle Path

This is essentially rephrasing dependent origination

> This is because that is
>
> This is not because that is not

Prior to this I could hardly make sense of the Heart Sutra or the Diamond Sutra. But now more often than not feel like very much self evident truth.

And there you have it, this simple concept is all there really is into understanding emptiness. It's not some mystical transcendental experience. It is essentially a rehash of the truths of impermanence and selflessness that is staring at our face everyday. Yet the issue is actually what one do with this realization. It is not that the common person doesn't see impermanence, the common person simply refuse to accept and acknowledge these truths. As I have deepen my practice I start to observe how my friends and family including myself often act in ways that are unenlightened as if we are blind to the truths in front of our face. Our mindless cravings and anger when we don't get what we want. Our selfishness. Our attachments to very impermanent things.

The teaching of emptiness is there to break our attachments to personal views of the world which we construct, even doctrines which are held sacred such as the perfection or infallibility of the Ariyas (Stream Entry, Arahantship). We treat Stream Entry as a magical state where the Stream Entrant no longer have any feelings of doubt, in contrary to what the Buddha have stated from the beginning, that all phenomena are impermanent, and why should doubt and confidence be any different. We treat Arahants as someone who's infallible with no shred of ignorance and other afflictions, someone who attained Nirvana and will never suffer again. Even when the Buddha said that the five aggregates are impermanent, so how can the birth of sankaras be permanently ended? Wisdom is dependently originated, attainment is dependently originated, end of suffering is dependently generated, how can any of them actually be permanently attained or ended? The realizations essentially allow us to see things we ought to have seen before but couldn't due to our ignorance and delusive state of mind.

Ultimately learning the Dharma is to benefit ourselves and others. And maybe just maybe next time we face a difficult situation, we can calmly keep in mind that the situation we are facing is too impermanent and dependently generated, so that we can plant good causes and conditions while being unattached to our troubles and handle them with wisdom.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-01-30. Score: 1

Listening, Studying, Reflection are vital.

Assuming you practice sitting meditation with joyful investigation for ~30min a day, you can probably have a direct insight into emptiness from one of the excellent sutras such as the Diamond Cutter Sutra or the Heart Sutra.

It will take a lot of consistent practice but every step is closer, so in short:

Grow your bodhicitta. Cultivate a deep compassion and weep for the sufferings of all countless sentient beings. Rest in the absolute nature.

Love your teachers


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-01-27. Score: 1

The most concise answer I have found comes from Nagarjuna:

> That which arises dependently we explain as emptiness.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-01-29. Score: 1

Although this peculiar question seemed got a Mr./Ms. Right to claim the bride/groom, I, however, would like to offer a short answer, sometimes one's patience boiled when reading too much words. Here, my short little trick of how to realize emptiness:

*It's both easy and difficult. Easy part is, to understand that the world is mind constructed; the difficult part.... hmmm... is to then walk into a wall and through it, for it's "made of" emptiness :D ~!!*


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### Answer by username_5 on 2017-01-26. Score: 0

[Suññatā](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81) means more or less [not / nonself](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatta), i.e., the aggregate and empty as they are not self (they are empty of self, there is no self in it), meditation attainments are empty as they are not self, sense bases are empty as it is not self, the world is empty since it is not self. Anything you call self cannot be absolutely controlled and does not last for ever and the experience always ends misery.

Also the world is made of vibrations and heat hence in this sense the world is empty, as in [this answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/19032/295).

To realise not self you have to do [Vipassana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassan%C4%81) to achieve the state of yathā-bhūta-ñāna-dassana. When progressing further in stages of sainthood you will experience Phala Samapatti where all perception and sensation stops. This is also know as empty. Even before this any attainments like Jhana is not self, hence empty. Also higher meditative attainments can be considered empty when there is no roots.

See: [(1) Kāma,bhū Sutta 2](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/48.7-Kamabhu-S-2-s41.6-piya.pdf), [(2) Cūla Vedalla Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/40a.9-Culavedalla-S-m44-piya.pdf), [(3) Mahā Vedalla Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/30.2-Mahavedalla-S-m43-piya.pdf), [(4) Maha Sunnata Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/11.4-Maha-Sunnata-S-m122-piya.pdf), [(5) Cula Sunnata Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/11.3-Cula-Sunnata-S-m121-piya.pdf), [(6) The Greater Discourse on Voidness: The “Mahā-Suññatā Sutta” (Majjhima Nikāya No.122) And the Commentary from the Papañcasūdanī](https://www.bps.lk/olib/wh/wh087.pdf)

1:

> “When a monk has emerged from the *attainment of cessation of perception* and feeling, houselord,
>
> 3 kinds of contacts touch him, that is,
>
> the **empty contact**,
>
> the signless contact,
>
> the undirected contact.”

3:

> **This is empty of self or what belongs to self**
>
> ...
>
> *This, avuso, is the way of explaining by which these states are different in meaning and different in
> name.*
>
> **Same in meaning, differing only in name**
>
> “And in what way, avuso, are these states same in meaning, differing only in name?”
>
> (1) THE UNSHAKABLE FREEDOM OF MIND THAT IS FREE OF MEASURING
>
> Avuso,
>
> lust is a measure-maker;
>
> hate is a measure-maker;
>
> delusion is a measure-maker.
>
> For a monk whose influxes are destroyed, **they are cut off at the root,** made like a palm-tree stump,
> done away with so that they are not subject to further growth.
>
> Avuso, of all the immeasurable freedoms of mind, the unshakable freedom of mind is declared as
> the foremost. Now, that unshakable freedom of mind is **empty of lust, empty of hate, empty of delusion.**
>
> (2) THE UNSHAKABLE FREEDOM OF MIND THAT IS FREE OF “THINGS.” Avuso,
>
> lust is a something;
>
> hate is a something;
>
> delusion is a something.
>
> ...

6:

> Voidness internally: in himself internally; the meaning is: produced in regard to
> his own five aggregates. [Commentary to MN 122]
>
> “And which, friend, is the mind-deliverance of voidness? Here, friend, a bhikkhu,
> gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty place, considers thus: ’This is
> void of self or property of a self’. [MN 43]
>
> *Of self*: void of self, called personality, man, person, and so on. *Or property of a self*:
> Void of anything belonging to self called requisite of robes and so forth … . The minddeliverance
> of voidness belongs to the sense-sphere as to plane, and its object is
> formations; for it is insight that is here meant by “voidness.” [Commentary to MN 43]
>
> *Possessed of full awareness*: fully aware through successfully knowing the
> meditation subject. Externally: in regard to another’s five aggregates. Internally and
> externally: at one time internally, at another time externally.

This follows Universal Teaching of the Buddhism as preserved in the [Pali Canon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81li_Canon).


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### Answer by username_6 on 2022-09-26. Score: -1

WHAT IS A ANYWAY?  
A PLAY OF THE MIND?

THE PLAYERS

* The Hero & Our Weapon, The Pervader –
  Non-conceptual consciousness PERCEIVING
  whether things inherently exist or in other
  words whether they can be found under
  analysis
* The Henchman - Consciousness that normally
  PERCEIVES inherent existence, as if things
  can be found
* The Damsel, The Reason – A (or anything
  else), The Reason we will realise emptiness
* The Villain, The Subject – The inherent
  existence of A, Our Target
  The Happy Ending, The Predicate – Emptiness
  or NO A

THE SCENE

At the moment we cannot help but
APPREHEND things as if they inherently
existed as if they can be found (the other two
ways are nominally, to one side for a moment,
and as illusion-like or void).

Because a Non-Conceptual Consciousness
perceiving whether things can be found under
analysis, finds nothing upon analysis the
subsequent pervasion of a/the reason by a
predicate (Emptiness) will invalidate the
subject. So because the reason is “where” it is,
in the subject, a successful pervasion of the
reason by the predicate will contaminate the
whole subject category, INHERENT
EXISTENCE. Each player must fill the roles
assigned above with no cast changes. The
reason why the players do what they do, the
action (the analysis); the success of the
pervasion is entirely up to you.

STORYLINE (PLAN) B

If we are to understand the Emptiness of A we
first need to acknowledge A’s appearance as
inherently existent.

STORYLINE (PLAN) A

We gain an EXPERIENCE of emptiness by
attacking/refuting the findability of A.

SCENE 1 The Villain has The Damsel –

Presence of Reason in subject
A or / - \ has been kidnapped by its appearance
as inherently existent or as if there is an entity
that can be found amongst / - . Until we
realise that the Damsel cannot be found with
The Henchman (in fact cannot be found at all),
A exists in the category INHERENTLY
EXISTENT.

SCENE 2 Introducing our Hero

If we want to find Inherent Existence it would
make sense that the only weapon we can use is
our consciousness that analyses WHETHER
things exist inherently or whether something
can be found under analysis. When, finally,
we do try to find A, because it happily sits in
the inherently existent category the realisation
that we cannot find it should contaminate the
category inherent existence for us.

SCENE 3 Payback Time

Because we accept things exist the way they
appear we never have reason to look for them.
But if we use our hero to try and find
something simple like A then we should come
to the conclusion that it cannot be found.
Why? We want to profit, to experience
Emptiness, so we must activate our hero to
look for the A that in fact has been kidnapped
by the appearance (The Henchman) that it can
be found. If A exists it cannot exist separately
from its parts because of a very fair criterion;
to find A we must be able to point to A. But
we can never point to A or / or – or . There is
no A we can point to. To realize emptiness
you must be utterly devoted to this criterion
and look for yourself over and over and
over…..

So if we 1) keep looking at A and 2)
simultaneously decide enough pussy footing
around we want to look for A, we activate our
hero. Then 3) sorry, you cannot find/point to
A either separately, outside its parts and not in
its parts either. It is no good to decide that if
we look for A we should find it; we must
employ our hero to go and look for the
damsel, A. Not finding A the category
inherent existence is incidentally
contaminated. So put aside valid
establishment, conventional and nominal
existence. The masters are clear – emptiness
means not finding something, remember we
are not looking for emptiness because it will
do for now to say that if you cannot find
something, it doesn’t exist! See The
TantricDistinction,Jeffrey Hopkins Chapter1

WHAT IS A ANYWAY?  
A PLAY OF THE MIND?  
WHAT THE CRITICS THOUGHT!

Critic A writes that when the hero comes
along, conceptual play is made redundant
because he doesnt find an A, amongst / - , a
true damsel amongst the aggregates.

Critic B has an alternative understanding – the
hero is a hero because he is searching for a
specific damsel and not just coming in with his
gun ratta-tat-tat, refuting everything in sight
so that even the damsel “dies” & the play
ends!

Critic A understands the skilled reasoning
work of the hero could be used in another play
or to refute another self because the
story/pervasion has a good ending.

Critic B sees the performance of the hero as
focused and enough because the hero is only
looking for a specific inherently existent
A/damsel and that this is only successful as
focused confirmation of the non-existence of a
specific inherently existent A/damsel, nothing
else – because even after we stop looking at
“the play” in everyday life things like A are
seen all the time, they continue.

Critic A sees the space-like non-finding of A
under its basis of designation, / - , as a green
light to write - “...because the hero's
performance is so strong reason undoubtedly
refutes as untrue the damsel and by extension
all other “plays” and productions, the play of
cause/effect, the I, an independent self, mine,
objects etc in the realization of the ultimate
ending (space-like non-finding Emptiness), so
final it beats all ignorance in all plays and
their accompanying philosophies”.

Critic B on the other hand allows themselves
to be deeply affected by the ending, for them,
because they allow the play to have a full
focused impact, the continual non-finding of
an inherently existent A acts as very freeing
confirmation of the utter non-existence of an
inherently existent self (the root of actual
innate ignorance) that serves as the basis of
the afflictions that contaminate experience
rather than seeing another philosophical
implication. Emptiness is not looked for or
“found”!

Critic B writes – “...the space-like realization,
the non-finding of an inherently existent A
achieved by the hero, is fundamental not just
to the way The Damsel and all conceptual
play is perceived but to the way “A” is
produced and hence to the way all “play” is
produced because the realization of the
Emptiness of one thing is as good as
realization of another’s Emptiness – the truth
pervades all existent things equally”.

Critic B then takes away the point of the
performance allowing it to pervade their
understanding of reality (what comes up) to
reach a hidden meaning, not just how we
perceive A as inherently existent.

Critic B writes “...A, / - , is an analogy for
reality, so this “play” is trying to tell us
something deeper”. Reality is all existent
things that arise at once together but are empty
(of inherent existence) at once together (even
emptiness itself is empty). So it is said the
actual difficult meaning of the non-finding of
inherent existence, Emptiness, is dependent
arising as only by this view all cause and
effect is possible rather than annihilated by it!

Critic B most critically understands if we
dont qualify the performance of the hero and
if they dont exist as dependent arising’s - as
do-able conditions - the much higher
experiences of the actual existence of Ultimate
Truths via direct perception of Emptiness
couldnt be True Cessations of afflictive
experience and the achievement of cessation
of afflictions couldnt entail Nirvanas, so
pursuit of the irreversible experience of
Nirvanas as the complete liberation from
suffering would be a fools game.
(See The Great Treatise on the Stage of the
Path to Enlightenment Vol.3 Lama Tsongkapa
esp chapters 16&17)

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: I edited -- the "markdown" format uses empty lines to separate text into paragraphs.  

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