Personal understanding about Emptiness and Nirvana

Spnw07 SG

It is my wish to provide some easy to relate to points for beginners like myself who have difficulties understanding Buddhist concepts like 'Emptiness' and 'Nirvana'. The written or verbal explanations by many ancient and contemporary Buddhist Masters are still too profound for some to gain even a useful grasp of these two important concepts.

Let me first quote the Heart Sutra, which is familiar to most people.

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, when deeply practicing prajna-paramita, clearly saw that the five skandhas are all empty, and was saved from all suffering and distress.

The Heart Sutra started out with the above verses. For many years I didn't really pay much attention to the words like 'deeply practicing' or 'clearly saw' (actually the Chinese word '照见' conveys a much deeper meaning) until I saw a video by a Venerable explaining the Heart Sutra. Prajna-paramita can be more or less explained as 'transcendental wisdom'. So from the above, it is implied if a practitioner has already attained prajna-paramita, and continues to practise more diligently, he or she will achieve the same deep insight as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and therefore be able to able to clearly see and know that the five skandhas or aggregates are empty (of inherent existence).

So what can we really understand from the above starting verses?

Realistically speaking, many will not be able to achieve transcendental wisdom in their present lives. Which means, it is very difficult for most to truly understand through direct experience (meditative and others), what is emptiness, and how deep insight into the emptiness of the five skandhas can actually help to save people from suffering and distress; unless a practitioner has reached the same or similar kind of spiritual attainment like Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

Next, Nirvana.

Generally speaking, Nirvana is the final state of spiritual growth or attainment for any Buddhist practitioner. For such a practitioner, all mental defilements like greed, anger and ignorance are completely eradicated and there are no future rebirths for him.

It is understood from sutras that for those who have achieved Arahanthood, they realise the truth of Nirvana as spoken by the Buddha and hence live in Nibbana bliss when they are alive and after they die.

Now sometimes we have this misconception: when you observed a practitioner to be gentle, wise and composed all the time due to diligent Dhamma practice doesn't actually mean he or she has really realised the truth of Nirvana and would hence live on in Nibbana bliss like the Arahants in Buddha's time. Many practitioners would say so, but note that it's better to treat such comments as a matter of figurative expression rather than pointing to or affirming actual spiritual attainment. We can only say that such a practitioner is well-established enough in his or her spiritual practice to be a good role model for others. In the absence of a Buddha pointing it out directly for us, it's best that we just merely observe and take note rather than believe wholeheartedly just because such comments are made by practitioners who are widely recognised to be highly accomplished in their practice of Buddhist teachings..

The purpose of this post is actually to reassure those who are constantly worried or concerned about their inability to understand Emptiness and Nirvana, even after much listening and reading. Feelings of confusion, or even fear might be present.

Remember this: until you have reached the stage of spiritual practice whereby you can directly experience deep insight into Emptiness and Nirvana, tell yourself you have no need to fear nor worry at all.

Let me elaborate.

Continue to practise what you can understand about Buddhist teachings. Please also continue to listen attentively and read widely about various explanations from trusted Buddhist practitioners. However, do your best without being edged on by fear nor worry. Fear and worry as motivational factors to being more diligent in practising Buddhist teachings can work well only up to a certain point. If one continues to practise under constant fear and worry, one is not really practising well and right.

Right understanding of the Buddhist teachings will spur you to be diligent in your Dhamma practice in the right direction.

All the best!

An Eternal Now SG

Achieving a direct realization of emptiness is actually highly possible and many people have done that.

You should also understand the 1st bhumi bodhisattva's realization of emptiness is the same as the 10th bhumi (e.g. Avalokitesvara). However the level of actualization of this knowledge in every moment of life, as well as the elimination of afflictive and knowledge obscurations, as well as the attainment of qualities (paramitas, etc) differ at each stage.

You are quite right about Nirvana. Nirvana is the complete elimination of craving, aggression and delusion, it is by no means an easy feat and we should never use the term 'Nirvana' too loosely.

Spnw07 SG

Achieving a direct realization of emptiness is actually highly possible and many people have done that.

Achieving a direct realisation of emptiness is indeed possible, no doubts at all. As for 'many', it is difficult to prove statistically and for witnesses, members of the public and perhaps many Buddhists cannot tell for sure whether someone has really achieved that realisation.

Statistics-wise, we need to know the total number of serious Buddhist practitioners and the number of those who has achieved direct realisation of Emptiness.

Let's say the worldwide population of serious Buddhist practitioners is widely agreed to be 1 million. 100 people who has achieved Emptiness realisation can be considered many, so is 1000 and so on.

Behaviour-wise, a practitioner who is gentle, wise and calm at all times, can explain the concept of Emptiness very precisely, can merely be suggestive of diligent practice and being very well-learned.

Since the interpretation of both relevant statistics and witness based behavioural accounts can be subjective at certain parts or perhaps ambiguous, I can only choose to rely on personal experience and the sutra verses that I have come across so far about the state of sentient beings during the Dharma-Ending Age.

I will continue to keep an open mind.

You should also understand the 1st bhumi bodhisattva's realization of emptiness is the same as the 10th bhumi (e.g. Avalokitesvara). However the level of actualization of this knowledge in every moment of life, as well as the elimination of afflictive and knowledge obscurations, as well as the attainment of qualities (paramitas, etc) differ at each stage.

Ah yes, something like the Nirvana achievement for both Arahants and Buddhas. It's the same since there is no duality in experience for Nirvana.

Can you elaborate on 'level of actualization...differ at each stage'? With easy to read and understand examples please.

An Eternal Now SG

Logically speaking if you realized no self in persons and phenomena, then that should be able to liberate all attachments in real-time. But this is not the case in real life even if you attained 1st bhumi. This is because obscurations of affliction and knowledge continue to manifest due to latent seeds of the 8th consciousness.

So the actualization of the view of emptiness in daily life is not thorough and complete and can be obstructed by innate defilements. So actualizing this knowledge in every situation of life remains a challenge.

The 1st bhumi overcomes the confusion of views* through the realization of twofold emptiness, the 2nd bhumi attenuates but does not completely overcome the confusion of afflictions*, the 8th bhumi overcomes afflictions and the Buddha overcomes knowledge obscurations preventing omniscience.

*Confusion of views: self-view, eternalist views, nihilist views, etc. all kinds of wrong views.

*Afflictions as in the various tendencies towards passion, aggression and delusions

Spnw07 SG

Since the 1st bhumi overcomes the confusion of views* through the realization of twofold emptiness, then when it comes to actualizing this knowledge in every situation of life, any mental or emotional challenge that comes up should have minimal negative impact, even when taking into account innate defilements.

From Wiki:

According to Tsong Khapa, first level bodhisattvas directly understand that persons do not exist by way of their own nature. Due to this, they overcome the false idea that the five aggregates constitute a truly existent person. They also eliminate predispositions toward corrupted ethics so completely that they will not arise again.^[7]

Despite having directly Perceived emptiness, bodhisattvas on the first level are primarily motivated by faith. They train in ethics in order to cleanse their minds of negativity and, so they prepare themselves for the cultivation of mundane meditative absorption that comes on the second level.

The above seem to suggest that they have what is necessary to deal with innate defilements confidently and will not be trapped by any kind of false views, even if the perception of emptiness is not as accomplished as those who have attained higher bhumis.

By the way, what is the equivalent stage of attainment in Theravada teaching for a 1st Bhumi Bodhisattva? A stream-enterer? It does sound like stream-enterer. From the same wiki, it says a 8th bhumi Bodhisattva is equivalent to a full Theravada Arhat.

sinweiy SG

frm my archive:

通教：此教位次依《大品经》，分干慧等十地。

Common teachings had Ten Stages.

　　 1干慧地：未有理水，故得其名。即外凡位，与藏教五停心、总别等三位齐。Dry wisdom stage.

　　 2性地：相似得法性水，伏见思惑。即内凡位。与藏教四善根齐。Nature stage. 3八人地。Saint stage.

　　 4见地：此位与八人地入无间三昧，断三界八十八使见尽，发真无漏，见真谛理。与藏教初果齐。4th Behold Stage is equivalent to Collection teaching's 1st arahant stage (stream entry). Eliminated the Eighty-Eight Deluded Views.

　　 5薄地：断欲界九品思前六品。与藏教二果齐。5th Shallow Stage is equivalent to 2nd Stage ('once-returner'). Eliminated 6 of the 9 degrees of cognitive delusions.

　　 6离欲地：断欲界九品思尽。与藏教三果齐。6th is equivalent to 3rd 'never-returner'. Eliminated all 9 degrees of cognitive delusions.

　　 7已办地：断三界见思惑尽，但断正使，不能侵习，如烧木成炭。与藏教四果齐。声闻位齐此。7th of Common teaching is equivalent to Arhathood of Collection teaching. Eliminated both Deluded Views & cognitive delusions of Samsara.

　　 8辟支佛地：更侵习气，如烧炭成灰。Praetyka-buddha stage.

　　 9菩萨地：正使断尽，与二乘同，扶习润生，道观双流，游戏神通，净佛国土。Bodhisattva stage.

　　 10佛地：机缘若熟，以一念相应慧，顿断残习，坐七宝菩提树下，以天衣为座，现带劣胜应身成佛，为三乘根性转无生四谛法轮，缘尽入灭，正习俱除，如炭灰俱尽。Buddha stage.

http://www.shidazhao.com/lw/2011/0620/237_2.html

An Eternal Now SG

From Wiki:

Less impact, sure, but still not fully liberated from all imprints and habits.

The difference is that a stream enterer is liberated from the view of a person-self 人空, the Bodhisattva however realizes twofold emptiness人、法二空. So both removes views but there are differences in the removal of view. Your correlation of arahant with 8th bhumi bodhisattva has some basis, however, the basis is only in the removal of afflictions. The bodhisattva however eliminates knowledge obscurations and cultivates the 10 paramitas at the same time, therefore that path takes longer.

http://baike.baidu.com/view/7832337.htm

(三)菩萨乘十地： (1)欢喜地，谓菩萨既修满初阿僧祇劫之行，初得圣性，破除见惑，证得人、法二空之理，生大欢喜，菩萨于此位成就布施波罗蜜。(2)离垢地，即成就戒波罗蜜，断除修惑（於修道而斷之貪瞋痴等迷事之惑也），涤除毁犯之垢使身清净。(3)发光地，即成就忍辱波罗蜜，断除修惑，得谛察法忍，智慧显发。(4)焰慧地，即成就精进波罗蜜，断除修惑，使慧性炽盛。(5)极难胜地，即成就禅定波罗蜜，断除修惑，令真俗二智之行相互违者合而相应。(6)现前地，即成就慧波罗蜜，断除修惑，发最胜智，使现前无染净之别。(7)远行地，即成就方便波罗蜜，发大悲心，亦断除修惑，远离二乘之自度。此位即修成第二阿僧祇劫之行。(8)不动地，即成就愿波罗蜜，断除修惑，作无相观，任运无功用相续。(9)善慧地，即成就力波罗蜜，断除修惑，具足十力，于一切处了知可度不可度而能说法。(10)法云地，即成就智波罗蜜，亦断除修惑，具足无边功德，出生无边功德水，如大云覆虚空能出清净之众水。

An Eternal Now SG

If you want to have at least a conceptual understanding of Emptiness do read this: http://www.heartofnow.com/files/emptiness.html

Spnw07 SG

frm my archive:

http://www.shidazhao.com/lw/2011/0620/237_2.html

Thank you, sinweiy. This is the first time I have come across 大品经.
So from what you have quoted, 已办地 is equivalent to the attainment of Theravada Arhat.

Spnw07 SG

If you want to have at least a conceptual understanding of Emptiness do read this: http://www.heartofnow.com/files/emptiness.html

Thanks. I could only capture in my mind 'inherent existence'. Actually whether things are inherently existent or empty of it, are still difficult concepts for me. As in I don't judge something to be inherently existent or empty when I interact with it.

An Eternal Now SG

You do not judge but the idea is deeply rooted in ur mind and affecting ur perception subtly.

That is why there is always a sense that 'I am', 'it is', things seem so real and solid that we fail to see that they are illusory 'like dreams, mirages, magical apparitions, reflection of moon in water, like bubbles, shadows, etc'

It is a deep perceptual spell, like a magical spell. It is a wrong view that has become deep conditioning/karmic propensities

2009novice SG

Hi,

I got a question here... for dependent co-arising... why it sounds different in theravada... does it means it's more to 人空 but not 法空...? (referring to 人、法二空)

An Eternal Now SG

What do you think sounds different in Theravada?

Anyway: in Theravada, 人空 is much more emphasized than 法空 with very few exceptions such as Ven. Nanananda. I think Ven Nanananda, a theravada teacher, understands both emptiness. Actually Pali suttas talk about both emptiness but few Theravadins understood.

2009novice SG

i think i didn't write clear enough... based on what i know, Theravada also understands this 人法空 but in the earlier post, it seems to imply only Bodhisattvas realize 人、法二空... does that means arhats don't go to that level yet..?

An Eternal Now SG

Yes. There are two interpretations: 1) A predominant view among Mahayana is that Arahats only realize 人空 (based on the Hinayana abhidhamma apparently expounding a substantialist view of dharma). 2) A minority view among Mahayana is that Arahats realize 人、法二空.

An Eternal Now SG

I personally think some arahants realize both emptiness, not too sure if it is all of them.

Also, majority of Theravada does not understand 人、法二空. But their scriptures (of course, since they are words of the Buddha) does talk about 人、法二空. (e.g. phena sutta, kaccayanagotta sutta, kalaka sutta etc etc)

sinweiy SG

Arhat also have 2 types. Amitabha Sutra talk of Great arahat that mean Maha Arhant or Mahayana Arhant. Arhant that are graduated of Mahayana.

2009novice SG

空魔 - clinging on the view of emptiness.... is it correct to explain this term...?

An Eternal Now SG

It is actually referring to the nihilist view that denies cause and effect. That is a non-Buddhist view, it is not the Buddhist view of emptiness.

【空魔】魔（梵ma^ra ）能夺慧命，破坏道法、功德、善本等。空魔即拨无因果之空见恶魔，亦即否定一切善恶因果，或以为诸法皆空之恶魔。楞严经卷九（大一九·一四九上）：‘有空魔入其心腑，乃谤持戒，名为小乘；菩萨悟空，有何持犯？其人常于信心檀越，饮酒啖肉，广行淫秽。’

John lim2004 SG

人、法二空? Doesn’t attainment of the emptiness of self人空 equal to the understanding of external dharma 法空 as well?

Does this means that the vipassana meditation only leads to 人空?