A question on Emptiness Meditation

Takuan

I was reading Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary on the Heart Sutra today and came across a section on emptiness meditation. There were no instructions, as this was merely a short commentary on a sutra, so I was wondering if anyone knew how exactly to meditate on emptiness. Is it something we just concentrate on or is there a specific technique?

happyjourney

start with something simple like the emptiness of your bed. considering all the parts, labour and other conditions that it is dependant on. then slowly as your understanding of emptiness in all things becomes better you move onto things like your own self, the emptiness of your percieved 'I' etc.

Tikal2012

There is no such thing as meditation on emptiness. The realization of emptiness is just an understanding that takes place when you begin to progress along the spiritual path. It means that you realize that there's nothing really to get mad at, because WHO is it that's getting MAD at WHAT? YOU are just a collection of parts and pieces put together to make a single phenomena that is in turn just a part or piece of a bigger phenomena and is impermanent. MAD is just a series of thoughts triggered by ignorance that is just an arising and passing away in your mind that has nothing to do with you that is impermanent. WHAT is just a collection of parts and pieces that make up a part or piece of yet another phenomena that is impermanent. It is all just a baseless and unsubstantiated process that we have nothing to do with. Let go of the thoughts of anger. Let go of that tension and tightness in your mind, and come back to relaxing on the in breath and relaxing on the out breath. Good luck.

santhisouk

Try reflecting on: The impermanence of things within us and around us, and our selfless nature, nothing we can call our own.

metta

DhammaDhatu

There is the case where a monk, having gone into the wilderness, to the root of a tree, or into an empty dwelling, considers this: 'This is empty of self or of anything pertaining to self.'

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.043.than.html

DhammaDhatu

Gradual meditation for entering into emptiness, here:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.121.than.html

ashcat

When you sit to meditate. Instead of focusing on the breath, instead of counting breaths or whatever you do. Try instead to think of nothing..

How do you think of nothing? = Think of nothing.
It is hard, but amazing once mastered a lttle. Eventually you will witness emptiness. You will be emptying your mind by thinking of nothing....

And in time, whenever you feel a negative thought arising, you will be able to quickly go into a meditative state on empty-ness, your mind wont dwell on the crap, it just wont 'think' therefore when we dont think, we dont suffer.

Suffer comes from 'thinking'
''empty the mind - empty your thoughts''
''empty your thoughts, you remove negativity''
''remove negativity - you have removed suffering''

NOTaGangsta

DON'T SIT THERE AND THINK OF NOTHING! You'll get attached to the dull emptiness. Focusing on the breath etc is still thinking of something, dat practices will eventually need to be elevated to contemplation!

person

When you sit to meditate. Instead of focusing on the breath, instead of counting breaths or whatever you do. Try instead to think of nothing..

How do you think of nothing? = Think of nothing.
It is hard, but amazing once mastered a lttle. Eventually you will witness emptiness. You will be emptying your mind by thinking of nothing....

And in time, whenever you feel a negative thought arising, you will be able to quickly go into a meditative state on empty-ness, your mind wont dwell on the crap, it just wont 'think' therefore when we dont think, we dont suffer.

Suffer comes from 'thinking'
''empty the mind - empty your thoughts''
''empty your thoughts, you remove negativity''
''remove negativity - you have removed suffering''

The Buddhist concept of emptiness isn't meant like this. Emptiness doesn't mean empty like a cup, it means that things don't have inherent existence. In meditation you're not supposed to try to stop thinking, you're just supposed to watch the thoughts pass through the mind like clouds in the sky. I doubt a worm thinks of anything but they're not considered enlightened.

taiyaki

different schools in buddhism emphasize different things.
emptiness is taught in many different ways.

person

@taiyaki When zen refers to not being like a full cup, isn't that just meant to show how we shouldn't be so filled with pride and be receptive to the teachings?

DhammaDhatu

different schools in buddhism emphasize different things. emptiness is taught in many different ways.

The Buddha taught all things are empty

For example, a brick is empty, not because it is empty of the earth element but, because it is empty of "self"

Meditation on emptiness is to see body as "body function" rather than as "self"; feelings as "feelings function" rather than as "self"; thought as "thought function" rather than as "self"; consciousness as "consciousness function" rather than as "self"

but now, you see emptiness as a vaccuum - nothingness - spacing out - zombie

regards

taiyaki

a brick can also been seen as various materials coming together to become "brick". parts + projected whole. divide the parts even further. where does the various elements come from? again you come to emptiness because we are only projecting labels causing separation.

i'm not asserting a nothingness. emptiness is as much of a fullness as well. there are different ways to teach the same thing, even if it is the same realization.

DhammaDhatu

unnecessary for liberation & mere intellectualism

just mental chatter rather than direct seeing

as I said, emptiness meditation is "to see"

DhammaDhatu

where does the various elements come from? again you come to emptiness...

WRONG!

the Buddha said the various elements are empty. he did not say they come from emptiness

to ask where the elements come from is the same as asking where they cease

Buddha said this is inappropriate question

Buddha said appropriate question is where to the elements have no footing, no adherence?

DhammaDhatu

we are only projecting labels causing separation.

the Buddha said labels (perceptions) are empty

the Buddha did not say emptiness is empty of labels

but now, you see emptiness as a vaccuum - nothingness - spacing out - zombie mind

taiyaki

the point is to cut "intellectual thinking" with logic. to come at a simple not-knowing and acceptance of what is.

it is a process.

i never said that things come from emptiness. i said you come to emptiness.
you look at the parts and realize those parts are just concept projections.

then you come at emptiness. the non dual. blah blah blah lol.

stop misreading my shit man.

taiyaki

we are only projecting labels causing separation.

the Buddha said labels (perceptions) are empty

the Buddha did not say emptiness is empty of labels

but now, you see emptiness as a vaccuum - nothingness - spacing out - zombie mind

to describe emptiness is a big mistake.
these are just words bro. they are empty like you "asserted".

DhammaDhatu

the point is to cut "intellectual thinking" with logic. to come at a simple not-knowing and acceptance of what is

this is still not describing seeing the emptiness in things

it is still just describing non-thinking rather than insight

like now i have a jar of peaches in front of me. the jar is full of peaches but empty of self

taiyaki

attain no mind = attain insight

same thing bro

DhammaDhatu

to describe emptiness is a big mistake.

the buddha did not make a big mistake

just Taoism again

taiyaki

bro thats zen.

DhammaDhatu

attain no mind = attain insight

same thing bro

more taosim

not same

DhammaDhatu

zen = taoism

taiyaki

bows to the buddha who knows all.

DhammaDhatu

buddha = empty

no buddha

taiyaki

buddha = empty

no buddha

well played, my projection!

question to you sir! how does emptiness function in the world? how do we integrate insight into our daily lives?

DhammaDhatu

all things are empty

computer is empty

words/speaking are empty

just a world of functioning five aggregates; like a world full of robots; no "selves" anywhere

like "your mother" is just five aggregates; like pre-programmed reproduction functions

just natural chemicals making this five aggregates babble & chatter emotionally

taiyaki

how does spontaneity work from emptiness? how does creativity work with emptiness?

if we attain emptiness don't we sort of get rid of our "conditioning"? or mortally wound it lol?
if there is no permanent self, then couldn't one just have a self knowing that it is also changing?

santhisouk

Emptiness is reference to impermanence, suffering, and no-self. Birth, old age, sickness, and death, constantly changing. Being born is suffering, growing old is suffering, getting sick is suffering, dying is suffering. Here I am, there I am, there I was, there I will be. These things are mine, those things were mine, those things will be mine. Who was I then, who am I now, who will I be. What did I have then, what do I have now, what will I have...

Floating_Abu

like "your mother" is just five aggregates; like pre-programmed reproduction functions

just natural chemicals making this five aggregates babble & chatter emotionally

Dearest Dhamma Dhatu

Just a quote that may be relevant to your own investigations:

Even if one should carry about one's mother on one shoulder and one's father on the other, and so doing should live a hundred years.... Moreover, if one should set them up as supreme rulers, having absolute rule over the wide earth abounding in the seven treasures - not even by this could one repay one's parents. And why! Bhikkhus, parents do a lot for their children: they bring them up, provide them with food, introduce them to the world.

Anguttara Nikaya: Twos, 32

http://amaravati.org/abmtrial/documents/gratitude/data/gratitude.html

Also, my understanding is that the Buddha does not teach that a person is just five aggregates "like pre programmed reproduction functions".

Rather, the Buddha instead taught that the five aggregates are not-self - a very very different teaching thus.

Abu

NOTaGangsta

dammmm, some of u homeboys needs to read the platform sutra...

The Platform Sutra by the 6th Patriarch. So ya not so attached to this name calling antics concerning "emptiness" etc.

taiyaki

i said the same thing and i was told that was taoism. go figure bro.

xabir

I was reading Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary on the Heart Sutra today and came across a section on emptiness meditation. There were no instructions, as this was merely a short commentary on a sutra, so I was wondering if anyone knew how exactly to meditate on emptiness. Is it something we just concentrate on or is there a specific technique?

Yes there is.

You can read this book which has instructions on how to meditate on emptiness: http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Mahamudra-Looking-Directly-Mind/dp/0861713710/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306468185&sr=1-2

Also you can read this article which also has instructions on how to meditate on emptiness: http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-anatta-emptiness-and-spontaneous.html

Theswingisyellow

Here is a good article on emptiness and its applications:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/integrityofemptiness.html