What does a Buddhist mean when he discusses “emptiness?” This can be a hard thing to explain, but it is worth the attempt, even if all you walk away with is the understanding that different people and cultures can see the world very differently. Try reading this short passage on the Buddhist concept of emptiness:
What is emptiness then? To understand the philosophical meaning of this term, let’s look at a simple solid object, such as a cup. How is a cup empty? We usually say that a cup is empty if it does not contain any liquid or solid. This is the ordinary meaning of emptiness. But, is the cup really empty? A cup empty of liquids or solids is still full of air. To be precise, we must therefore state what the cup is empty of. Can a cup be empty of all substance? A cup in a vacuum does not contain any air, but it still contains space, light, radiation, as well as its own substance. Hence, from a physical point of view, the cup is always full of something. Yet, from the Buddhist point of view, the cup is always empty. The Buddhist understanding of emptiness is different from the physical meaning. The cup being empty means that it is devoid of inherent existence.
What is your response? Does this make any sense? Can you understand any parts of it? What does it say?
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