The Ultimate Truth
of Emptiness in Buddhism
Hello, there. The following contents
are excerpted from the study club of Nan Zen held at AJ Hotel Hsinchu, Taiwan
in 2020. For the entire talk, you may find videos on Nan Zen’s Facebook
page.
We are not interpreting the entire scripture,
but extracting the concepts from it.
First, I want to point out that don’t panic
and stress yourself out when you have difficulty understanding them. I have
spent the past three decades immersed in the study of Buddhism, and therefore
it takes me years to realize śūnyatā, the dharma of emptiness. Since these
interpretations of śūnyatā reflect a part of my long-term efforts, it is
difficult to understand them all at once.
佛法第一義空
南禪朋友好，這些內容是根據2020年在臺灣新竹安捷飯店舉辦的FB直播講課內容節錄出來的。
首先說明，我們不是講整個經文，而是抽出其中的概念來講。
關於佛法中的「空」法思想，不要說你們，就我自己，也琢磨了好幾年，前前後後思考了好幾年，我才把整個佛教的空法貫穿！所以要講這個空法也準備了二三十年，坦白講，這是我的心血，所以各位聽空法的時候，也不要要求自己一下子就去理解所謂的空法。
However, it can be simply defined.
Considering śūnyatā the essence of Buddhism, we must clarify some
misunderstandings. Of course, all phenomena are constructed and depended upon
what needs to be satisfied. These dependencies are called Nidānas. We live with
all other beings in a world, where our bodies and things surrounding us are tangibly
considered real. It is hard for us to sense or imagine emptiness. If
I were empty, then you couldn’t see or feel me. But this is also our
wrong assumption in regards to existence and non-existence. Taking śūnyatā as
the concept of nothingness misleads people into thinking that Buddhism is a
pessimistic and passive religion. As a matter of fact, śūnyatā is systematic
and well-structured in the history of Buddhism
(For a further understanding, please see my
video clips on Youtube.)
因為他畢竟是一個佛教的精髓，但也不會那麼難了解，只是說我們的思想裡面，是處於「有」的世界。我的肉體是真的，看到一切是真的，那你告訴我這是空的，你想得出來嗎？
絕對想不出來！感官也感受不到。對不對？！那你的肉體感受不到我是空的，你感官也感受不到，那你對空一定是很陌生的！ 所以空到最後，很多人就會想「空」就是沒有嘛!然後「空」就是「幻有」、「虛幻有」以為佛教講的就是消極的，事實上那都是對空的一種錯誤的理解！ 那我要講的「空」他是有一個系統的！（參考youTube南禪精舍錄影檔不一不異）
Sutra No. 335 (313) of the Saṃyuktāgama (T02,
no. 99, p. 92c12–25):
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Buddha
was staying near the village of Kalmāṣadamya in the Kuru country. At that time
the Blessed One
said to the monks, “Today I will teach you
the Dharma, persistent in the beginning,
middle, and end; excellent in both word and
spirit; The practice of consummate purity, that is the Ultimate Truth of
Emptiness, so to speak. Listen closely, consider it well; I will now
expound it to you.
“What, then, is the Sūtra on the Ultimate
Truth of Emptiness? Monks, when vision arises, there is no place that it comes
from; and when it ceases, there is no place that it goes to. Thus vision arises
out of insubstantiality, and afterwards ceases. The results of karma exist, but
not the doer thereof. When this Skandhas ceases, a different Skandhas arises
and continues. These phenomena are nothing but conventional designations. The
same goes for hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking; they are
nothing but conventional designations.
“As for the term ‘conventional designations,’
it’s like this: When this exists, that exists; when this arises, that arises.
That is to say: Depending on ignorance, conditioning arises; depending on
conditioning, consciousness arises, and so on, up to this great mass of pure
suffering arises.
“Conversely, when this doesn’t exist, that
doesn’t exist; when this ceases, that ceases. That is to say: Depending on the
cessation of ignorance, conditioning ceases; depending on the cessation of
conditioning, consciousness ceases, and so on, up to this great mass of pure
suffering ceases.
“Monks, this is the Sūtra
on the Ultimate Truth of Emptiness.”
When the Buddha finished delivering this
discourse, the monks were delighted and practiced accordingly.
雜阿含335經
如是我聞：
一時，佛住拘留搜調牛聚落。
爾時，世尊告諸比丘：
「我今當為汝等說法，初、中、後善，善義、善味，純一滿淨梵行清白，所謂第一義空經，諦聽！善思！當為汝說。
云何為第一義空經？
諸比丘！眼生時，無有來處；滅時，無有去處，如是，眼不實而生，生已盡滅，有業報而無作者，此陰滅已，異陰相續，除俗數法；耳、鼻、舌、身、意亦如是說，除俗數法。
俗數法者，謂：此有故，彼有；此起故，彼起。如：無明緣行，行緣識……廣說乃至純大苦聚集起。
又復，此無故，彼無；此滅故，彼滅，無明滅故行滅，行滅故識滅……如是廣說，……乃至純大苦聚滅。
比丘！是名第一義空法經。」
佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。(引述自莊春江網站）
The text above is excerpted from Sutra No.
335 (313) of the Saṃyuktāgama (T02, no. 99, p. 92c12–25). A beginner Buddhist
has to notice that the Saṃyuktāgama plays a crucial role in Buddhism. The Saṃyuktāgama,
known as the primitive scripture (the earlier
teachings ) internationally, is considered the closest to Buddha’s original
teachings. The Chinese version of the Āgamas contains four canonical
collections. Here, I am using the Saṃyuktāgama.
上面經文是《雜阿含經第335經》，《雜阿含經》初學佛的人可能不知道，《雜阿含經》在世界佛學的研究裡面，《雜阿含經》算是比較被具體認同，比較接近佛陀講的佛法，國際間對《雜阿含經》的稱呼叫做「原始教典」，原始，就是最貼近佛陀時代的經文。《阿含經》有四阿含，《雜阿含經》是《阿含經》裡面的一部經典，《雜阿含經》根據考古還有很多學者的研究，它是比較貼近佛陀的說法，所以我挑《雜阿含經》出來講。
在這經文裡面敘述 在一個村莊的聚落裡面，佛陀就跟他們說：「我要為你們說初、中、後善的佛法」。你看《雜阿含經》會得到一個經驗，初夜中夜後夜，都在精進，佛法講到，對夜晚時間用初中後來做劃分！
印度人事實上非常有時間觀念！在佛陀那個時代，印度人常用時間去說明很多的概念，現在透過這麼古老的文字，會發覺過去、現在、未來是他們常運用的時間觀念，我們後來說：我有前世、今生、來世。這裡面其實都是時間觀念在做一種跨越的貫穿。
Studying Buddhist scriptures is quite interesting indeed. If comparing it with Chinese classics or Western philosophies, we may find each has different focuses. As for me, I find Buddhist discussions more interesting and profound when discussing the concept of the beginning, middle, and end of nights. The Vajrayāna Buddhist practitioners claim that practices in the beginning, middle, and end of nights can account for the teachings of diamond vehicles (Vajrayāna), namely the superlative dharma. The superlative dharma refers to the wisdom and the supreme level of spiritual attainment beyond ordinary people. The ancient Vajrayāna practitioners even considered the teachings of diamond vehicles (Vajrayāna) superior to that of Mahayana Buddhism (Mahāyāna) and Theravada Buddhism (Hīnayāna).
所以研究佛經其實很好玩，如果你對照其他的學問，比如說：你看我們自己華人的一些論典，你看西洋的哲學，你會發覺大家討論的都不一樣！但是佛學討論的很有趣，他會講到初中後的概念。那初中後善，我看很多人講經的時候，像密宗的，他會說這個初中後算是金剛乘的佛法，金剛乘就是說他是超越在所謂南傳北傳之上的，古時候的用語就是大乘小乘上面還有一個金剛乘，金剛乘就是說我傳的法是最好的；那還有一種就是勝義的說法，初中後善，後代金剛乘還有用勝義法來解說。
What is the superlative dharma (Shengyi)? It
refers to the wisdom and supreme level beyond what ordinary people can
comprehend. In brief, in my opinion, it tries to explain how hard to cultivate
virtues persistently, especially during nighttime or when feeling exhausted.
「勝義」是什麼？勝義就是說超越一般人能理解的，超越一般人的大腦能理解的智慧！他有一種境界上的殊勝。但是我的看法是說，你初中後善，如果我們用白話的來講也好，用必較粗淺的文言文來講就是，我在任何時間維持一貫善的態度就不容易了 ，更何況是人在身心疲憊的夜晚之時。
If a beginner starts to hear about the
superlative dharma or the teachings of Vajrayāna,
he/she is definite to get confused. I am not trying to criticize other’s
teaching. However, Buddha’s teachings can lead us to liberation through our
practices in the world. In this sense, I prefer explaining Buddhism in a
way closer to lived experiences. Frankly speaking, I reckon that it is not that
easy for us to think or act in keeping with virtues all the time. Besides,
Buddhist practitioners need to understand the Truth of Emptiness first, so they
can apply it as basis to all levels of their practices.
(My video on virtuous roots can be viewed on
Nan Zen’s Facebook page or on Youtube.)
我講經喜歡用現實會有的狀態來講事實，我不會一下告訴你這個叫勝義善或是叫金剛乘的善，因為我覺得對一般人沒有意義，但是我對其他人的講經方式，也沒有批判或批評的意思，我覺得那是一個很好的講經的法門，只是我個人講經我喜歡用平實的語句來講，但是你一下子要跟一個剛來學習的人說，你要有最殊勝的一個善，我相信他是一頭霧水，所以我講經比較喜歡用所謂平實的語句，用平實的語句把他說出來！我出家很久，我歷經了自己的出家，也看過很多人的人生，我坦白講，我們對一個善行為要維持很久，不太容易！（請參考YouTube南禪精舍善根錄影檔）
Buddha’s teachings ask a practitioner to
cultivate virtuous acts all the way to the root. For example, a person can be
very generous when seeing poverty and try to improve their conditions from the
bottom of their heart. Motivation is pure. It is indeed a virtue to carry out
generosity, but not be so easy to carry it on especially when the give and take
is off balance. The helped may take donations for granted and keep asking for
more. The greed may cause the giver’s withdrawal. Then complaints may arise to
blame the giver’s imperfection and go on the giver’s frustration.
舉個例子！我要發一個善心，然後善心你要推廣到什麼程度，這裡面佛法要求你要做到哪裡，要做到善根。
善心是一個念頭，我想要布施，我看到貧窮，我看到這邊有缺失的，我想要改善，我用我布施的能力或我工作的能力去改善他，這是初發心，然後你去做的時候，完蛋了！你去布施的時候你發覺，那些給你布施的人還會再來要求你，然後你工作完成的時候他會跟你說，這個做的不好那個做得不好，還要求你更完美！
Persistence is one of the virtues that could
be drawn back by any reason. Pure motivation is a virtue too that is tested by
challenges of inter-personal complexity. The course of maintaining virtues must
go through all these confrontations that reflect obstacles and facets of
humanity. It is not easy to cultivate virtues persistently throughout the
beginning, middle, and end of the nights. If one can accomplish all the tests,
I would give my acclaims for their over-human-nature-transcendence.
Throughout the scriptures, you can find the
concept of time expressed as “virtuous acts from the beginning, keeping on in
the middle, and then to the end. In my opinion, it is just about whether we can
be persistent in the cultivation of virtues.
你的心是不是在這種人事挫折裡面會得到失落感，所以你看我從初發心到在工作的內容裡面，我要不要維持這個內容，事實上不容易！
那你從初發心到中間這個過程，歷經考驗，你要不要做，都是人性的考驗！
如果你能貫穿初中後的善，我認為你就很了不起了，這個時候才能談勝義善，
貫穿表示已經超越了人性去做一些別人做不到的善根！
我看一下其他的講經在初中夜後善這三個點，他們所能講的範圍比我講的多非常多，但是我只願意用簡單講，你有沒有能力去貫穿你的善行為？！就這樣！
CEO of Nan Zen Life Education Foundation,
Sophia Fang-chun Kuo:
Persistence with virtuous acts is easier said
than done. Circumstances around us are changing all the time. We find ourselves
more capable to cultivate virtuous acts in the face of prosperity than in the
face of adversity. We would be discouraged by the off-balance of give-and-take.
Therefore, the changes of the external world might cause difficulty for being
persistent in the cultivation of virtuous acts.
南禪生命教育基金會執行長郭芳純:
您說有沒有能力貫穿善行為這個觀念，其實在理解上我覺得是很容易的，我很想要貫穿這個善行為，但是真正要做到是非常不容易的！為什麼不容易？
因為我覺得每天的日子都會不一樣都會變化 也許現在很順，
順境時會覺得我有能力，但是有一天遭遇到一些挫折或是極大的變動的時候，我們反過來會去思考，那我以前的善行為的果都跑到哪裡去了，為什麼現在會遇到這麼不好的事，為什麼？所以當人遇到這些變動的時候，要一個人去貫穿這些善行為是非常不容易做到的！
Ban Ji:
Exactly, it can’t be too easy to be a
Buddhist Classic. (with a cunning smile) Since Buddhist classics are the
descriptions of perfection as a standard model for leading practitioners, which
for sure excludes the nonsense of emotional talking. I appreciate Sophia’s
feedback and also welcome questions that I would take as a reminder about some
important issues worthy of further discussions, such as how to deal with
difficulties.
半寄師父:
對啊！不然為什麼要放到經典來講 ！
嘻嘻嘻.詭異的回答...這經文就是標準，對不對？！
足以為後人典範 ，叫經
，叫典！
經典所陳述的一定是最圓滿最理想的那個境界！
他會把你做的不如意一肚子火的那一種情境納進來嗎？
絕對不會！ 這樣就不叫經典了！
剛剛執行長的問題，也是我要講的問題，但是有人提出來才會提醒我，如果我在做事情我碰到很多困難那我怎麼辦，那我怎麼辦？
Decluttering is known as Japanese philosophy
and later prevalently adopted as a popular lifestyle. Japanese people are
excellent at applying the dharma in their daily life, whereas our people tend
to be self-confiding to the literal meanings. The philosophy of decluttering is
referred as break, purge, and release, which is actually derived from
śūnyatā.
現在講斷捨離，事實上斷捨離的觀念也源自於空法，只是日本人，你去看日本佛學，你會覺得日本人很厲害，他們會把一些佛學的觀點，都在生活中用，那我們反而很容易訴諸於經典，你看日本人就覺得要斷捨離，其實都是出自於佛教的書。那斷捨離所要應用的就是空法的思想。
To break, purge and separate things from the
unnecessary and then release space seems very easy. But what about decluttering
interpersonal relationships with people? Is it easy too? Absolutely not. To be
more precise, it is difficult to forgive and forget painful feelings, toxic
relationships, or traumatic experiences. By the same token, it is difficult to
turn away from happiness. The toxic relations may come from your false perception
about what a happy life should be. When things are not going your way, you feel
hurt rather than feeling blessed. Then you feel like cutting off the
interpersonal relationships with your beloved ones. But is it right?
斷捨離，好像很容易，東西我不要就丟掉，那人不要可以嗎？不行！那更貼切講，我在我人生裡面曾經受過傷害，我在我人生裡面曾經很幸福過；受過傷害的，其實你捨不掉，而你很幸福了，但是可能那個幸福有點降低了你也受不了，所以斷捨離其實很困難！
To declutter relationships is the most
difficult thing in life. All the relationships were built up since we were
born. Imitate relationships can go beyond sexual and gender, such as
interactions with family, friends, and so on. Even a Buddhist monastic like me also has to deal with
decluttering relationships. You need more wisdom to do it well.
感情上的斷捨離其實很難。那感情上大家不要誤會說只有男女的感情，不見得，一個人的一生，包括你的原生家庭，你們各自結婚，包括像我出家，我面對的很多人，人跟人之間互動產生的情感，幾乎都沒有那麼容易做到斷捨離，你要做到你要有高度的智慧！
Sūnyatā applied to declutter interpersonal
relationships could make things easier and feasible. In my own practice, I’ve
benefited a lot from śūnyatā applying to the contemplation of my human nature
through which relationships are easily decluttered.
但是你說要做出來，絕對做的到，用空法的思想！我個人的修持上，我為什麼講經我都講空法，因為在我個人的修持上得自於空法的法益，佛法的利益非常大！所以我才會講空法，如果斷捨離裡面有空法的思想，比較容易拋捨一些你的人性以及你的感情裡面給你束縛住的點。
We are now in a world full of knowledge and
well-learned people. To be frank, we receive education to make ourselves useful
for the common good, so we spend lots of time learning all kinds of knowledge.
Knowledge is nearly all that we possess, isn’t it? Therefore, those who are
like you are intelligent tech-nerds in this classroom might use knowledge to
solve problems intuitively. Nevertheless, tech-nerds will feel more frustrated
when comes to the issues of interpersonal relationships. They do not know how
to deal with emotions and interpersonal complexity.
尤其像我們現在處於大腦都發展的很好的時代，很多人想用知識去解決很多事情，因為頭腦很好，但是用想法想解決事情的時候也會發現遭受挫敗，但是我比較同情的是，我坦白講，我們在整個讀書的過程，因為我們的教育就是希望大家都是有用的人，所以整個過程大家都費了很多時間在讀書，所以我們最厲害的就是知識，對不對？！繞在每個人的腦海，尤其各位很多人都是科技人，那個頭腦都是很厲害，想一下就知道自己要做什麼，我們習慣這樣的思維，但是這樣的思維，有時候投注在比較複雜的人際的時候往往挫敗感很大，那挫敗感很大你情緒就容易上來。
Then, how do Buddhist practitioners manage
his emotions? First, we have to notice that the brain and the body think
differently. You are intelligent to detect the reactions of what the bodies
resist or disobey the orders from our brains. I found the body resistance could
become stronger during meditation. According to the Buddhist classics, there is
about training bodies to follow the brains' orders. The mental function of the
brain is considered omnipresent that leads every one of our actions and thoughts.
Through meditation, identifying the bodys' reactions and thoughts can become
more easily without obstructions. It may take at least ten years to declutter
the obstructions from coarse to fine. The practice of mental declutter needs
the guidance of dharma. Therefore, applying the wisdom of dharma to solve
problems in everyday life has always been my main concern.
但是如果你學佛，你到底要怎麼去克制你的的情緒呢？大腦想的跟身體做的不太一樣啊! 大腦命令他做，如果各位去讀書都是高手，但是現在大腦命令身體做一個動作，你會發覺他是抗拒的，抗拒的很厲害？！我個人的修持經驗也是這樣，抗拒的很厲害！
所以你光要大腦下一個指令讓你的身體希望你的身體能服從，在佛經裡面講就是這樣的描述，你的修行由粗到細，我相信至少都要十年的功夫！
那我們怎樣從粗到細這裡面，做一個比較妥善的安排？我覺得是佛法的智慧，才能幫助我們做到！
因為不論我自己修行，我碰到的問題還有人家問我的問題，好像很多問題都繞著這裡，所以我在講經也比較關切這個問題。
Śūnyatā is the essential teachings in
Buddhism. Since Buddhism talks about the means of liberation and is meant to be
practiced and realized in the real world, it is more than a philosophy. Has any
of you ever considered how to contemplate one’s body in terms of śūnyatā? Will
you be empty? Will your body be void? It seems not.
佛教用空法來貫穿整個佛學思想，那佛學既然是要拿來修，他不只是一門學問。那空法到底怎樣放到我們的身體來，各位有沒有想過這個問題，我就空了嗎？ 我這個人就空了嗎？ 好像不是！
Sutra No. 335 (313) of the Saṃyuktāgama
mentions the Ultimate Truth of Emptiness:
“What, then, is the Sūtra on the Ultimate
Truth of Emptiness? Monks, when vision arises, there is no place that it comes
from; and when it ceases, there is no place that it goes to. Thus vision arises
out of insubstantiality, and afterwards ceases.”
你看他下面說第一義空，云何為第一義空？
他說「諸比丘眼生時無有來處，滅時無有去處，如是眼不實而生」
“When vision arises, there is no place that
it comes from. And when it ceases, there is no place that it goes to.” Is this
confusing to you? This is about śūnyatā. Its description of śūnyatā is so
abstract that later generations have difficulty solving it. Therefore,
Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā's (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way)
essence of "Eight Negations of The Middle Path" 1 analyzes the concepts of śūnyatā and
dependent origination in depth. Isn’t it odd to say there is no place that
vision comes from because one has had five sense organs since his parents gave birth to him? I will
explain this question later in the talk of "Eight Negations of The Middle
Path"1
1 "Eight Negations of The Middle
Path": There is neither arising nor ceasing; no permanence nor
annihilation; no unity nor diversity; no coming nor going.”
Master Ban Ji
Translated by Ken Kraynak
(Translated by Hui-tun Chuang and Grace Jui-hsin Tsai)
(Proofread
by Sophia Fang-chun Kuo)
你們看到這一段會不會暈倒在地？！「眼生時無有來處，滅時無有去處」。眼睛生來是沒有他來的地方，滅去也沒有他滅去的地方！ 我昨天想了一夜，我就想這段我們不講，因為這段如果要了解他，其實要牽扯到《中觀論》（漢譯）的「八不中道」，八不中道才會提到上面說法的演譯，原始教典是提佛陀的教導，第一義空是佛陀講的空法！這裡面這麼抽象的文字，後人是沒有辦法解答的，所以他到龍樹菩薩的時候才用《中觀論》去闡述佛陀到底在講什麼！
我就是我父母生下來我就有五官，為什麼你說眼生來是沒有來處呢？
這太奇怪了！那這個理論到底能不能存在呢？ 我們到了八不中道再講
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