Wisdom of Emptiness

By Tubten Pende

This is an excerpt from the Wisdom of Emptiness module of the FPMT Discovering Buddhism at Home program.

Question: What is it that realizes emptiness?
Tubten Pende: A person with the knowledge of emptiness realizes emptiness. Our ultimate analysis leaves conventionalities intact. Of course, until you know emptiness it is difficult to recognize things as conventionalities. Still, according to our analysis, inherent existence is impossible. Therefore, whatever exists is possible only because of being empty of inherent existence. As Nagarjuna put it, perception takes place because there is not an inherently existing perceiver. If there was an inherently existing perceiver that person could exist without perception because he inherently exists with the identity of being a perceiver independent of perception and objects perceived. This is absurd. Perception only takes place because there is no inherently existent perception, object perceived, or perceiver.

Question: Does emptiness inherently exist?
Tubten Pende: Nagarjuna said: “Those who grasp at the inherent existence of emptiness have no hope. It’s like when water fuels fire, then what hope is there of putting out the fire.” Emptiness of inherent existence characterizes everything. As a characteristic, it depends on a basis. The emptiness of the inherently existent person is based on the existent person. Whatever exists dependently does not inherently exist. Thus, emptiness too is empty of inherent existence.

This article is an excerpt of the full article printed in Mandala

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