Sunnata. (Skt. Shunyata) "Emptiness" (sunnata)
in Pali contexts is not the metaphysical Zero (Nonbeing as the principle
of Being, Infinite Possibility as distinguished from Indefinite Actuality),
but a characteristic of this world, as in S IV.295 96, where it has been
explained that when the Almsman returns from a deathlike Contemplation
in which consciousness and feeling have been arrested, "three touches touch
him,” "emptiness (sunnato)," "formlessness (animito)" and "making no plans
(appanihito phasso)," and he discriminates (viveka) accordingly; and the
meaning of "emptiness" 'is explained at M 1.29, "emancipation of the mind
by Emptiness (sunnata ceto vimutti) being consequent upon the realization
that `this world is empty of spirit or anything spiritual' (sunnam idam
attena va attaniyena) "; sunnata is synonymous with anatta; of which it
really only paraphrases and isolates the privative AN. It is no doubt in
the same sense that in A 1.72, "the texts are coupled with `emptiness'
(suttanta . . . sunnata patisannuta) "; there is, in fact, nothing more
characteristic of Buddhist teaching that its constant resort to negatives
(above all in the sense of the word anatta), which even some contemporary
hearers found perplexing. The denial of spirituality to contingent things
in particular is a denial of any real essence to these things in themselves,
and thus forms the basis of the more sweeping sunyavada doctrine which
in the Mahayana denies not any "value" but any essence to even the Buddha's
appearance and to the promulgation of the Dhamma itself. If such a doctrine
disturbs us, it may be found more palatably expressed in the Vajracchedika
Sutra thus, "Those who see me in the body (rupena) and think of me in sounds
(ghosaih), their way of thinking is false, they do not see me at all .
. . . The Buddha cannot be rightly understood (rjuboddhum) by any means
(upayena). Not that "means" are not dispositive to a right understanding,
but that if regarded as ends, even the most adequate means are a hindrance.
In such a radical iconoclasm as this all traditional teachings are finally
agreed. What is true of ethics is also true of the supports of contemplation:
as in the well known Parable of the Raft, the means are of no more use
when the goal has been reached.
Westerners have most heinously misapprehended
common Upanishadic/Vedantic as well as Buddhistic neti-neti (not this not
that), and come, erroneously, to a fallacious conclusion that Buddhism
in any way whatsoever negated the Absolute, or foundation of absolute being
which lies before becoming and antecedent to paticcasamuppada (contingent
manifestation), for as Gotama advocated “(Udana 1.81) There is, an unborn,
an unoriginated, an unmade, and an unformed. If there were not monks, this
unborn, unoriginated, unmade and unformed, there would be no way out for
the born, the originated, the made and the formed.” Tibetan stupidity and
namely Madhyamika doctrine is notorious for misapprehension of highly esoteric
Indian via-negativa philosophical dialectic.
Uparipanna’sa-Att. 4.151 “Having become the very Soul, this is deemed non-emptiness (asuñña)”
MN 1.297 What friend is emancipation of the mind by means of devoidness (sunnata)? Herein a follower has gone to a clearing in the forest and the root of a tree and investigates thusly: ‘This is devoid (sunnamidam) of the Soul and what the Soul subsists upon.” This is called emancipation of the mind by means of devoidness (sunnata cetovimmuti).
MN 1.298 The fixed unshakable emancipation of the mind is devoid
of (suñña) lusts, devoid of (suñña) hate, and
devoid of (suñña) delusions.