Are all things empty? - Nagarjuna & The Buddhist Middle Way

The problem is that every english source translates the word as "emptiness". This is misleading to such misunderstandings as "nihilism". If you regularly practice and study the primary original source of Ryūju, not second or third hand descriptions, you can realize it is not a state of being "empty" at all, but something more accurately described as an "infinite potentiality". Hope that helps clear up any unclarity.

As a (nearly) lifelong Buddhist and member of the Zen Buddhist clergy, I thank you for this introductory visit with Buddha's teaching. A footnote: The title of Nāgārjuna's masterwork that appears in the video is misspelled. Here is a corrected version: Mūlamadhyamakakārikā . And one sometimes helpful addition to the discussion of śūnyatā comes from the Tibetans, who say simply that nothing whatsoever can exist exclusively "from its own side". It might also be useful to warn viewers against what Nāgārjuna regarded as a grave danger, namely, to start to think of śūnyatā or emptiness as a "thing", or some sort of "stuff" that exists behind the apparent play of phenomena that makes up the world.

Really happy with this video! Nagarjuna is my favorite philosopher and he definitely deserves more attention. Can't wait for the other video's on Buddhism =D

Nagarjuna is wonderful and profound. By contemplating the teachings on Emptiness, we can become less attached to the ever-changing and unsatisfying world. Then we can respond to reality with more flexibility, more kindness, and more efficacy.

I'm not a Buddhist, but I find value in some of the philosophies and theories of mind. This made me think of a tales from "101 Zen Stories" (#82). Paraphrased: A young student visited a Zen master, and to show his attainment, explained how the true nature of all phenomena was emptiness and nothing truly exists. The master, who sat quietly smoking his pipe, suddenly hit the student with it, making the student angry. "If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"

I’ll take some more of this emptiness anytime. Incredible work Filip. Thank you 🙏🏼

This is a GREAT video. Deep research flows from it. Thank you very much for this masterpiece, once again.

Thank you for this great topic and video! First, you understand Sunyata intellectually. Then you realize its implications psychologically. Once, the latter realization is achieved, you wake up (occasionally), but it doesn't mean that all the lifelong mental patterns are gone completely. Imagine that you grew up in a house where everyone believes that there is a ghost in the basement. Long story short, you one day realize that it was actually the wind blowing in the pipelines, that there was never any ghost. Believe it or not, you will still shake involuntarily every time you'll hear the sound coming from the basement, even though you can now remind yourself that it's the wind... It usually takes a long time to sustain "enlightenment", to stay more and more awake and fall less and less asleep, into your lifelong cultivated patterns, tendencies, interpretations, reactions, etc. The realization of Sunyata must be constantly cultivated, unless you're a mythological Hui Neng who was supposed to have become enlightened suddenly and permanently... Personally, it took me many decades to realize it and cultivate it. The hardest, almost impossible thing, is to learn how to communicate it using words. So here's my two cents on why Sunyata or Emptiness is itself empty. All things and phenomena must be named, designated, or at least acknowledged for their existence to become acknowledged. In other words, all things must be objects of acknowledgment, or mind objects. Even the mind itself must be acknowledged, presumably by itself, for its existence to be. Thoughts, feelings, sensations, emotions, events, concepts, ideas, consciousness, awareness, quantum elements, etc. They must all be acknowledged, or to put it differently their existence systematically depends on them being acknowledged, on them being "mind objects". Therefore, such things, being necessarily and exclusively acknowledgeable things, and since the very act of acknowledging them must itself be acknowledged (ad infinitum), it must follow that all things or phenomena must be lacking inherent essence, first because their existence can only be acknowledged as "acknowledgment objects", and second because their existence must depend on them being acknowledged. So there we have both lack of intrinsic essence or nature or self, and co-dependence, not to mention the fact that such things or phenomena are also transient and changing constantly. What does it mean in simpler terms? Well, it means that unless you reflect on a thought, emotion or anything, you can't possibly acknowledge its existence. You must become aware of it. You would also need to become aware of being aware for the existence of the latter (i.e. your awareness) to be acknowledged. Therefore, since the existence of each and every thing must necessarily be acknowledged in order to be, and since the existence of the act of acknowledging itself must also be acknowledged, everything is empty and emptiness itself (i.e. the act of acknowledging) is also empty. The cultivation of the realization of Sunyata on a deep psychological level can take years and decades. You'll have to undo decades of ignorance, i.e. wrong seeing. It's a long process of unlearning... The results are more spontaneity, less attachment and much more freedom and liberation of one's true potential. To become free from youself and still live and act as your optimal self is a highly rewarding journey—when you're back in the market, that's the world, your ordinary life, now lived in an extraordinary way. The mushin mind. I hope this helps! 🙏

I've been waiting for this for so long! Thank you 🙏

You have done a wonderful job with this video. I can't thank you enough for having the guts to tackle this subject!

Thank you very, very much for starting to cover Buddhism. You did an outstanding job on the this video, and am looking forward to seeing more of them!

It would be lovely to hear about Theravada Buddhism in more detail as well. It is a Pali Canon and the earliest Buddhist tradition, I think. Studying some of it at university was quite enlightening! Though, most people mostly know the Buddhism known as the Mahayana. But it is true that most things, like dependent origination, is also present in Mahayana. There is also a very interesting sutra about the Stages of Perception, in the Theravada Pali Canon, at any rate, which is also a beautiful understanding that has been passed down by the arihants.

Yes please more buddhism!! Love your channel:)))

As a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist, I'm so glad you finally covered Buddhism in your awesome series and that you did it justice! Looking forward to more videos on Buddhism. Gassho, Alex

Very high quality and engaging video, as usual. Since you’re turning toward the East, here’s one that definitely deserves its own episode (and seems to be rarely discussed): the Bön religion of Tibet, and its large influence on Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhism.

Wonderful video! One of the better explanations of Emptiness that I have ever seen. I, personally, can't wait for you to cover the Huayan school of Buddhism, at some point.

Thank you Filip for the amazing content, can't believe we get to watch for free 💕

I really appreciate the deep dives into a specific area of a religion/philosophy rather than just a broad overview!

Looking forward to more videos on Buddhism! And I appreciate the deep dive approach!

YES, finally! Hope you're able to do an episode on Vasubandhu and Asanga soon