Lecture 3: the truth of self (emptiness)

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BUDDHISM IN OUR DAILY LIFE

China Academic Lectures
Sponsored by
China Institute in America. N.Y. USA

by Dr. C. T. Shen

LECTURE 3: THE TRUTH OF SELF (EMPTINESS)

Someone asked me why in the title of this talk I used the word "emptiness" in parenthesis after the word "self." According to Buddhism the answer is that "self is emptiness and emptiness is self." This answer, however, is too simple to comprehend. So before I explain the subject matter of this title, let me make two remarks:

Emptiness or void, as used in Buddhism, does not mean nothingness, as in "the room was empty after all the people left." It means, actually, that the Original Nature of everything is emptiness, or even if the room is packed with people, it should still be envisioned as empty. Because human language is not adequate to convey such precise expression, the word "emptiness," which appeared to be closest in meaning, was chosen by the English- speaking scholars who first came into contact with Buddhism. The word does create confusion, but there is no other suitable term in the English vocabulary.
Because the truth discovered by the Buddha upon his enlightenment was incomprehensible by ordinary human minds, he had to rely on the language understandable to the people to explain what is incomprehensible. Buddha's teaching was therefore delivered at two different levels: the mundane level and the enlightened level. At the mundane level, the concept of self means there is an individual. At the enlightened level, however, individual or no individual, self or no self, phenomenon or no phenomenon, name or no name, are all merely sophisms. At the enlightened level, one envisions all people, including oneself, as those "seen" in a dream or who appear on a television screen. Such visions are therefore emptiness. Even the term "emptiness" is unnecessary and carries no real meaning. "Emptiness" is just a term arbitrarily chosen for the convenience of discussion among people at the mundane level.

The concept of self at the mundane level, nevertheless, is the biggest hindrance to ordinary people in achieving enlightenment, or, to put it another way, one cannot achieve enlightenment and identify with Original Nature without first achieving the realization that the concept of self is not only an invalid concept, but also a dangerous concept, because with the concept of self the concept of "that is mine" is established, and then the attachment of both self and "that is mine" becomes firmly planted in one's mind; in this way one can never be in harmony with Original Nature, one can never achieve enlightenment and be rid of samsara, or recurring birth and-death, which is the source of suffering.

In today's talk, I will first explain how the concept of self is formed and strengthened. Next, I shall try to explain, using several different approaches, how the concept of self is invalid. By destruction of the concept of self, the concept of emptiness will be formed. The concept of emptiness is also an attachment. Finally, we should destroy the concept of emptiness to enable Original Nature to be revealed. This concept of self has been so deeply rooted in our minds for so long that it is unrealistic to expect that it can be eliminated by the time we walk out of this room. It is my hope that after listening to this lecture your concept of self will not be strengthened further, and that this lecture will provide you with some leads that you may find useful in your future cultivation of Buddhism.

According to Buddhism, the concept of self has two major components: one is the desire for unending life or continuous existence, and the other is the attachment to one's own view, usually expressed as "my view." The desire for continuous existence is present even before birth. The attachment to one's own view is gradually built up during one's lifetime, although such views are largely influenced by one's past karma. This concept of self is first conceived through one's sensory organs. Through them one establishes oneself, even at birth, as a physical body which is separate from the so-caled outside world. This concept of self becomes stronger and more and more important as one grows up. As a result, one finds that one has established within one's physical body a center of awareness, the self, with respect to the outside world.

Secondly, because everyone establishes his or her own center of activity, the perception that the world is composed of different entities becomes sharpened. Because each enity seeks its own satisfaction, conflicts of interest develop. This feeling of separation is further compounded when views differ and each entity asserts the importance or "rightness" of its own view. This is a brief explanation of the concept of self. Voluminous Buddhist commentaries have been written on this subject. What I've just said here is comparable to a drop of water in the vast ocean. However, the ocean, as vast as it is, is basically water. So, if we study this drop of water thoroughly, a good foundation can be built for more advanced study of the ocean.

We see, therefore, that the physical body of a person is the core in which the concept of self originates. This concept of self is further strengthened by all kinds of identifications one encounters in daily life that increase the separation and isolation of one from others in the outside world. Some of the most common phenomena by which one identifies oneself or people distinguish one person from another are:

identification by name
identification by appearance
identification by voice
identification by fingerprint
identification by sensation
identification by ideology
identification by fame

By examining these factors closely, we discover one interesting fact: that is, they are all related to the physical human body.

These identifications are like the branches and leaves of a tree with the physical human body as its root. If the root is dug out, then all the leaves and branches will automatically pass out of existence.

The above statement has, nevertheless, been challenged by a friend of mine who is a forester. He said to me, "Since you have not had the experience of taking down a big tree, you do not know that the branches should be cut off first, then the trunk cut down, and then the root dug out or pulverized." I certainly could not argue with him; however, I told him that according to Buddhism there are three major paths that lead human beings to dig out the root of the concept of self. These three paths are:

Path 1- Vigorous practice; having the goal of destroying all kinds of habits one has accumulated, not only during this life since birth, but also during past lives. The habits referred to include knowledge, faith, love and hatred, and all kinds of human activities. Ch'an (pronounced Zen in Japanese) and the example set by the Tibetan enlightened one, Milerapa, belong to this path. This path is analogous with the idea of concentrating one's efforts on digging out the root without cutting off the branches first.

Path 2- Reliance upon the law of karma, whereby the concept of self can be gradually eliminated and Original Nature revealed through an accumulation of merit gained by practicing the six perfections (paramitas), namely, perfection of living (dana paramita), perfection of moral discipline (sila paramita), perfection of patience (ksanti paramita), perfection of energetic perseverance (virya paralrlita), perfection of meditation (dhyana pramita), and perfection of wisdom (prajna paramita). This path is analogous to the standard method in forestry of first cutting off the branches and trunk and finally removing the root.

Paths 1 and 2 are methods of cultivation, but without a sound theoretical foundation, people can go astray upon reaching an advanced stage, as in Path 1, and may lose enthusiasm after a certain period of time, as in Path 2. We therefore need Path 3.

Path 3- Establishment of a theoretical foundation for Paths 1 and 2 through ample learning and penetrative reasoning. In this lecture, however, I regret to say that I will be able to introduce to you only very little from each path. Today let us follow Path 3 to see how the concept of self can be theoretically destroyed so that Original Nature can be revealed. The next talk will be devoted to Paths 1 and 2, but also-very briefly and on a very selective basis.

Now let us first examine the seven means of identification that I mentioned before, to see whether these branches of the tree of "self" can be removed first.

A name is probably the most common identification of a person, but it is obvious that a name is a poor means of identification. Not only can a name be changed, but many people can have the same name, so that branch can easily be cut off. A name cannot really separate one person from the other.
Appearance, including the form of the body, complexion, color, etc., is also commonly used to identify a person. But not only does appearance change with age, it can also be changed by surgery. It may serve a temporary purpose, but it cannot really be used to establish the concept of self.
Scientific experiments demonstrate that each person has a different voice pattern. An instrument a even been devised by which a court may identify a person according to a vocal pattern. But physical damage to the vocal apparatus could change that pattern, and certainly this means of identification is not applicable to mutes. Voice, therefore, also cannot permanently separate one person from another so that each person could be justified in being called a "self".
Fingerprints are commonly used to identify a person but, like the voice, are not perfect. One does not lose one's concept of self even by cutting off both one's hands.
It is true that sensation, such as pain, delight, and the apprehension of danger, does alert one to the existence of a self, but such alertness is usually temporary and simply affirms the concept of self which one has already in the first place.
Ideology is a strong identification of self. It is, in fact, part of the premise of one's so-called view, which is one of the two components that form "self." Historians have recorded that many religious defenders and revolutionaries even put their ideas, faith, or principles above their lives. Although in those cases the concept of self as an individual is usually surrendered to the concept of self as a group, the concept of self is, nevertheless, strengthened. But ideology can be changed, and a change in one's ideology does not mean a change in the individual. The concept of self remains. Thus it is proven that ideology is still not the core of the concept of self.
Fame is also a strong identification of self. Fame represents accomplishments, which distinguish one from other persons. Fame can be very deeply planted in one's mind. It is not surprising to learn that one of the presidents of the United States heard people call him "Mr. President" in his dreams. Ego is a term which represents the strong attachment of a person to such identification by fame. Pride and arrogance are usually the by- products. Just like ideology, fame can change overnight. However, destruction of one's reputation does not, unfortunately, mean the destruction of the concept of self. This branch, fame, therefore does not last.

With all branches cut off we are now facing the root of the tree of "self", that is, the reality of the human body.

More than 2,000 years ago a famous Chinese philosopher, Lao-Tze, remarked, "My biggest problem is that I have a body." Buddha also emphasized that the body is the source of all human suffering. So, we go to the core of the problem. Can the human body justifiably be called a "self"?

To study this important and fundamental question, let me employ three analytical methods taught by Buddha. Each method leads to the conclusion that the physical human body is a manifestation of "emptiness" (sunyata) and that the term "self" is just a name arbitrarily chosen by human beings for the convenience of the living in this world.

1) The first analytical method is by disintegration.

Now please follow my imagination. l am now taking my left arm off my body. Would you call that left arm C.T. Shen? No. It is simply an arm. I am now taking my right arm off my body. Would you call that right arm C.T. Shen? Again, no. I am now taking my heart out. Would you call that heart C.T. Shen? Again, the answer is no. It is a heart which can be transplantet into another person and that transplantation of my heart does not make the other person C.T. Shen.

Now, I am taking of my head. Would you call that head C.T. Shen? No. It is simply a head. I can take every part of my body apart and none of the parts can be called C.T. Shen. Finally, after every part is removed, please tell me where C.T. Shen is. This human body is simply a temporary assemblage of many parts. It is an aggregate without permanent nature. It is, therefore, called emptiness (sunyata). C.T. Shen, or "self", is simply a name arbitrarily chosen for the convenience of those at the mundane level.

2) The second analytical method is by integration.

Here in this room we have many different individuals. Each one will say that this physical body is himself or herself; but way back, even in Buddha's time, philosophers in India and Greece stated that a human body is no more than a combination of four basic elements, namely, solid, liquid, gas, and heat. Buddha, using the insights of his enlightenment, went further to declare that these four elements can be integrated into one element, which he called sunyata. According to his description, sunyata is something that is incomprehensible to the human mind and that is without duality and without discrimination, and limitless both in time and space, yet is not nothingness. Now, in the twentieth century, scientists also tell us that solid, liquid, gas, and heat are all different manifestations of energy, which, by my definition, as I suggested during mr first talk on the concept of birth and death, is quite the same as sunyata (emptiness) as taught by Buddha.

Therefore, not only those who sit here, but also other human beings, no matter how different they are in form, sex, color, etc., can all be integrated into one, that is, sunyata or energy. All individuals are the same at this enlightened level. "Self" is therefore simply a concept arbitrarily created for the convenience of people at the mundane level.

3) The third analytical method is by penetration.

No one will deny that the physical body of any one of us is solid, or at least appears to be solid; but if we examine it penetratively we find that this concept of a solid physical body is primarily established through our visual organ--the eyes. Unfortunately, our eyes are such poor instruments that they mislead us terribly. Let us assume that you are seeing a handsome, young man. This is precisely the information your naked eyes give you in your daily life.

Now what if your eyes are opened to the view perceived by infrared rays. Here the young man loses his shape as a solid body and becomes instead a mixture of red, yellow, and green colors in the approximate shape of a human body. Whether you can still recognize him as male, young, and handsome is now subject to question.

Now what if you could see the same young man through X-ray vision. Most likely you do not like looking at him. I certainly do not expect you to still have the impression that he is young and handsome.

Or what if you could see the same young man examined microscopically, so that the body is in the form of a molecular structure. The structure may look beautiful, but you certainly do not see a handsome, young man.

Undifferentited space represents this young man in formless form, which is invisible to the human eyes. You may call this form Original Nature.

May I now call your attention to this important fact: these five forms are not different entities. They are the same man in the same spot and at the same instant, but to your eyes they appear to be very different.

Now, visible light, infrared light, and X-ray vision are only a few wave lengths among the infinite number of wave lengths in the universe represented by the electromagnetic spectrum. This young man can, therefore, appear in an infinite number of different forms at different wave lengths. That is to say, if we assume that your eyes are capable of seeing things at any wave length, and not only at the wave length called visible light, then, as you scan the spectrum, you are really becoming Alice in Wonderland. The form of this young man changes momentarily and continuously; there is no one form that is permanent, nor can any form be considered as real.

Not only can this young man appear in so many different forms, including the formless form which is emptiness in the ordinary sense; but every one of us can also appear in all those forms, including the formless form, or emptiness. At this point, you should note that all the formless forms of all of us are the same. Now, if the truth is such, is it not foolish that we adhere so much to the physical body, which is just one of the infinite forms manifested by Original Nature and which is used to create this concept of self?

These three analytical methods lead to the conclusion that the physical human body is impermanent and is a momentarily changeable form seen by human eyes in a very narrow range of wave lengths. Since this is the reality of a human body, how is it justifiable to call it a self, an individual entity? Therefore, there is no self, only emptiness.

Once, I introduced this doctrine of "no self, only emptiness" to some of my friends. One friend cried, "If I lose myself and become emptiness, how can I sell! be alive?" To this question I answered, "The Buddha achieved this realization that there is no self, only emptiness, upon his enlightenment at the age of 35 and he lived a happy life until he was 80 years old." Therefore, the destruction of the concept of "self," and the realization of emptiness, do not mean the end of life; on the contrary, this stage is the beginning of the happy life. I will discuss this more fully in the next talk.

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This lecture converted from printed to digital format and included in the MOUNT KAILAS BBS TEACHING Library with permission from Dr. C. T. Shen