In Zen Buddhism, the Enso symbolizes Emptiness. In a way, this is a perfect symbol of emptiness, as it implies a list of things: zero (which is not nothing), oneness, completeness, everything-ness.
In Zen, a widely used symbol is the enso, a hand-drawn circle. A central Vajrayana symbol is the vajra, a sacred indestructible weapon of the god Indra, associated with lightning and the hardness of diamonds. It symbolizes emptiness (sunyata) and, therefore, the indestructible nature of reality.
Jigsaw Pieces. When two puzzle pieces fit together, that 'fit' is not something that belongs to either of them individually. The degree of fit of one piece is mutually dependent on the shape of the other. The fit of puzzle pieces is another great analogy for emptiness.
Emptiness (Skt. śūnyatā; Tib. སྟོང་པོ་ཉིད་, tongpa nyi, Wyl. stong pa nyid) — the absence of inherent existence in all phenomena, which was explained by the Buddha in the sutras of the second turning of the Wheel of Dharma, and further elaborated upon by masters such as Nagarjuna and Chandrakirti.
Rather than achieving a state of calmness, the idea is to reach a state of 'nothingness'. Also known as 'Zazen', the meditation technique involves observing and letting go of your thoughts and feelings as they pass; for this reason it's sometimes referred to as "thinking about not thinking".
In Zen Buddhism, the Enso symbolizes Emptiness. In a way, this is a perfect symbol of emptiness, as it implies a list of things: zero (which is not nothing), oneness, completeness, everything-ness.
Emptiness is a mode of perception, a way of looking at experience. It adds nothing to, and takes nothing away from, the raw data of physical and mental events. You look at events in the mind and the senses with no thought of whether there's anything lying behind them.
The Buddha-nature of us lies within us, we just and with great effort need only to awaken to it presence. And as the Buddha says in the Heart Sutra, "Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form."
Daoism. xu, Wade-Giles romanization hsu (Chinese: “emptiness,” or “purity”), in Chinese Daoism, a state of equilibrium through which one becomes receptive to and attuned with the transforming experience of which one is a part. It is characterized by an unself-conscious sense of continuity with one's immediate context.
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.
Causes of Emptiness
“These experiences might include the loss of a loved one, rejection or distinct difficulty finding meaning and fulfillment in their lives.” Other factors that may lead to a feeling of emptiness include boredom, stress, communication issues and lack of emotional connection with others, adds Del Toro.
We can speak of two kinds of emptiness: the emptiness of the dharma of teachings and the emptiness of the dharma of mind. The emptiness of the dharma of teachings can be understood through analysis and logic. The emptiness of the dharma of mind, however, can only be realized through actual experience.
Empty as a bird's nest in December. —Anonymous. Empty as a politician's address to the people. —Anonymous.
The nature of emptiness is the mere negation of grasping inherent existence; the purpose of teaching emptiness is to eliminate that grasping that lies at the root of all afflictions and duḥkha; the meaning of emptiness is that all phenomena lack inherent existence and exist dependently.
In Buddhist symbolism the lotus is symbolic of purity of the body, speech, and mind as while rooted in the mud, its flowers blossom on long stalks as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. It is also symbolic of detachment as drops of water easily slide off its petals.
"Komuso" monks (written "monks of nothingness") were mendicant monks in ancient Japan who used the shakuhachi as a religious tool. Specifically, they belonged to the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism. Komuso monks were itinerant, wandering the country and begging for alms as they played shakuhachi honkyoku.
A void, a gap that needs to be filled even when you have achieved whatever you wanted but still it feels like a black hole as massive as a cliff. It feels like a desolate place within. In simple words, you feel hollow.
“Emptiness in Buddhist terms doesn't mean nothingness. It means that every single thing we encounter — including ourselves — goes beyond our ability to conceive of it. We call it emptiness because nothing can ever explain it. Reality itself is emptiness because we can't possibly fit it into our minds.”
In Theravāda Buddhism we often talk about the “Three Universal Characteristics” (tilakkhaṇā) – that all things are impermanent (anicca), unsatisfying (dukkha), and impersonal (anattā). All three of these are related to the topic of emptiness (suññatā).
In fact, the insights pointed to by emptiness are deeply liberating and bring great happiness. They transform how we understand ourselves and life in profound ways. Many of those who have practiced the Buddha's teaching on emptiness regard it as the greatest gift he offered the world.
While Christianity and Western sociologists and psychologists view a state of emptiness as a negative, unwanted condition, in some Eastern philosophies such as Buddhist philosophy and Taoism, emptiness (Śūnyatā) represents seeing through the illusion of independent self-nature.
To address these, we can direct our view to the teachings on the four highest emotions. These are called in Pali the brahmaviharas; or four divine abodes. They are loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. If we had only these four emotions at our disposal, we would have paradise on earth.
The Emptiness teachings are the core of Mahayana and Zen Buddhist understanding and practice. Emptiness refers to the reality that nothing is permanent, everything comes and goes in a flash, and hence everything and everyone is “empty of self-nature,” that is, any abiding, substantial essence.
Emptiness meditation involves cultivating a form of meditative awareness to investigate whether, within a given phenomenon (which can also include the meditator themselves), there inherently exists a self, me, or I.
Emptiness is not to be confused with nothingness. Emptiness is non-existence but not nothingness. Also, it is not non-reality. Emptiness means that an object, animate or inanimate, does not have its own existence independently.