What is emptiness? For Buddhists, emptiness is a way to look at the nature of the world. Not only do we need to learn Buddhism, but we also need transcend beyond time and space, learning to understand “emptiness” as a view about the nature of the world and that such “emptiness” is absolute. However, there are numerous types of emptiness. Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism understand the term “emptiness” in different ways.
什么是空？你们知道佛教对世界本质的一种看法就叫空。我们现在非但要学佛，还要超越时空。要把这个“空”字理解为对世界本质的一种看法，也就是说这个“空”是绝对的。但是空有好几种，小乘佛法和大乘佛法对空的理解是不一样的。
Theravada tradition understands emptiness as the “emptiness of self”. What does that mean? The “self” is empty; there is no permanent vitality in the world. There’s the view that self is controlled by vitality, however, in fact, no vitality can ever control the self in this world. This is Theravada tradition’s understanding of emptiness.
In addition, Theravada tradition talks about the “emptiness of effect”. In terms of the cause-effect relationship, they view all the effects and all the reality as empty. All compounds in the world are empty of a permanent fundamental element. Emptiness of effect means that my vitality is actually empty, the element of the vitality that controls me is eternally empty. It does not really exist.
小乘佛法对空的理解是我空。什么是“我空”？我是空的，世界上没有永恒的精神，也就是说“我”是由精神控制住的，这个世界永远没有精神能控制我。这是小乘佛法对空的认识。还有小乘佛法讲果空。什么叫“果空”？也就是说这个人在因果关系上所有的结果，所有的事实全都是空的，世界上没有永恒的基本元素的聚合物。果空就是我的精神实际上是空的。控制我这个精神的物质永远是空的，实际上是不存在的。
For example, water, a compound, is made up of molecules. But, when water evaporates, does the water exist? Another example. A person’s thought can last for one or two seconds, but it can vanish within the same lapse of time. Nothing is left. Why such a good theory not recognised by Mahayana tradition? It is because this theory is still built on the concept of existence. That is, the emptiness it refers to is built on the concept of the “existence of emptiness”. So, when you ground your argument of emptiness on the “existence of emptiness”, clearly there is still “existence”. It is not empty.
譬如：水是由水分子组合的，它是一种聚合物。但是等到水蒸发之后，你们说这个水还有没有？人的思维可以在一秒钟、两秒钟有，但是可以在另外的一、两秒钟瞬间消失，什么都没有了。为什么小乘佛法这么好的理论，在大乘佛法上还是不被承认？因为它是建立在一个已经现有和存在的基础上。因为它讲这个空是建立在有空的基础上。在有空的基础上讲是空的，实际上还是有的，没有空。
In contrast, Mahayana tradition talks about the “emptiness of cause”. Even the cause (in the context of the cause-effect relationship) is empty, let alone the effect. The cause is non-existent. For example, someone made a negative comment about you, you should just ignore it. Without the cause, you will not feel angry nor sad, and there will be no effects. However, from Theravada tradition’s perspective, the effect will take place in your mind when you hear the negative comment. You then eliminate the cause.
大乘佛法讲因空。什么是“因空”？连这个因果的因都是空的，何况果呢？即没有这个因。譬如：今天有人说你们不好，听都不要听，没有这个因你就不会生气就不会难过，就不会造成这个果。小乘佛法是当你听进去之后，心中就会有这个果，然后消除化解这个因。
But for emptiness of cause, the cause does not exist at all. As such, no effect shall take place in the mind. This is what Mahayana Buddhism advocates. Mahayana tradition maintains that even the fundamental elements that form all matters are also empty. As the Chan School of Buddhism says, “Originally there is not a single thing; Where can dust alight?”
因空就是没有因，就是根本没有的，就不能成为一个果在你心里，这叫大乘佛法。大乘佛法讲连构成事物的基本元素也是空的。正如禅宗所说的那样“本来无一物，何处惹尘埃”。
Mahayana tradition also talks about the “emptiness of dharmas”. This means that everything that we see with our eyes is completely empty and non-existent. As everything in the world is empty, we should not allow yourself to develop attachments, anger or delusion.
大乘佛法还讲一个叫法空。什么叫法空？眼睛所见的一切事物都是空的，全都是不存在的。所以世界上的一切事物都是空的。不要执著，不要恨，不要迷惑。
Mahayana Buddhism explains that the origin of the world is empty, the world is inherently empty and unreal. All things in this natural world are illusory. What is real then? For example, a couple may be loving each other deeply and affectionately today, but hate each other like enemies few days later. Isn’t this unreal? Hence, one must possess intelligence and wisdom to overcome their ignorance. When you start to feel that all phenomena in this world are fictitious, this sense of unreal and illusion, in essence, demonstrates the concept of “nominal existence”. All that you own at this present moment are temporary, they are not real, and their existence is merely nominal. If everything you owns today is lost, then it’s gone. For example, when our parents pass away, then they are gone.
大乘佛法讲世界的本原是空的，即这个世界本来就是空的，都是假的。所有自然世界的东西都是虚假虚幻的。在这个世界上什么东西是真的？例如：今天夫妻在一起爱得你死我活，过几天恨得如同仇敌一样，是不是假的？因此一个人一定要有聪明智慧才能战胜自己的愚昧。如果没有聪明智慧就永远战胜不了愚昧。所以，你感觉这个世界上所有的东西都是虚假的，实际上这种不真实的虚幻就是假有。你们现在所拥有的一切都是临时性的有，都不是真实的，都是假有。今天拥有的一切一旦失去，就什么都没有了。如父母一旦过世，父母就什么都没有了。
The existence of anything in the world is just nominal. Never assume that something can belong to you forever when it is yours. Everything changes. We must adopt this “dynamic” perspective—an objective mentality—to look at things, then you will not shed tears, feeling upset or sad. Adopt a “dynamic” perspective, not a simple one-sided slant, to analyse a problem, then you will always live a life filled with hope. When one lives amidst hope, they will feel the world is wonderful and has limitless potential. On the contrary, if one sees a stationary, unchanging world, then the world will appear to be doomed where all hope is lost, and they may even want to give up on their lives. Remember: Self-harm is never an option for a wise person for it is an ideation of the unwise and a disconcerted mind.
世界上任何东西都是假有，不要认为拥有了就永远拥有。什么都会变的，要用“动”这种客观的思维方式去看，你就不会哭泣，就不会难过，不会伤心。看问题一定要用“动”的标准看，而不要用一种简单的执著方法看，那你这个人就会永远生活在充满希望的生活当中。当一个人生活在希望中，就觉得这个世界无限美好。如果当一个人看到世界万物都不能变的话，他就感觉这个世界对他来讲好比是末日，一想到末日就会感到失落甚至想到自尽。要记住：有智慧的人永远不会伤害自己，伤害自己的人就是没智慧，想不通的人就会伤害自己。
You must use your potential for awakening to experience life. Cultivating the mind is a practice of self-restraint; it is an advance of our spiritual state. However, it is an arduous process, that’s why spiritual practice is often associates with ascetism. We must control ourselves to be able to refrain from any forms of desire and correct our all sorts of shortcomings. Only after correcting our shortcomings are we one step closer to attaining enlightenment.
要用自己的悟性去体验体悟人生。修心是对自我的一种约束，修心是对自己境界的一种提升，修心是要受苦的，所以叫苦修行。要控制自己的各种各样的欲望，要修正自己各种各样的毛病，改掉自己身上的毛病你才能修成正果。
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发表于 2022-4-19 11:33:14
