11.07.08

‘Empty Words’ Part 2

Posted in Buddhism, Figuratively Speaking, HH Dalai Lama at 11:19 am by Marion

FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING FRIDAY

Today, more words from the Buddhist tradition.

In his introduction to Buddhist thought appearing in The Essential Dalai Lama, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama describes two types of reality.

There is the immediate physical reality, which is apparent reality or relative truth, and absolute reality, or absolute truth.

One describes the world that’s seen, felt and tasted — apparent reality. One describes the unseen world, which as Christians we might call the spiritual world, or even the world where miracles occur. This is absolute reality, with absolute truth.

Components of apparent reality include what’s called the 18 constituents, the 12 sources, the five aggregates, and describe the qualities of what we see, feel, taste, hear — the sensuous world.

Absolute reality begins with the idea that everything changes — and consequently, it has no permanent, or real, nature. This is what the Buddhists call “emptiness.”

Some of us feel uncomfortable with this eastern insistence on emptiness, but really, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Emptiness in the Buddhist sense doesn’t mean nothing’s there: Instead, emptiness means there is nothing that doesn’t change. Therefore, there is nothing with one nature — and consequently, there is nothing, because it’s all changing, all the time.

As a simple example, consider an ordinary object, your desk or home phone. What could be more unchanging?

But look closely. My phone was bright white when I bought it; now it’s yellowed. It was once sterile and new; now it’s dusty. There is grime on the cord; the buttons don’t work.

What’s more, there’s static, the volume comes and goes and the wall cord is nearly shot.

So what is the true nature of that phone? In the sense of apparent reality, the nature of the phone is white plastic.

But as for absolute reality, well, it just goes “poof” when you try to pin it down. There is no absolute nature to the phone, and therefore it is empty.

So if you try to call me today, don’t be surprised if no one answers. It is Friday, you know.

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