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Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:02.48,0:00:06.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,< Introduction to Buddhism I >
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.59,0:00:10.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What is the Meaning of “Emptiness”?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.51,0:00:12.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hi everyone.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.87,0:00:17.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sorry, raising a question in such a \Nlarge group makes me a little nervous.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.48,0:00:19.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, please bear with me.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.14,0:00:24.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The question that I have relates \Nto the concepts of emptiness.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.38,0:00:27.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Emptiness has come up \Nin a few of your Dharma talks,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.46,0:00:30.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your videos and textbooks a few times.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.40,0:00:33.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It also comes up in many of the traditional texts
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.31,0:00:36.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and Sutras like Diamond Sutra, Heart Sutra.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.15,0:00:40.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Whenever I read through what emptiness \Nmeans in the Buddhist concept
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.71,0:00:44.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it leaves me a bit more confused
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.71,0:00:48.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and sometimes a little bit dampened \Nand slightly demotivated.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.77,0:00:53.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The reason is because the way \NI understand it is very shallow.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.65,0:00:58.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I understand it as because of the impermanence
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.66,0:01:03.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because of the causality being \Ndependent on each other,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.92,0:01:06.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,things become empty or things are empty.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.18,0:01:11.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But my challenge and difficulty \Nwith understanding the concept is
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.18,0:01:17.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how do I approach it so that I'm not \Nundermining what is important in life
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.68,0:01:23.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for instance family relationships \Nthat matter, ambitions that matter.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.52,0:01:32.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's my question.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.46,0:01:55.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the emptiness, we usually express \Nthat using the Chinese character
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.06,0:01:58.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for me is not filled, right empty.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.84,0:02:22.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But as you know how a word is interpreted\Nreally depends on the context
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.49,0:02:25.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of what came before \Nand what follows after.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.23,0:02:28.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the same word actually \Nmeans multiple things.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.53,0:02:55.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But for example, if you claim that \Nthis word can only mean one thing,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.19,0:03:01.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then that's different. But what emptiness \Nreally refers to is that one word
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.48,0:03:05.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can mean multiple things\Ndepending on the context.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.49,0:03:06.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's what emptiness means.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.80,0:03:23.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So emptiness in this context \Ndoes not mean a complete absence
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.46,0:03:26.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of something or a complete void.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.02,0:03:29.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It really means that \Neverything is contextual,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.51,0:03:35.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,depends on the context of how those words \Nor what definition that word belongs to.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.68,0:03:51.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So let's take an example.\NSo somebody may look at you
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.52,0:03:57.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and claim that you are a good person.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.10,0:04:00.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Another person may look at you \Nand say you are a bad person.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.12,0:04:11.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So when somebody claims \Nthat you're a good person
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.98,0:04:16.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that means that Joe, \Nyou have an essence of goodness in you.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.28,0:04:24.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if somebody says you're a bad person
Dialogue: 0,0:04:24.33,0:04:29.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then you have something within you that, \Nthat person is perceived as bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.90,0:04:48.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So whether you have a \Nbad factor or a good factor
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.70,0:04:55.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's something that's intrinsic to you.\NThen that's the opposite of emptiness.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.100,0:05:16.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But what emptiness refers to is that \Nit's all about that person's perception
Dialogue: 0,0:05:16.66,0:05:22.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as being good, or that person's \Nperception as being bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:22.13,0:05:27.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But there's nothing intrinsic \Nwithin you that's good or bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.21,0:05:57.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So in other words, you don't have an \Nessential kind of form or an element
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.54,0:06:01.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or an attribute within you \Nthat somebody can point to
Dialogue: 0,0:06:01.05,0:06:03.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and say that's good or that's bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:03.46,0:06:09.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is just their perception of you \Nin that space and time context
Dialogue: 0,0:06:09.82,0:06:13.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which they claim \Nthat you are good or bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.98,0:06:27.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So in that case when somebody says you are\Na bad person or you're a good person.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.79,0:06:31.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then I can say that \Nshe is neither good nor bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.60,0:06:33.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She is just, she is empty.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.60,0:06:49.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that in that case empty \Ndoesn't means that you don't exist,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:49.23,0:06:52.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that there's nothing,\Nor there's just a void.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:52.95,0:06:58.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It just means that there's \Nno attribute within you,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:58.92,0:07:03.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or an essence within you intrinsically \Nthat we can call as good or bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:05.20,0:07:09.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Say we have this thing.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:09.84,0:07:27.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Somebody actually ate a little bit \Nof this thing and got healed.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.32,0:07:31.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so that person said \N'Okay this is a great medicine’.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:31.38,0:07:40.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But somebody else actually ate the \Nsame thing and then actually got sick.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:40.80,0:07:47.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that person pointed the same \Nthing and said that's poison.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.20,0:07:55.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So is this thing medicine or poison?
Dialogue: 0,0:07:57.52,0:08:00.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are three things.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.86,0:08:04.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One is 'This is medicine',
Dialogue: 0,0:08:04.51,0:08:07.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and one 'This is poison'.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:07.25,0:08:15.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The third is that it has medicinal \Nproperties or it has poisonous properties.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:16.79,0:08:25.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But this thing itself is empty.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:26.46,0:08:35.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That means that it neither has \Ntoxic properties nor medicinal properties.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.72,0:08:43.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That means that this is just the thing.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:43.81,0:08:55.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But in whatever context and situation, \Nthis thing has been applied to
Dialogue: 0,0:08:55.91,0:09:00.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sometimes has medicinal attributes \Nor sometimes it has toxic attributes.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:03.23,0:09:17.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that's when you use the word \Nempty or Gong (공) to refer to that
Dialogue: 0,0:09:17.31,0:09:23.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this is neither medicinal nor toxic, \Nyou are neither good nor bad person.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:24.71,0:09:45.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So all existence whether that's biological\Na thing or non biological organic
Dialogue: 0,0:09:45.63,0:09:49.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or even a thought, \Na mental phenomena
Dialogue: 0,0:09:49.55,0:09:53.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's just empty \Nit's neither good nor bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:54.66,0:10:00.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it is just what it is.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:01.50,0:10:05.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that's why we call it \Nor label it as empty
Dialogue: 0,0:10:05.14,0:10:08.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because that's the truth it is what it is.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.46,0:10:40.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However that thing how it's represented or\Nmanifest really depends on the situation
Dialogue: 0,0:10:40.90,0:10:45.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the context and the connections \Nin which it is allowed to manifest.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:45.16,0:10:50.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So in some situations, you are a person \Nin some situations, you're a bad person.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:50.39,0:10:55.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In some situations this thing is a \Nmedicine in other it is a poison.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:02.97,0:11:14.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So when we say Gong (공) the empty,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:14.68,0:11:19.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that is kind of what a thing is \Nwhat a phenomenon is.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:19.27,0:11:24.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But however it's represented \Nwithin the context or situation
Dialogue: 0,0:11:24.53,0:11:28.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it finds itself in and that \Nis what we call Form.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:29.40,0:11:40.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Therefore if you really truly understand \Nthat all essence of all existence
Dialogue: 0,0:11:40.48,0:11:43.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is really empty then there's \Nno cause for you to suffer.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:44.09,0:11:51.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because you realize the person \Nis neither bad nor good.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:52.26,0:12:05.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That doesn't mean \Nthat person does not exist.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:05.51,0:12:10.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That just means that the person in this \Nsituation in this space and time context
Dialogue: 0,0:12:10.80,0:12:16.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,under this specific set of conditions \Nmay appear to be good or bad to me.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:21.08,0:12:27.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Doesn't look like \Nyou are fully clear on that.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:29.52,0:12:35.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I am thinking of how you mention \Ngood or bad sometimes is empty.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:35.62,0:12:40.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the same time I can't help \Nto think of historical dictators
Dialogue: 0,0:12:40.05,0:12:42.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that have caused a lot of hurt.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:43.32,0:12:47.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But also at the same time \NI have in my head explained to myself
Dialogue: 0,0:12:47.26,0:12:50.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that they have violated \Nthe precepts. That's all.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:59.48,0:13:11.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So even the precepts themselves are empty.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:23.15,0:13:29.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I guess I am still a little confused \Nabout the precepts being empty.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:29.76,0:13:31.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Do you mean they are dependent
Dialogue: 0,0:13:31.29,0:13:38.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the historical age we're in \Nthe society that we're in?
Dialogue: 0,0:13:47.73,0:14:06.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's no ethical precepts that we can \Nabsolutely say that this is the truth.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:06.13,0:14:10.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That this is the way regardless \Nof the situation and time and space
Dialogue: 0,0:14:10.66,0:14:16.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we find ourselves in, because \Nthat actually is a very dangerous path.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:17.43,0:14:53.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what Buddha taught us \Nthat the proper way the right way
Dialogue: 0,0:14:53.21,0:14:58.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is always determined by the space and \Ntime of the situation that we are under.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:59.16,0:15:02.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's basically setting a compass down \Nin a new place and seeing
Dialogue: 0,0:15:02.51,0:15:06.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where it points north and\Nthat's when you find the right way.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:06.23,0:15:07.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So everything is dependent
Dialogue: 0,0:15:07.73,0:15:12.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,even though the proper path on that, \Nthat's the middle way.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:12.19,0:15:17.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the concept of that middle way as it\Ntransition over to Mahayana Buddhism,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:17.96,0:15:21.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it became translated or understood as emptiness.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:22.36,0:15:26.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the emptiness, the concept and the words, actually was a criticism against Theravada \Nkind of rigid traditionalism in which they claimed that a certain set of ethical constructions was the way.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so the criticism in Mahayana against that was that the construct should be empty.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So basically the original criticism which Theravada's rigid absoluteness \Nof the way wast hat there is no fixed way and that eventually \Ngot translated and kind of consolidated into the word emptiness.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Basically when someone claims that this the truth, \Nthen the criticism is that there's' nothing that you can point to \Nand say that's the absolute truth \Nand that got translated into that sense of emptiness.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the fact that we misunderstand emptiness or the concept \Nbecause of the word that we use in space, but it's only a part of all.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We usually obsess over somebody else, if we like that person.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we want to make that person behave the way we want them to behave.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So if they don't behave accordingly then we feel bitter.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if that disappointment becomes too much then we just let go,\Nand we become indifferent to them.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If we realize this concept of emptiness then we can actually let go of our obsession.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then we can allow him or her to behave as they want.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If they ask for our help, Then we help.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If they don't ask for help, then we don't help.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we're neither indifferent in this case nor obsessive.