The discourse on emptiness in its ultimate meaning (SA335)

Thus have I heard.

At one time, the Buddha was staying in a village of the cow-herding Kuru people. At that time, the Buddha said to the monks: “I will teach you dharma which is good in its beginning, middle, and end, which is of good meaning and good flavour, entirely pure, pure for the noble life, namely: The discourse on emptiness in its ultimate meaning. Listen attentively, consider well, and I will teach you.

“What is the discourse on emptiness in its ultimate meaning?

“Monks, when the eye arises, there is no place from which it comes; when it ceases, there is no place to which it goes. Thus, the eye, being not real, arises; having arisen it ceases completely. It is a result of previous action but it has no doer.

“When these aggregates cease, other aggregates continue, with the exception of this transient dharma. It is the same with the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They are exceptions to the transient dharma.

“The meaning of transient dharma is: Because this exists, that exists; because this arises, that arises, thus: Conditioned by ignorance are activities; conditioned by activities is consciousness, and so on … and thus arises this whole mass of suffering.

“And again, when this does not exist, that does not exist; when this ceases, that ceases. When ignorance ceases, activities cease; when activities cease, consciousness ceases, and so on …, and thus ceases this whole mass of suffering.

“Monks, this is called the discourse on emptiness in its ultimate meaning.”

When the Buddha had taught this discourse, the monks, having heard what the Buddha had said, were delighted and put it into practice.

Translation by Choong Mun-keat (Wei-keat), 2004.

Originally published in Choong Mun-keat (Wei-keat), The Notion of Emptiness in Early Buddhism, 1995, 1999. Used by permission of the translator.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.