Dharma in Brief

What is Emptiness? Passing Through Two Gates

Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul Assembled from "VGDD website.docx" supplied by the editor. English 7 min read AI assisted · awaiting review

To understand this topic, one needs to pass through two gates. You ask yourself two questions:

Do things exist? The answer should be “Yes.” If you say “No,” you fall to one extreme — nihilism. This is not emptiness.

Do things exist objectively? The answer should be “No.” If you say “Yes,” you fall to the other extreme — absolutism. This is also not emptiness.

Only when you can pass through both gates successfully can you draw closer to understanding emptiness. Now, combine the two gates — what do you understand? Things exist, but they do not exist objectively. They are empty of objective existence.

To avoid sliding into these extremes — especially the extreme of nihilism, which may lead one into much negative karma by denigrating the functionality of things — one should always hold the understanding of emptiness alongside dependent origination. Understanding them together ensures that one does not fall into either extreme. When your understanding of emptiness and of dependent origination do not contradict each other, but instead reinforce and complement one another, you are moving in the right direction toward understanding emptiness.

These are very profound realities, requiring great care in how they are approached. It is for this reason that the Buddha remained silent for forty-nine days and did not teach after attaining enlightenment. It was only at the request of Indra, Brahmā, and the celestial beings — who entreated him to turn the Wheel of Dharma — that the Buddha began to teach.

The Buddha said in the Lalitavistara Sūtra:

“Profound, peaceful, elaboration-free, clear light, and non-composite; Such is the nectar-like Dharma I have discovered. Finding no one to fathom this teaching, In silence I will retire into the woods.”