Form is Not Emptiness

              The Fireplace Records, Chapter 30

Scholar Eagle Ask Questions
About the Heart Sutra

Form is Not Emptiness

Scholar Eagle asked Professor Coyote "The Heart Sutra says that,
" 'Form Does not Differ From the Void, And the Void Does Not Differ From Form. Form is Void and Void is Form.' Is this true?"

Professor Coyote said, "Did I not discuss this question yesterday? The Heart Sutra says that Profound Insight is a Supreme Spell, a magical incantation. Why concern yourself with spells?

Scholar Eagle said, "But reaching the supreme understanding will remove all obstructions, fears, and confused imagination. Can't you help  me understand that Supreme Enlightenment?"

Professor Coyote said, "If you could even attain non-attainment, and if all your perceptions and consciousness were empty, and nothing could be made of nothing, then I don't believe you would need Supreme Enlightenment. Why do you reach for the comet, and ignore the smell of the wet earth? Just be here and now, and have a cup of tea."

Scholar Eagle replied, "You are avoiding my question. You are evasive."

Professor Coyote said, "So be it! Even Sutras are often less useful to real wisdom and clear understanding. Listen, I'm sorry, but I am nauseated today and don't feel like answering metaphysical questions. Go ask Raven Roshi."

Scholar Eagle then went and asked Raven Roshi the same questions about emptiness.  

Raven Roshi said,
"The moon shines brightly in the empty sky.
The bucket bottom broke and all the water emptied out.
I wrote the characters for 'True" and "False' on an empty page.
I have nothing more to say, nothing!"

Raven Roshi then paused, then laughed. He told Scholar Eagle to go ask Reverend Toad the same questions.

Scholar Eagle went and asked Reverend Toad the same questions about emptiness.

Reverend Toad said, "Croak! Croak! Empty Nonsense! Your soul will live for all eternity. You might be reborn as a old woman with Alzheimer's disease and think about and remember nothing; or, find yourself as a young beautiful woman arguing with two obnoxious ugly men in Sartre's Hell; or, sing with the Angels in the blissful Afterworld's Choir; or, be reborn as a croaking toad, like me. Much more interesting than being dissolved into nothingness."  

Reverend Toad than smacked Scholar Eagle three times on his back with a dirty wash rag.  He laughed and said, Go ask Badger Nerdy the same questions.

Scholar Eagle gave up, stopped asking questions, went home, and brewed some tea.  It was refreshing! The cup warmed his hands. The steamy tea tickled his nostrils. That afternoon, he drank all the tea, until the small kettle was completely empty (except for wet tea leaves).  

Comments, Sources, Observations

If Forms are Empty, Idealism is sadly triumphant.
There is nothing to concern yourself about Nothing.
When nothing is left, there is no more You.
Fret less about ideas, and feel more.
Leave such puzzles for bored adults to figure out.
Magic spells seldom work for useful purposes.
Void does differ from Forms, otherwise confusion reigns.
Form does differ from Void, otherwise mindlessness triumphs.
So you get over to the other shore--- what then do you do?
Never abandon your boat, you or others may need it again.
Nothing is ever Completely Empty!
Truth or falsity don't apply to meaningless pronouncements.

Emptiness is the subject of over 50 Zen Koans.

Meetings with Master Chang San-Feng 

Zen Master Raven

Sunyata, Emptiness

Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Stories. 

Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans

Zen Buddhist Koans: Indexes, Bibliography, Commentary, Information

The Daodejing by Laozi

Pulling Onions  Over 1,043 One-line Sayings by Mike Garofalo

Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans

The Fireplace Records  By Michael P. Garofalo

Or

The Heart Sutra

"When the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
Was Discoursing in the Deep Prajna Paramita,
He Perceived That All Five Skandhas Are Empty.
Thus He Overcame All Ills and Suffering.
Oh, Sariputra, Form Does not Differ From the Void,
And the Void Does Not Differ From Form.
Form is Void and Void is Form;
The Same is True For Feelings,
Perceptions, Volitions and Consciousness.
Sariputra, the Characteristics of the
Voidness of All Dharmas
Are Non-Arising, Non-Ceasing, Non-Defiled,
Non-Pure, Non-Increasing, Non-Decreasing.
Therefore, in the Void There Are No Forms,
No Feelings, Perceptions, Volitions or Consciousness.
No Eye, Ear, Nose, Tongue, Body or Mind;
No Form, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch or Mind Object;
No Realm of the Eye,
Until We Come to No realm of Consciousness.
No ignorance and Also No Ending of Ignorance,
Until We Come to No Old Age and Death and
No Ending of Old Age and Death.
Also, There is No Truth of Suffering,
Of the Cause of Suffering,
Of the Cessation of Suffering, Nor of the Path.
There is No Wisdom, and There is No Attainment Whatsoever.
Because There is Nothing to Be Attained,
The Bodhisattva Relying On Prajna Paramita Has
No Obstruction in His Mind.
Because There is No Obstruction, He Has no Fear,
And He passes Far Beyond Confused Imagination.
And Reaches Ultimate Nirvana.
The Buddhas of the Past, Present and Future,
By Relying on Prajna Paramita
Have Attained Supreme Enlightenment.
Therefore, the Prajna Paramita is the Great Magic Spell,
The Spell of Illumination, the Supreme Spell,
Which Can Truly Protect One From All Suffering Without Fail.
Therefore He Uttered the Spell of Prajnaparmita,
Saying 'Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha.' "

- The Heart Sutra of Buddhism


The Heart Sutra (PDF Version) 

Green Way Wisdom - Zen Buddhist Poems and Scriptures

Emptiness (Sunyata, Mu, Inter-Dependent Arising)