[Kamendoriks]

Ok, here's how I understand emptiness....

If we take the example of a chair, we can, through analysis, come to the conclusion that there there is no permanently existant entity called 'chair'. It has been made up of wood and other materials which came from various places in a variety of ways themselves -and it will decay and fall to pieces in time. So we can say that a chair is empty of any independent, permanent existence....and that chair is not really 'mine' or 'yours'.

In human terms we can also, through analyis, see that we ourselves are empty of any permanently existing 'self'. The 'self' of last year or even yesterday may be different to the 'self' of today in our appearance and in our thoughts and actions. We can also understand emptiness (sunnata) through our meditation practice.

The Buddha taught that emptiness is 'empty of self and anything belonging to self'.



SN 35.85 - Suñña Sutta: Empty


Then Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "It is said that the world is empty, the world is empty, lord. In what respect is it said that the world is empty?"

"Insofar as it is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self: Thus it is said, Ananda, that the world is empty. And what is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self? The eye is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Forms... Eye-consciousness... Eye-contact is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self.

"The ear is empty...

"The nose is empty...

"The tongue is empty...

"The body is empty...

"The intellect is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Ideas... Intellect-consciousness... Intellect-contact is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Thus it is said that the world is empty."


http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....085.than.html