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**joe-salton** · 06-28-2011, 07:57 PM

[QUOTE=stuka;21092]The Buddha didn't teach "the origin of phenomena. Hr did teach the origin of suffering.

...which is what all this extraneous "inherent existence/non-existence" nonsense is.

ITSM the Buddha's teaching on dependent arising (paticcasamuppada) is a teaching on the origin of phenomena, and leads on to his teaching on the origin of suffering. The phrase 'empty of inherent existence', although its a rather clunky phrase (or translation) seems to me a kind of unfolding or explication of dependent arising.

The idea that phenomena are empty of inherent existence may or may not be helpful to meditation, or to the process of liberation from suffering, but it does seem to me to be quite helpful in terms of ethics, in how you regard 'self' and 'other'. And it may be helpful in terms of avoiding attachment to phenomena.

So it seems a bit harsh to describe the phrase 'empty of inherent existence' as either extraneous or nonsense, YMMV.

06-28-2011, 07:57 PM	#34
joe-salton Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 464 Senior Member	[QUOTE=stuka;21092]The Buddha didn't teach "the origin of phenomena. Hr did teach the origin of suffering. ...which is what all this extraneous "inherent existence/non-existence" nonsense is. ITSM the Buddha's teaching on dependent arising (paticcasamuppada) is a teaching on the origin of phenomena, and leads on to his teaching on the origin of suffering. The phrase 'empty of inherent existence', although its a rather clunky phrase (or translation) seems to me a kind of unfolding or explication of dependent arising. The idea that phenomena are empty of inherent existence may or may not be helpful to meditation, or to the process of liberation from suffering, but it does seem to me to be quite helpful in terms of ethics, in how you regard 'self' and 'other'. And it may be helpful in terms of avoiding attachment to phenomena. So it seems a bit harsh to describe the phrase 'empty of inherent existence' as either extraneous or nonsense, YMMV.
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