Study Of The Development Of Buddhism's Voidness

Voidness is the quintessence of Buddhism, a key vein of meditation tradition of "not setting up scriptures, special transmission outside the orthodox teaching" ("buliwenzi, jiaowaibiechuan"). Voidness at Early (Theravada) Buddhism period was emancipation without any obstacle and also was inequitable experiential entry into non-self of Sakyamuni Buddha. It not only abolished the unfair Indian caste society, but also served as the magnetic needle leading people out of the ocean of misery.Voidness at Sthaviravadins (Bupai) Buddhism period converted into a new form of words and its meaning. It was not only stuck in language but also created a unilateral view on Buddhism at that time. For example, Sthaviravadins (Shangzuobu) advocated "youfenshi" that inherited the "non-self doctrine" of Sakyamuni Buddha but they admitted that only the present was real while the past and the future were not existent. Mahasanghikas (Dazhongbu) took the five propositions of Datian as their basis and also initiated "store-house consciousness" (genbenshi), admitting that the past and the future did not exist, either, and believed that fruition of Arhat was not a supreme realm. The Shuoyixieyoubu advocated "the three periods (past, present and future) are real, and everything constantly exists". Vatsiputriya (Duzibu) contended that "Pudgala" was real, "Pudgala" being real self that is unseparated from but at the same time is not the five kinds of Skandhas (aggregates) ("buli, buji"). It is the existent subject of the samsara theory. Mahisasakah (Huadibu) expounded the concept of "Ending of samara" ("congshengziwen"); and Sammatiya (Zhengliangbu) advocated "Ekakkhaldlha" (yiweiyun). The above advocatories were contrary to Sakyamuni Buddha"s intention. This was one of the reasons that brought about Mahayana Buddhism"s development in later phases.Voidness at Mahayana Buddhism period was "Prajna voidness", which was miraculous profundity voidness initiated by Nagarjuna Bodhisattva (Longshou). This voidness is based on the Prajna-paramita sutra. Prajna voidness does not mean to negate the existence of materials but it means voidness of mirage. The mirage has two meanings (1) mirage does not mean annihilation but non-substantiality; (2) mirage is formed by concatenation of causes and effects.The Voidness of the Meditation tradition is beyond the reasoning of words. It utilises the abolition of tenacious view in order to utmostly penetrate to seeing one"s own nature. In other words, one who wants to penetrate this voidness must to destroy the obstruction wall of knowledge because this kind of knowledge is "dried-up wisdom" (suozhizhang) which hinders the attainment of a calm true mind . In this text, I temporarily divide Meditation tradition into two periods, one being the Indian meditation tradition spread into China by the first patriarch Bodhidharma and Chinese meditation tradition revolutionalised by the sixth patriarch Hui-Neng. The meditation tradition transmitted into China by the first partriarch Bodhidharma is strongly influenced by the Indian national character. From perspective to self-cultivation method, from the diffusion to the nurturing of future generation, it clearly manifests the Indian culture. It was especial that Patriarch Bodhidarma, upon entering China in Liang Wu Emperor dynasty, mainly initiated the meditation core of "not setting up scriptures, special transmission outside the orthodox teaching, directly seeing into one"s nature and attaining Buddhahood"; however, by the end of his life, he handed the second patriarch Hui-Ke the four Lankavatara (Lengjia) sutras. This act has caused controversies among many scholars later on.The next meditation tradition taught by the sixth patriarch Hui-Neng expounded the doctrine of Spontaneous Realisation or Sudden Enlightenment ("yingwusuozhu, ershengqixin"), that is, through meditation in which thought, objectivity and all attachments are eliminated. This meditation tradition is the wonderful reformative crystallization of an unobstrusive woodsman living in remote Ling-Nan. His outstanding meditation reform is not the transmission of robe and alms-bowl to the inheritor but is the "transmission from mind to mind". So meditation at Hui-Neng period became "assimilated to China" ("Zhongguo-hua"), forming an official meditation tradition strongly affected by the Chinese national character. Albeit the reform, meditation tradition does not transform, but retain the wonderful flavour of liberation, and is the ultimate penetration of voidness that Buddhas and Patriarchs from time immemorial to future rely on as the ultimate goal, which is Nirvana of no abode.