"Shunyata" -
Here's one explanation:
Shunyata
Shunyata (Tib. stong-pa-nyid, Chin. kung),usually translated as
"emptiness", "voidness", "nothingness", or even "relativity", is a key
technical and philosophical term in the
<http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/Mahayana.htm>Mahayana Buddhist
tradition.
This is a difficult term, usually translated as "Void" or "Emptiness", but
sometimes more positively as "Openness". The philosophical nuances of this
term are complex. Emptiness must not be understood as simple nihilism (the
denial that anything exists), much less as referring to some absolute
entity that underlies appearance. Rather, things are "empty" in the sense
of lacking independent, persistent existence.
In the Buddhist scholar H. V. Guenther's words: "the technical term
shunya indicates the "open dimension of being". The customary translations
by "void" or "emptiness", fail to convey the positive content of the
Buddhist idea" <http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/sunyata.htm#1>[1].
While according to T. R. V. Murti
<http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/sunyata.htm#2>[2], the terms shunya
and shunyata are used in two allied meanings.
(a) All phenomena are shunya (void, empty), as they are relative and so
lack substantiality and independent reality; they are conditioned by and
depenedent on other phenomena (this is the Buddhist theory of
Pratitya-samutpanna or "dependent origination") and hence in themselves
ultimately unreal.
(b) The Absolute Reality is shunya or shunyata, as it is devoid of
empirical forms and thought constructs, no predicate ("is", "not-is", "is
and not-is", neither "is nor not-is") can legitamately be applied to it.
For an in-depth philosophical discussion, see Francis Streng, Emptiness: A
Study in Religious Meaning (Abingdon Press, 1975) (unfortunately out of print).
Ultimately shunyata is a phenomenological term for the experience of the
<http://www.kheper.net/theoryofeverything/The_Absolute_Reality.htm>Absolute
Reality. The Absolute Reality is the experience of total freedom from
the distortion and limitations of conceptual understanding (vikalpa), it
is "empty" or "void" of all such particular characteristics. This
Shunyata, according to the great 2nd Century Buddhist dialectician
Nagarjuna, can only be described in terms of a paradoxical series of
negations. So for example in Absolute Reality (Shunyata) there is neither
Movement nor non-Movement nor both Movement and non-Movement nor something
other than Movement and non-Movement. Reality embraces all, includes all
and transcends all.
Jimmy Pryor
At 12:39 PM 3/13/2006, David Barnes wrote:
I don't believe I have every posted here before but have to admit that I
have enjoyed the conversations over the years. As someone who has
facilitated Open Space events, and have tried to work in Open Space whenever
possible, I am transitioning into another venture!!. Along with a few other
like minded souls, we are creating a consulting company that will have a
mission to be socially responsible in all work that we generate. Through
partnerships in the private , NGO and Not for Profit sectors, we hope to
create synergies that will benefit those that we are able to serve. I can
share more with those who are interested as to how we plan to create this
work. We have potential partners in Africa, Denmark, Washington and
Canada. We share a vision in common to, create and work within
organizations through Open Space and Open Sourcing. In moving forward, we
need to come up with a new name, a name that symbolizes our vision for work.
A company that is in many ways virtual, given the geographic locations of
our partners, the fact that we want to share leadership, grow ideas and
services through an open space consulting company. We want to continue to
attract individuals who will move the vision forward. So....the
challenge...... what should we call ourselves..... Any thoughts, ideas,
ways to approach the naming game, would be welcome.
Barnes Kinnear Associates
1071 King St. West. Suite 102
Toronto Ontario M6K 3K2
Phone 416-977-3811
Fax 416-977-5690
Cell 416-804-1319
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