Merle,<br/><br/>I copied this for you. It's regarding things having
"essence":<br/><br/>What is emptiness then? To understand the philosophical
meaning of this term, let's look at a simple solid object, such as a cup. How
is a cup empty? We usually say that a cup is empty if it does not contain any
liquid or solid. This is the ordinary meaning of emptiness. But, is the cup
really empty? A cup empty of liquids or solids is still full of air. To be
precise, we must therefore state what the cup is empty of. Can a cup be empty
of all substance? A cup in a vacuum does not contain any air, but it still
contains space, light, radiation, as well as its own substance. Hence, from a
physical point of view, the cup is always full of something. Yet, from the
Buddhist point of view, the cup is always empty. The Buddhist understanding of
emptiness is different from the physical meaning. The cup being empty means
that it is devoid of inherent existence.<br/><br/>What
is meant with non-inherent existence? Is this to say that the cup does not
ultimately exist? - Not quite. - The cup exists, but like everything in this
world, its existence depends on other phenomena. There is nothing in a cup that
is inherent to that specific cup or to cups in general. Properties such as
being hollow, spherical, cylindrical, or leak-proof are not intrinsic to cups.
Other objects which are not cups have similar properties, as for example vases
and glasses. The cup's properties and components are neither cups themselves
nor do they imply cupness on their own. The material is not the cup. The shape
is not the cup. The function is not the cup. Only all these aspects together
make up the cup. Hence, we can say that for an object to be a cup we require a
collection of specific conditions to exist. It depends on the combination of
function, use, shape, base material, and the cup's other aspects. Only if all
these conditions exist
simultaneously does the mind impute cupness to the object. If one condition
ceases to exist, for instance, if the cup's shape is altered by breaking it,
the cup forfeits some or all of its cupness, because the object's function, its
shape, as well as the imputation of cupness through perception is disrupted.
The cup's existence thus depends on external circumstances. Its physical
essence remains elusive.<br/><br/>Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad
