Power Of The Void, The Void Of Power

[camerata]

Power of the Void, the Void of Power

The country is plunging into deep conflicts and anarchy because the powers-that-be, as well as those who want to overthrow them, are trapped in the we/they dichotomy, violating the Buddhist duty to transcend the false illusion of self - the root cause of hatred and violence

When Seksan gave a speech entitled "Power of the Void, the Void of Power" to honour the late reformist monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu recently, those who listened carefully heard answers to all those questions - and more - through the lens of dharma.

The crux of the problem, he said, is the we/they dichotomy which good Buddhists must try to transcend in order to free themselves from the false illusion of self - the root cause of greed, anger, fear and violent desire to eliminate perceived threats at all costs.

The answer is to go back to the Lord Buddha's teachings on the void (sunyata) and interconnectedness (idappaccayata), which were much emphasised by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu when he was alive.

So what does sunyata, or voidness, mean?

"In dharma speak, voidness does not mean emptiness. It means that the states of existence of all matters are interdependent and so each matter is essentially void of self-nature. In other word, there is no such thing as separate, enduring identities," explained Seksan.

This does not mean that things do not exist physically. "But they exist in relation to other matters, meaning that nothing arises independently."

Source: Bangkok Post (link only valid a couple of days).

[khaowong1]

I read everything I can find on the talks given by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu. I have yet to find any fault with anything he says. We need another one just like him is this day and age.

[PhilHarries]

I read everything I can find on the talks given by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu. I have yet to find any fault with anything he says. We need another one just like him is this day and age.

As much, maybe more than that, we need people who listen with open minds to his words and then have the courage to look inwards at themselves and their thoughts and actions. Then they have to take the almost impossible step of recognising their faults and changing they way they look at the world and each other.

[Samuian]

"void (sunyata) and interconnectedness (idappaccayata)"

What does this tell the Thai people about their political problem?

Look away and the problem is gone?