Do Not Seek Emptiness, The Mind is Buddha

**Do Not Seek Emptiness, The Mind is Buddha**

Learning from Luang Pu Dulya was truly remarkable. I have never encountered any other teacher like him. When we went to pay respects to him and said, "I want to practice," he wouldn't teach right away. He would sit in meditation for almost an hour, sometimes even longer. After finishing, he would begin teaching. He would teach only a few sentences to each person, but we had to put them into practice. Some teachings took me over 20 years to fully understand.

If you have heard Luang Pu Dulya’s teachings, you would have heard about "The Mind is Buddha." I have heard him teach this many times, and every time, it was exactly the same.

**The Mind is Buddha** is actually mentioned in the teachings of Huang Po, as part of the doctrine. Luang Pu Dulya saw that Huang Po had already explained the ultimate state of the mind, describing the mind of an arahant. After careful consideration, Luang Pu Dulya said no one else could explain it this way, so he borrowed Huang Po's words, incorporating them into the concept "The Mind is Buddha." Initially, when we heard him speak, we thought that the mind, being the knower, was the Buddha. As we meditated longer, our understanding gradually changed.

To understand "The Mind is Buddha," one should read it oneself. We might think we understand, but we do not, because we have not seen the state of the Buddha. As we practice and let go of the elements and the aggregates, we see the emptiness of the world and the body. The mind is also empty, becoming one with everything. In the Tipitaka, there is a trace of this teaching, where a person named Mogharaja asked the Buddha, a highly intelligent disciple of Brahmin Pawari, a question. Brahmin Pawari, who was once the chief priest of King Pasenadi, retired and established a school outside the city. He had 16 brilliant disciples who, upon hearing that the Buddha had attained enlightenment, prepared 16 questions for them to ask the Buddha. One by one, they asked, and each disciple attained arahantship, except the last disciple, who was Brahmin Pawari's grandson. He wanted to take the Buddha's teachings to Brahmin Pawari but did not attain arahantship.

Mogharaja asked the Buddha, "How should we see the world so that Death does not see it?" Just listening to the question, we are already puzzled. Brahmin Pawari was indeed brilliant. He set the questions for his disciples, who then asked and received answers, becoming arahants. Mogharaja, who wanted to take the Dharma to Brahmin Pawari, did not attain arahantship.

Buddha answered Mogharaja, "One sees the world as empty; Death cannot see it." The point where Death cannot see is the state beyond birth, aging, sickness, and death. Thus, the person Death cannot see is an arahant. The arahant sees the world as empty—not by thinking it is empty or believing it to be so, but just seeing it as it is.

How do we see the world as empty? By practicing Vipassana meditation, observing both physical and mental phenomena with mindfulness and concentration, wisdom will arise. We will see that all phenomena are impermanent, suffering, and non-self, realizing that what we call the world is form and mind, subject to the Three Marks of Existence. When we see this, we will see the world as empty.

In terms of doctrinal explanations, it might be said that the world is empty of being a being, self, or identity, which is true, but it does not reach the heart. To see the world as empty, our mind must have the qualities of morality, concentration, and wisdom. Without wisdom, one cannot see the emptiness of form, mind, or the world; one only sees existence and non-existence. Seeing form and mind as empty means seeing them under the Three Marks of Existence. When the mind stops clinging, it sees the world as empty.

Some people, particularly those who read the teachings of Venerable Wei Lang or Huang Po, may become intoxicated with the idea of emptiness. They might think of everything as empty without truly understanding. Emptiness, in this context, is not about thinking but seeing the truth of form and mind through Vipassana meditation. Seeing the world as empty means seeing it without clinging. When we see form and mind under the Three Marks of Existence, the mind lets go, seeing the world as empty.

So, thinking about emptiness is pointless. It’s like reading the Zen teachings of Wei Lang or Huang Po—good, but if you become intoxicated with the idea of emptiness, you do not understand it. True understanding of the world’s emptiness comes from practicing Vipassana, seeing the truth of form and mind until we realize that the world is empty because we do not cling to it. When we understand this, the mind is free.

We should not try to create emptiness. Just observe the truth of form and mind. When we see form as subject to the Three Marks of Existence, the mind ceases to cling to it. When we understand the truth of the mind, the mind also lets go. The mind, whether experiencing pleasure or pain, is subject to the Three Marks of Existence. Seeing this, we let go. With wisdom, we can let go of form and mind, seeing the world and all phenomena as one, without separation, as the world and our body are the same. Thoughts and feelings are part of the world.

**“The Mind is not the mind, but it is not not the mind.”**

In the book "The Mind is Buddha" by Luang Pu Dulya, there is a phrase that says, “The mind is not the mind, but it is not not the mind.” We might think this is a play on words, but it is profound. When we first heard this, we didn’t understand. But it is about the mind beyond all fabrication. This is the mind that Venerable Buddhadasa calls the “original mind,” Wei Lang calls the “original mind,” and Huang Po calls the “One Mind.” Luang Pu Tesc calls it the “Heart,” Somdej Phra Yannasangvara calls it the “Consciousness Element,” Luang Ta Maha Bua calls it the “Dhamma Element,” and Luang Pu Buddha calls it the “One Heart.”

Various teachers have different names for this state, all referring to the same thing. This state is empty because it is beyond all fabrication. The world, which includes form and mind, is empty because there is no clinging to it.

When you hear about “emptiness,” don’t just seek it. Instead, learn and observe form and mind as they are. One day, you will see that form and mind are subject to the Three Marks of Existence, and the mind will be free. When you let go, you will see the world as empty. The mind does not seek emptiness. The more you seek it, the further you are from it.

So, observe form and mind, seeing them as subject to the Three Marks of Existence. When the cycle of existence collapses, you will see emptiness. The mind and the world are the same—empty, not a being, not a self, just phenomena arising and passing away.

The true nature of the world is to flow without a beginning or end, constantly changing, like a dream. When we see this, we no longer seek the Buddha’s Nirvana. Seeking Nirvana only creates attachment and suffering, leading us further away from it.

When we understand this, we see the world and the mind as empty, not needing to seek emptiness or Nirvana. We realize that the world is just phenomena, flowing endlessly. True emptiness is beyond fabrication, free from all conditions, where there is nothing to cling to or define.

**In conclusion:**

Understanding “The Mind is Buddha” means seeing beyond all fabrication. The world is empty because we do not cling to it. The mind that transcends the world is also empty, but in a different way—beyond all conditions, without attachment or definition.

As Luang Pu Dulya said, “The mind is not the mind, but it is not not the mind.” This statement, though seemingly paradoxical, points to the ultimate truth. When you understand this, you will see the world and the mind as one, empty and free from all fabrication.chings. Let me know if you need further assistance!