How to live in a world of emptiness?
在一切皆空的世界里该 如何活着 问：
In the Buddha Sutra, it is said that everything is empty. But in this illusive world, we still need to live on. How to live on?
Answer: This is because you do not have a proper understanding when we say ‘everything is empty’. If you can rightly understand the meaning, how will you be living? Of course you will live like the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas.
This is spoken by the Buddha as he has thoroughly penetrated the emptiness of all phenomena. Just like Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, if he wants to come, he will come instantly. Why is this so? This is because he is not obstructed.
In Buddhism, the concept of emptiness is the most important. It is presented in the loftiest way. But the meaning is very profound. We must be enlightened and certified to the states of empty nature. Of course, we mundane men cannot achieve this. So, we only hear that ‘everything is emptiness’, we cannot practise it in our life. As it is said, ‘the principle is most profound but the understanding is very little.’ The principle is very deep but we can only understand very little. As it is said in the ‘Compilation of Serenity Bliss’ by Dharma Master Dao Chuo, ‘We are not enlightened to the Genuine Thus of the genuine mark, the foremost meanings of emptiness.’
It is too high flown if we were to talk about the empty nature. So, how are we going to live our life? We are the mundane men who are not certified to the empty nature, not enlightened to it. We can only live on as a mundane man, living the mundane way of life. As it is said, ‘Though we cannot arrive at such a state, we wish we can achieve it.’
We hope that we can arrive at the state of empty nature as described in the Buddha Dharma so as to attain liberation. By ourselves we cannot reach this state.
In Buddhism, we talk about emptiness. Though the ‘nature is emptiness, the appearance is existence.’ It is not empty only that nothing exists. As we can see all the things before us. Look at us, we are existing here, with this body, but the Buddha has told us ‘no -self.’ It is the empty nature. ‘But we are still living here. Without this body, how to live on?’
This is a wrong interpretation. ‘The nature is empty but the appearance exists. The nature refers to the innate nature of all phenomena. The initial nature is empty but the appearance does exist. So, it is also known as ‘genuine emptiness is wonderful existence.’ This emptiness is known as Genuine emptiness. Genuine emptiness is not emptiness. It is different from the way we are talking about emptiness which means nothingness, the stubborn emptiness. Because in genuine emptiness, wonderful appearance exists. This existence is very deep and profound. It is the revelation of causes and conditions. But its fundamental element is still the empty nature. Or it is known as the Tathagata Treasury of emptiness.
Everything is the revelation of the Buddha nature. Everything is the genuine thus, the genuine appearance. When we look at a tree, a house, a hill, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas look at them as the Treasury of Great illumination.
In our eyes, everything looks so real. This is a tree, that is a house. In actuality, it is our mind concept, our views which add on and bring solidity to them. Anyway, the profundity is too high and we will not discuss it further.
Next, I will answer how to live on? Talking about ‘Empty in nature but with the existence of appearance, in genuine emptiness there is the wonderful existence.’, we mundane men should live on with ‘existence’. Besides, we do not attach to one side. We should understand that the myriad dharma is fundamentally empty in nature. This is the basic foundation. With such an understanding, we can live on with great ease as we know when to advance and when to stop. Besides, there are the possibility of inexhaustible transformation.
If the myriad dharma is not empty, there will be no changes. As it is empty in nature, so, a trees will have the flowers bloom in spring, to have the fruits reap in autumn. Even a house also comes into being, dwelling, decaying and becomes empty. Emptiness means lots of possibilities, lots of changes.
For example, when you become rich, most will feel the joy. When the money is stolen, is lost, you are poor and you feel so disheartening. But if you understand the principles on the empty nature of all dharma, you will not be proud when you are rich. Money is emptiness. It is not real. Even if you were to lose it, you will not be too sad, or even go to hang yourself. This is because it is empty.
Some people are so happy when they are promoted. But when they lose the job, they simply cannot live on.
If we understand the empty nature of love, we will understand no matter how loving the couples are, someone will go first. Then, we can treat it plainly with calmness. Even now, the rate of divorced is so high. This is also empty in nature.
Fundamentally, nothing is unchangeable. If you can understand the nature of emptiness, you will remain calm in all changes.
Of course, we mundane men are heavily attached to love and feeling. If we can understand the empty nature of all dharma as taught in the Buddha Dharma, there will be an allowance for changes in our mind. If the mind is not empty, his mind is all congested, without any space nor the essence of emptiness, then, his mind is also congested, without a road of bypass. If there is empty space in the mind, such a man can face all happenings without becoming over attached.
Most people cannot understand the Buddha Dharma: They are very attached. They feel everything is real and solid. If he does not change for good, his mind will be heavy and he feels as though he cannot breathe.
In Buddhism, just like the Zen Sect, the Prajna Sect, ‘emptiness’ is often mentioned. In the Pure Land Sect, it is more suitable for the mundane men in the way they look at the world. So, ‘existence’ is often mentioned. For example, ‘From here to the west, after passing by ten trillion Buddha Lands, there is a World by the name Ultimate Bliss. In that Land, there is a Buddha by the Name Amita, who is teaching the Dharma presently.
So, if we cannot genuinely enter the Dharma from ‘emptiness’, we can enter from the door of ‘existence’. By entering the door of existence, we lead a mundane way of life, we recite Namo Amitabha Buddha, we seek to attain a rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land.
By doing so, you do not have to empty yourself. Anyway, you cannot become empty, either. Which one can you let go of -your house, your sons, your car or your shares?
This is not a problem. We exchange that existence into this existence. With the ‘existence’ of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, we replace the ‘existence’ of the transmigration in the triple realm.
If our mind is without the Buddha, our mind will surely be filled with all the things in this world. If the Buddha is in our mind, the Buddha with his empty nature, bright illumination, wisdom, kindness and compassion, blessings and virtues will fill up our mind. As such, in this worldly realm, we will be free from hindrances, sufferings and anger. Besides, the corresponding wisdom will also be opened up. Compilation of questions and answers in Jing Zong Zhi Sheng
在一切皆空的世界里该 如何活着 问：
佛经里说一切皆空，可在这虚幻的世界里，我们还要生活，我们该如何活着呢？
答：这可能是对佛讲的“一切皆空”不能完全正确地理解。如果能正确理解的话，应该怎么活着呢？当然就像佛菩萨一样活着了。
因为这是佛讲的，佛已经落实了一切皆空；像观世音菩萨随来就来，为什么呢？他不受障碍。
空是佛教一个重要的概念，也是非常精华的表达，但是它的义理非常深。要证悟空性的境界，当然我们凡夫做不到。所以，我们虽然听说“一切皆空”，要拿来指导我们的人生，还是做不到的。所谓“理深解微”，道理非常幽深，我们的理解又非常浅薄，“真如实相第一义空，曾未措心”，这是道绰大师在《安乐集》里讲的。
这样，空性对我们来说，确实隔得太远。
我们应该怎样过日子呢？我们还是凡夫，没有证悟空性，只能以我们凡夫的状态来过凡俗的生活。有句话叫“虽不能至，心向往之”，
我们向往着佛法解脱空性的境界，但是我们自己还达不到。
佛教讲的空，它是“性空相有”，不是一味地讲空，什么都没有。
明明眼前所见，你看我们人的存在，有这个身体，佛说也是无我的，是空性的，“可是我们还在这里生活，没有了身体怎么去生活呀？”
不是那个意思。“性空相有”，“性”，是说一切事物的本性、体性是空性的，但是它的表相是有的，所以又叫作“真空妙有”。这种空，叫真空，真空不空，它和我们讲的没有的空——顽空，是不一样的。真空的当下就是妙有，这种有是非常玄妙的，是一种因缘的显示，它真实的本质还是空性的，所谓“空如来藏”。
一切都是佛性的显现，一切都是真如实相。 我们看见一棵树、一栋房子、一座山，在佛菩萨来看，这都是大光明藏；
在我们来看，每一件都成实有的东西了，这是一棵树，那是一栋房子。其实这个实有的概念，都是我们的思想、观念加给它的妄想。当然这方面也不能展开太多。
接下来回答我们怎样生活。 说“性空相有，真空妙有”，我觉得凡夫还是以“有”这一边来过我们凡俗的生活；同时我们不执著这一边，了解一切万法具有空性的本质，这样就能游刃有余，进退自如，而有无穷变化的可能。
如果万法不是空的，就不可能变化。正因为是空性的，所以一棵树有春花秋实，房子也有成住坏空，空就有无限的可能性和变化性。
比如说，发财了，一般人都会觉得欢喜；丢财、失财、贫穷了，都会觉得沮丧。如果你了悟诸法空性的道理，发财了也不骄狂，这是空的，并不真实；丢了钱也不过于悲伤，不至于去上吊，因为这也是空的。
有人升官了就高兴，罢职了就没法过日子。
像爱情，如果早就了解它是空性的，夫妻不管再怎样恩爱，总是有人要先走，就能平静对待这件事。甚至现在离婚率特别高，这也是空性的，并没有一个不变的本质。你要是了解空性的话，都会平静。
当然，凡夫会执著，被情感所限碍，但如果多少了解一些佛法讲的空性道理，我们内心就有活眼。如果一个人心中没有空，心眼堵塞、不空灵，那这个人脑筋也不灵光，这样人生没有活路；心中空灵、有空间，遇到什么事都能过得去。
一般人不了解佛法的道理，很执著，认为一切都是实有的，如果一味地这样，人生就会障碍重重，内心憋屈，堵得慌。
在佛教当中，像禅宗、般若这系列的，讲“空”讲得多；净土宗比较符合凡夫对现实这种感性的认识，讲“有”讲得多，比如说“从是西方，过十万亿佛土，有世界名曰极乐。其土有佛，号阿弥陀，今现在说法”。
所以，我们如果在“空”当中不能真正契入，可以从“有”门而入。从有门而入，就是过凡夫的日子，念弥陀的名号，求生阿弥陀佛的净土。
这样的话，你不用空——你也空不了，房子、儿子、车子、票子，哪一样能空得了？
没关系，以彼有来代替此有，以极乐净土的“有”来代替三界轮回的“有”。
如果我们心中把佛空了，这个世界的东西必然会填充我们的心；
如果心中有佛，
佛是空性，佛的光明、智慧、慈悲、福德这一切，
就会充满我们的心，
让我们在这世间，障碍苦恼都空却，
也会开发相应的智慧。
《净宗之声问答集》
A comment by oridharma:
The emptiness of all phenomena reveals that there is no obstruction. The problem with us is we have obstacles everywhere. Why are we born with obstructions? This is because we wish we will always live on happily, with a healthy body, good surrounding, good people and so on, following our false thoughts, falling into our deluded dreams. We do not live in accord our innate mind nature. So, obstructions come forth. Now that we are reciting Namo Amitabha Buddha, we are living in accord with the innate mind nature, not with our emotions and feelings. Most grateful to Namo Amitabha Buddha
一切皆空是显示无障碍，可是我们处处都有障碍。 我们为何有障碍？ 因为我们一直妄想着永远快乐， 健康，好环境，好人等等。我们一直在做这样的迷惑的梦。
我们不是活在自性心中，所以障碍重重。现在我们称念南无阿弥陀佛，我们是回归自性本心，不是跟着自己的情绪，感觉。感恩南无阿弥陀佛
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