One day, Venerable Ananda went to the Buddha, who was seated in peaceful meditation beneath a tree. After bowing respectfully, Ananda sat quietly to one side, waiting for the right moment. As he sat in silence, his heart filled with questions that he had been pondering for some time.
Finally, after a moment of deep reflection, Ananda spoke:
“Lord, I’ve heard it said by many that the world is empty, that the world is empty of all things. But I do not fully understand this. How is it that the world is said to be empty? What does it mean for the world to be empty?”
The Buddha looked kindly upon Ananda, his eyes filled with wisdom. He took a deep breath, and as the breeze rustled the leaves above, he began to speak:
“Ananda, the world is said to be empty in this way: It is empty of a self, and it is empty of anything that belongs to a self. It is this emptiness that frees us from suffering. It is this realization that brings clarity and peace. Let me explain further.”
The Buddha then began to point out the nature of emptiness in the simplest of terms, explaining how it applies to all things in the world.
“Consider the eye, Ananda. The eye is empty of a self. The shapes and forms it perceives — they are also empty. Eye-consciousness, the act of seeing itself, is empty. The contact between the eye and the object it perceives is empty. None of these things have a permanent self or essence that belongs to them. They come together in a fleeting moment, and when that moment passes, they vanish. There is no ‘I’ or ‘me’ within that experience. It is simply a process.”
Ananda listened carefully, feeling the weight of the Buddha’s words. He was starting to understand, but the Buddha wasn’t finished.
“The same is true for the ear, Ananda. The ear is empty of a self. The sounds it hears, the vibrations of the world — they are empty of self. Ear-consciousness, the act of hearing, is empty. The contact between the ear and the sound is empty. These, too, are temporary processes that arise and pass away. There is no permanent ‘self’ inside them.”
The Buddha’s voice was calm and steady as he continued:
“Now, think of the nose. The nose is empty of a self. The scents it detects are empty. The nose-consciousness, the very act of smelling, is empty. And the contact between the nose and the scent is empty. Just as with the eye and the ear, there is no solid, unchanging self within this process.”
Ananda felt a deep stillness in his heart. The Buddha’s words were beginning to dissolve the confusion he had about the nature of the world. He could feel his attachment to the concept of a fixed self slowly weakening.
“Let’s turn now to the tongue,” the Buddha continued. “The tongue is empty of a self. The flavors it tastes are empty. Tongue-consciousness, the act of tasting, is empty. And the contact between the tongue and the flavor is empty. None of these have any permanent essence. They are transient, impermanent.”
Ananda nodded slowly, beginning to see the pattern. The Buddha’s teachings were becoming clearer with each example.
“The body, too, is empty. The body is empty of a self. The sensations it feels — pain, pleasure, warmth, cold, comfort, discomfort — they are empty. Body-consciousness, the experience of touch, is empty. And the contact between the body and the sensation is empty. No self is found in any of these experiences.”
Ananda’s mind was beginning to open to a new way of understanding the world. He had always thought of himself as separate, as a solid being with a permanent essence. But now, the Buddha’s words were showing him the emptiness of that belief.
“And lastly, Ananda,” the Buddha said, “the mind — the intellect — is empty of a self. The thoughts, the ideas, the consciousness that arises in the mind are empty. Mind-consciousness, the act of thinking, is empty. And the contact between the mind and the thoughts is empty. Just as the eye sees without a permanent self, the mind thinks without a permanent self.”
Ananda sat quietly, his thoughts unfolding like petals in the wind. For the first time, he saw the world differently. Each sense, each experience, was like a wave in the ocean — rising and falling, but never holding on to anything permanent. The world, he now realized, was empty of the solid self he had clung to for so long.
The Buddha smiled gently, seeing the understanding dawning in Ananda’s eyes.
“Ananda, all that we experience — the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, the touches, and even the thoughts — arise and pass away like clouds in the sky. There is no permanent ‘I’ or ‘me’ within any of these. When you see this, you will be free from attachment and suffering. You will realize that the world, in its deepest truth, is empty — empty of the self and all that the self clings to.”
Ananda sat in silence, contemplating the profound truth the Buddha had shared. He felt the weight of his attachments begin to lift, and for the first time in his life, he tasted a deep, abiding peace — the peace that comes when one no longer identifies with the fleeting experiences of the world.
The Buddha continued:
“This emptiness, Ananda, is not a void. It is not a negation of existence. It is the freedom that arises when we cease to cling to things as ‘mine’ or ‘me.’ When we realize that everything is empty of self, we can live with an open heart, free from the burdens of ego and desire.”
Ananda looked up at the Buddha, his heart filled with gratitude.
“Lord,” he said, “now I understand. The world is empty because it is free of the self — free of the illusion of permanence. And in this emptiness, there is true freedom.”
The Buddha smiled, his eyes radiant with compassion.
“Yes, Ananda. And when you see this truth, you will walk in the world with peace, compassion, and wisdom. For the world is not a place to cling to, but a place to learn, to grow, and to awaken.”
Link: https://wisdomtea.org/2025/04/17/why-the-world-is-empty/
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