The Buddha did not say "all is empty."

GPT5.icon

Generally correct.

Early Buddhism (The Buddha's theory)

The "emptiness" (suññatā) used by the Buddha was primarily a practical indicator of **"the absence of the ego (self) or that which belongs to the self. For example.

Sunyasutra (SN 35.85)... "This world is empty of 'I' and 'that which belongs to me'."

The Lesser/ Greater Emptiness Sutra (MN 121/122)...treats emptiness as the abode of meditation and teaches emptiness as the state of "absence" of worldly desires.

This is not "emptiness, "** which denies existence itself.

auspiciousness and the Middle Way

The Buddha emphasizes karma as the middle way away from the "being/not being" polarity (Katchanagåta Sutra SN 12.15).

Therefore, we do not say "all is not there" either.

Generalization in later generations (Mahayana)

summary

The Buddha himself spoke in the practical usage based on no-self and karma, such as "the world is empty of 'self,'" and did not claim that "everything is empty" as a comprehensive metaphysical proposition that "all things do not exist.

GPT5.icon

Yes, I agree. The "no-self" is not a metaphysical affirmation, but a practical "use of view "** to reduce suffering. I will summarize the main points in a practical way.

1) Remove the subject from the "I" -- decomposition into the five skandhas

Observe the objects (body, senses, images, intentional reactions, and identification = the five skandhas), and for each of them

(Pāli: n'etaṃ mama, n'eso'ham asmi, na me so attā) Training to see.

Impermanence → loss of control → experience the irrationality of attachment (SN 22.59 no-self-phase sutra, SN 22.95 parable of the bubbles).

2) Remove the wheel of samsara on the spot--the six places and the auspiciousness of the wheel of samsara.

Watching the flow of contact, sensing, craving, taking... in the six sense fields of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought.

'Only what is seen for what is seen' (Ud 1.10 Bahiya Sutra). Remove the labeling before going to the meaning-making/self-narrative (papaancha).

3) It is not the "ego itself" that needs to be broken, but the "habit of egoization.

The Sakyamuni aims to

(1) Urimikimi ("I have the five skandhas") → "view" of the object to be dropped first.

(2) Patience ("I am", minute superiority/identification) → subtler habits

(iii) I-making / my-making → Granting that happens each time

It is a processual release of the (MN 22 snake metaphor sutra).

4) Practical protocols (short procedures)

1. stabilization: unification of attention (Ānāpānasati) on the breath.

2. decomposition: place the phenomenon now being manifested in one of the five skandhas (e.g., chest pressure = color, irritation = acceptance, evaluation = thought, niggling intention = action, being aware = sense).

3. three-phase view: impermanence, suffering, and non-self, in that order (uncontrollable = not me).

4. three phrases: guess the three phrases above quietly and use them as a compass to see if the attachment loosens up.

5. renewal of reaction: turn the choice of action to the eight corrective paths (especially corrective thoughts, corrective diligence, and corrective words).

5) Putting it into everyday life (30-second drill)

(1) What happened? (Fact) → ② Which蘊 is it now? → ③ Is it changing? → →

4) Three phrases to remove the "mine label" → 5) The next move is small and good.

(e.g.) Ignore the email -> heat in the chest (color) + narrative of being "slighted" (thought/line). Remove with three phrases and choose fact-based reply or neglect.

6) Misunderstandings

No-self ≠ "nothing". The view that an object arises and functions, but has no independent "owner.

It is not irresponsibility-ization. Rather, not being consumed by self-narratives makes it easier to act in accordance with compassion and precepts (SN 12.15 Middle Way).

If you need a short guide, we make **"selfless mini procedure cards "** that you can print out and stick on your desk.

GPT5.icon

Yes. The original source of the Pali Nikaya will be clearly stated and summarized with short quotations (≤25 words) and practice points.

The Japanese translation is an intentional translation (my own work). The academic sources are listed in the "References" at the end of this document.

1) The "three phrases" for the five skandhas - "This is not me."

Source: SN 22.59 Anattalakkhaṇa-sutta (commensurate part, Yunbeki)

Citation (Pāli):

“N’etaṃ mama, n’eso’ham asmi, na me so attā.”

Gist: A set phrase for the view that separates the body, perception, representation, intentional formation, and knowledge (the five skandhas) from the "I."

Practice: place the manifested phenomena in the five skandhas and silently guess the three phrases above. Cultivate the experience of uncontrollable = non-self.

2) "The world is empty in me and my place" - De-fictionalization of egoization

Source: SN 35.85 Suñña-sutta (commensurate part, commensurate)

Citation (Pāli):

“Suññam idaṃ, lokaṃ, attena vā attaniyena vā.”

（The world is "empty" (lacking) in the ego and in what belongs to the ego.)

The point: "empty" does not mean emptiness, but rather the absence of a "possessor".

Practice: When you begin to label an object as "mine," become aware of the imposition itself and remove the label.

3) Leaving the two sides of being - no-self as an origin

Source: SN 12.15 Kaccānagotta-sutta (commensurate part, causal commensuration)

Citation (Pāli):

“Dvayanissito kho ayaṃ… loko: atthitañceva natthitañca.”

("The world often depends on two sides of 'being/not being'.")

The point: The middle way is to understand it as an auspicious event, not as "all there is (joken)" or "all there is not (renmi)".

Practice: If the judgment leans toward a presence/absence dichotomy, return to the view that it arises and changes as long as conditions exist.

4) Know it as it is - stop before you tell the story

Source: Ud 1.10 Bāhiya-sutta (Small Part, Jissekit Sutta)

Citation (Pāli):

“Diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṃ, sute sutamattaṃ…”

(What is seen is seen only, and what is heard is heard only.)

The main point: training not to go to the self-narrative (papa ñca) immediately after contact -> sensing.

Practice: Keep the current experience "as is" without labeling it, and delay the reaction (return to breathing -> minimal action required).

5) The parable of the bubble, the blister, and the shimmer - Loosening of the entity's vision

Source: SN 22.95 Pheṇapiṇḍūpama-sutta (commensurate part, unequivocal)

Citation (Pāli):

“Rūpaṃ… pheṇapiṇḍūpamaṃ vadāmi.”

("I preach that the flesh of color is like a mass of bubbles.")

Gist: The five skandhas can be likened to bubbles, bubbles, flames, and illusions, and are not graspable entities.

Practice: When physical sensations and emotions feel like "hard lumps," carefully watch the subtlety of their arising, changing, and disappearing.

Summary (Practice Protocol)

1. stabilization (unify attention to breathing)

2. classification of the five skandhas (current phenomena into color, perception, thought, action, and awareness)

3. three-phase view → three phrases (impermanence → suffering → non-self / "This is not me...")

4. stop storytelling ("what you see is what you get")

5. the next move is small and good (in line with the Precepts, Compassion, and the Eightfold Path)

References (bottom and control)

Pāli Original: PTS/ CSCD version of each sutra.

Contemporary English translations: Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000) The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (SN); Ñāṇamoli & Bodhi (2009) The Middle Length Discourses (MN); John D. Ireland (Ud).

Online: Each SuttaCentral ID

SN 22.59（anattalakkhaṇa）、SN 35.85（suñña）、SN 12.15（kaccānagotta）、Ud 1.10（bāhiya）、SN 22.95（pheṇapiṇḍa）

If necessary, extract the relevant paragraphs of each sutra a bit longer (but be mindful of citation restrictions) and create a "one-page reference" with the readings and the shorter work side by side.

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