..续本文上一页oble Truths. The main contents of these teachings are the selflessness of a person, the existence of causes and effects, the existence of samsara, and so forth.

　　2. The second turning of the wheel of Dharma

　　The second turning of the wheel of Dharma articulated the Prajñaparamita Dharma doors, which ascertain that all phenomena are emptiness.

　　In fact, there are two types of emptiness: Mere emptiness or approximate ultimate truth is taught to sentient beings who are clinging to reality. This emptiness temporarily posits that all things and events don”t exist. When ascertaining the actual ultimate nature of reality, all phenomena are neither posited as existent, non-existent, both, nor neither. It is beyond the four conceptual extremes and eight extremes of conceptual elaboration. This state is called great emptiness. It is the ultimate meaning ascertained in the second turning of the wheel of Dharma.

　　Of course, to comprehend the concepts mentioned above, it is necessary to carry out long-term study, contemplation, and meditation. At present, some people, after studying a few sutras and treatises, assume that they have already mastered the meaning of Buddhist doctrines and reasoning. They take the words too literally and then start to teach the Buddadharma; this is quite unreasonable. If you want to truly understand the Buddhadharma, it is necessary to study and contemplate the Buddhadharma progressively and systematically.

　　The second turning of the wheel of Dharma mainly revealed that, ultimately, all things and events are great emptiness. This profound meaning is ascertained by the Madhyamaka view. The founder of the Madhyamaka, Bodhisattva Nagarjuna, was born after Shakyamuni Buddha entered parinirvana. Through composing The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way, he analyzed and clarified the ultimate meaning of Buddha”s teachings in the second turning of the wheel of Dharma. After that, Buddhapalita composed Buddhapalitavrtti, Bhavaviveka composed The Lamp of Wisdom (Prajnapradipa), and Chandrakirti composed Introduction to the Middle Way and Prasannapada. Each of them elucidated Nagarjuna”s treatise differently. These then formed the two main Madhyamaka schools, namely, the Madhyamaka Prasangika and Madhyamaka Svatantrika.

　　The Madhyamaka Prasangika is a school that directly ascertains all phenomena are great emptiness but not mere emptiness. It targets those who have a sharp mental disposition. It is similar to the Zen immediate path, which directly points out the original nature of mind. For those who are equipped with a sharp mental disposition, due to the maturity of their previous accumulated merit, the teachings from Madhyamaka Prasangika are in accordance with their mental disposition; therefore, they can quickly enter into this state of mind.

　　As for Madhyamaka Svatantrika, it posits that all phenomena exist at a relative level but at the ultimate level they are mere emptiness. After that, it gradually moves forward to another level, enters into great emptiness, which is beyond the four conceptual extremes and eight extremes of conceptual elaboration, and finally meets and merges with the Madhyamaka Prasangika view. This is similar to the Zen gradual path.

　　In the Han region, the main sutras that Zen Buddhism studies and practices are the Mahaprajñaparamita Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. These are closer to the lineages of the second turning of the wheel of Dharma. As for the Tibetan region, there are also lineages practicing doctrines from the second turning of the wheel of Dharma, which include the Chöd lineage, Madhyamaka school, and so on.

　　The differences between the Madhyamaka Svatantrika and Madhyamaka Prasangika schools have been historically debate…

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