..续本文上一页century, the material development of humanity as a whole has reached an unprecedented height. Especially at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, technology and the economy have been developing at an extraordinarily fast speed. However, in contrast, moral and ethical values decline every day. For example, in terms of traditional culture, in the past, Confucius and Mencius were the mainstream philosophies of the Han area, playing a vital role in defining the standard code of conduct. However, the “Cultural Revolution” during the 1960s and 1970s caused the destruction of these philosophies, and although many intellectuals want to restore them, it is very difficult to turn back the powers of darkness with just a few people, just like a critically ill patient cannot quickly recover.
Therefore, it is extremely important for us to emphasize traditional culture. Not only should we master these virtues academically, we should also truly put them into practice. Otherwise, if you do not have the basic human dignity to interact with others and their communities, then regardless of your excellent knowledge, regardless of your acute intellect, you will face great difficulties once you enter society.
In the present era of rapid material development, most people have grown psychologically empty, mental pressure has become more intense, and mental affliction has accelerated. This is because many people have not come across the teachings on emptiness, and so they have an extremely strong attachment to worldly matters. Understanding the principle of emptiness is crucial if we want to be happy, joyful, and have a peaceful mind. Otherwise, if you merely accommodate your desires, you will become their slave.
The best way to understand emptiness is to systematically study Tibetan Buddhism, which has perfectly preserved the pure philosophy expounded by Lord Buddha two thousand five hundred years ago. These philosophies have survived a stormy history and been perfectly preserved. At present, many scholars from the east and the west are paying attention to Tibet, hoping to explore its mystery and satisfy their curiosity.
What is the philosophy of Buddhism
The eighty four thousand dharmas preached by Lord Buddha can be pided into the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma: the Four Noble Truths from the first turning of the wheel of Dharma; the emptiness doctrines from the second turning of the wheel of Dharma; and Buddha nature from the third turning of the wheel of Dharma. Within the scriptures on emptiness in the second turning, the most comprehensive is the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. Its contents are profound and vast, so it is impossible for me to fully expound it here today in such a short time; nevertheless, I will try to explain its essence in simple terms that are accessible to everyone.
II. Buddhist Way of Ascertaining the Emptiness of Phenomena
The best approach to master and realize the wisdom of emptiness is by studying Nagarjuna”s Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way. This treatise ascertains the emptiness of phenomena using meticulous logical analysis. This treatise is indispensable for all schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Gelug, Nyingma, and various other schools). In the Han region, although dissimilar to the Tibetan area, where an extensive systematic study of Madhyamaka is commonly available, many historical eminent masters also studied Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way, the Twelve Gate Treatise and other Madhyamaka treatises, so you can see how important this treatise is.
In fact, studying the wisdom of emptiness does not depend on faith or reverence, but on logical reasoning using wisdom. Madhyamaka contains many different logical analyses, but they can be summarized into five great arguments. …
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