introduction
In Buddhist philosophy, the idea of "dependent origination and emptiness" was first proposed by Nāgārjuna in his Madhyamika Shastra.Mūlamadhyamakakārikā) was brought to its extreme, and was later called the founder of the Madhyamika school. Nagarjuna centered his thought on the four principles of emptiness (śūnyatā), falsehood (prajñapti, falsehood), and the middle way (madhyamā, the middle way).He elaborated on the true nature of the dependent origination of all dharmas. In the first sentence of the "Madhyamaka-karika", he declared the basic position of Madhyamaka with the "Eight Negations": "Neither born nor destroyed, neither permanent nor discontinuous, neither the same nor different, neither coming nor going", emphasizing the middle way view of being away from both sides of existence and non-existence, permanence and discontinuity. This wisdom of dependent origination and emptiness has a profound impact on Chinese Buddhism: for example, the Tiantai School established the "Three Truths and Three Views" based on the "Madhyamaka-karika", proposed the harmonious doctrines of "One thought, three thousand", "emptiness, falsehood and the middle", and clearly declared the Prajna spirit of "life and death are nirvana, and troubles are bodhi"; the Huayan School developed the idea of "all things are unobstructed in the Dharma Realm" with the harmonious philosophy of "true emptiness and wonderful existence", integrating the Madhyamaka thought into the universe view of the mutual existence of all things. This article will systematically explore the philosophical implications and mutual relationships of the concepts of "emptiness, falsehood, and the middle way" in Nagarjuna's "Madhyamaka-karika" and "Reply to the Debate", compare the semantic differences between the original Sanskrit and Kumarajiva's Chinese translation, and explain why "the middle way" is not equal to "emptiness", as well as the philosophical intention behind "emptiness is also a false name". At the same time, we will compare the inspiration of Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka thought on the Tiantai and Huayan schools of China, analyze how the two schools developed the doctrines of "three truths and three views" and "perfect harmony and unobstructedness", and finally summarize how the wisdom of the middle way can be achieved through "negation of negation".The transcendent state of "the end of words and thoughts".
1. The Emptiness View in Nagarjuna’s Madhyamika and Rebuttal to the Debate: Dependent Origination, Nomenclature, and the Middle Way
1. Dependent Origination and Emptiness: The Madhyamaka Principle that All Things Have No Self-Nature
Nagarjuna’s Madhyamika philosophy is based on the theory of dependent origination, which advocates that all dharmas are “born from causes and conditions” and have no self-nature. In the 18th verse of his Madhyamika Shastra, he famously states:I say that all things that are born from causes and conditions are empty, and are also false names, and are also the meaning of the middle way.” This verse clearly links “Dharmas arising from dependent origination” (phenomena arising from the combination of causes and conditions) with “emptiness”, “false names”, and “the Middle Way”: I say that the true nature of all dharmas arising from causes and conditions is “emptiness” (no independent, unchanging self-nature); at the same time, they are just names established by borrowing words (false names); this is also the true meaning of the Middle Way (the principle of the middle that does not fall into either side). Here, “emptiness” revealsAll dharmas of dependent origination have no self-natureThe truth of the ultimate truth is the emptiness of the ultimate truth, not annihilation or nothingness. As the Madhyamika masters explained: "Because of the emptiness, all dharmas are established; if there is no emptiness, all dharmas are not established." - Because there is emptiness,Emptiness(Without self-nature), all conditioned phenomena can be established; without emptiness, all phenomena cannot be established. It can be seen that "emptiness" does not mean nothing, but it means that although all phenomena have the existence and function of conditioned phenomena, they have no permanent and unchanging self.Dependent Origination is No Self-NatureThe state of being is the true aspect.
It should be emphasized that what Nagarjuna meant by “emptiness” is not the terrifying nothingness, butThings lack an independent essence (self-nature). He inherited the essence of the Buddha's "Dependent Origination" thought, and believed that it is precisely because all dharmas are interdependent and interdependent that there is no fixed "self-nature". This means that no phenomenon is an entity that exists independently of conditions. From the perspective of language philosophy, "emptiness" can be understood as a negative description, declaring that all things in the world have no fixed "absolute existence". Through such negation, Nagarjuna breaks the view of existence that sentient beings cling to, and thus guides them to realize the reality of all dharmas. At the beginning of the "Madhyamaka-karika", Nagarjuna begins with "It is neither born nor destroyed, neither permanent nor discontinuous, neither the same nor different, neither coming nor going.The eightfold middle way of the mind dispels all the idle distinctions about existence: it is neither truly arising nor annihilating, neither eternal nor momentary, neither absolutely identical nor completely different, neither coming from anywhere nor going anywhere.The Middle Way of Eightfold PathThis is the metaphysical development of the principle of dependent origination and emptiness: since all dharmas are dependently originated and have no self-nature, they cannot fall into any single view such as "existence" or "non-existence".The Middle Way View of Emptiness, skillfully eliminating all kinds of idle arguments and attachments (i.e. all kinds of conceptual contradictions and extreme views), and therefore was praised by Nagarjuna as the correct view of the Buddha's "first among all teachings". In short, "emptiness due to dependent origination, emptiness due to lack of self-nature" constitutes the fundamental thought of Nagarjuna's view of emptiness:originDescribe how the phenomenon occurs.nullRevealing the ultimate nature of phenomena - the two are actually two sides of the same coin.
2. The establishment of false names: the levels of language, concepts and conventional truth
While Nagarjuna affirms that all dharmas are empty, he also acknowledges the validity of secular phenomena and language concepts, but this validity isRelative, fictitiousThe phrase "also a false name" in the above verse reveals the meaning of "false name".Importance of concepts: The so-called "false name" refers to the name given to things based on cause and condition.The names and concepts that are temporarily established do not represent a real and unchanging entity. The original meaning of the Sanskrit word "prajñapti" is "established, assumed, and referred to". Kumarajiva translated it as "false name", which means "false name"., emphasizing that these names are just conventional symbols and have no real meaning. From the perspective of the two truths in Buddhism, "false names" belong toConventional truth**: In daily language and cognition, sentient beings give various names, classifications and concepts to dependently originated things in order to communicate and understand. These words and concepts themselves do not really exist, but are tools established to "make people understand and realize." In another work, Nagarjuna's "Reply to the Debates", he also defended that he himself did not cling to any real topic, and all his arguments were just named at the secular level to dispel other people's views; if the words that were named were mistakenly regarded as real, then the original intention of Madhyamaka would be misinterpreted. For this reason, Nagarjuna emphasized thatWe should not talk about emptiness without considering the conventional truth: We must "obtain the ultimate truth through conventional truth", that is, we must comprehend the ultimate emptiness through daily language experience (conventional truth of false names), but at the same time we must understand that what language refers to has no self-nature. From this we can see that the concept of "false names" reminds us:Language and concepts are just fingers pointing to the moon, not the truth itselfThe Dharma must be expressed with the help of language, but it ultimately points to a reality that transcends language; practitioners should make good use of false names to understand the meaning of emptiness, but should not cling to names as real.
3. The Middle Way: The path of wisdom that transcends the two extremes
"Middle Way" (Sanskrit madhyamā pratipad) originally refers to the path to liberation that is free from the two extremes of suffering and happiness that the Buddha taught when he first preached the Dharma. It was sublimated into a path to liberation that is free from "all opposite views" by Nagarjuna.Right View of EmptinessIn his Madhyamika Shastra, Nagarjuna embodies the wisdom of not being attached to extremes. He advocates that the middle way is not a compromise or reconciliation of the two sides, but a higher level of understanding of the duality.Transcendence and negationSimply put, the Middle Way isDo not fall into any extreme views, neither clinging to "existence" (the extreme of permanence and reality), nor falling into "non-existence" (the extreme of nihilism and nothingness). Nagarjuna used "emptiness" to break the attachment to reality, and used the "middle way" to prevent falling into the misunderstanding of annihilation, thus achieving double negation and harmony. Master Yinshun once equated "middle way" with the first of the Eightfold Path of Buddhism.Right View, points out: "The middle way is correct and true, free from inverted arguments and not falling into the two extremes of emptiness and existence; 'Middle View' is the view of observing the true nature of all dharmas with wisdom." It can be seen that the correct view of the middle way is not a compromise between "existence" and "non-existence", butThoroughly see that both "existence" and "non-existence" are unattainable, and therefore not clinging to any side. This position of wisdom is also called "not staying on either side" and "impartiality". It requires the wisdom of Prajna to penetrate the emptiness of all dharmas, so as not to be bound by any conceptual arguments.
The 18th verse of the "Madhyamaka-karika" states that the dharmas of dependent origination "are also the meaning of the middle way", indicating that a true understanding of the emptiness of dependent origination is in line with the spirit of the middle way of Buddhism. However, it needs to be clarified that the "middle way" is not completely the same as "emptiness"; the two are closely related but have different conceptual emphases. "Emptiness" focuses on describing the nature of dharmas (no self-nature) and belongs to the truth of the ultimate truth; the "middle way" focuses on referring to the attitude and method of practice and understanding, emphasizing the importance of not falling into extreme views.Practical Wisdom. Nagarjuna used the view of emptiness to reveal the meaning of the Middle Way, but he also warned his disciples not to turn "emptiness" into another concept of attachment. Once you cling to the view of "all dharmas are empty" as the real truth, you will fall into the bias of clinging to emptiness with emptiness, which goes against the Middle Way. The 13th chapter of the "Madhyamaka-karika" warned: "If a person has the view of emptiness and thinks of annihilation, then this person cannot be converted by the Buddhas" (paraphrase) -Those who cling to emptiness as a real view cannot be taught by the Buddha. It can be seen that the wisdom of the Middle Way requires us to eventually let go of even the concept of "emptiness" itself, so that we can truly stay away from the bondage of all extreme views.
4. The relationship between “emptiness”, “falsehood” and “middle”: Differences in interpretation between the original text and the translation
From the above verses, we can see that Nagarjuna connects "emptiness, false names, and the middle way" into the same discussion of the law of dependent origination. However, we need to carefully examine the syntactic structure of the original Sanskrit text in order to accurately understand the relationship between the three. According to the original Sanskrit text, the subject in the first half of the verse "All dharmas are born from causes and conditions, and I say that they are empty" is "dharmas born from causes and conditions", and the predicate "is empty" is used to determine the emptiness of the law of dependent origination, which is consistent with Kumarajiva's Chinese translation. However, in the second half of the verse, the pronoun "sa" (feminine singular nominative case) immediately appears in Sanskrit to refer to the "emptiness" (feminine singular) of the previous sentence, followed by "upādāya" to express dependence or due to..., while "false names (prajñapti)" and "middle way" are both in the accusative form. Based on this, it can be analyzed that the original meaning of Sanskrit is: "Due to (depending on)null, but there ispseudonym; At the same time, emptiness itself isMiddle Road” In other words,Emptiness must be the premise for both the name and the middle way to be established.Only by first realizing that all dharmas are empty of self-nature can we correctly establish the concept of worldly names and truly grasp the meaning of the Middle Way. This interpretation derived from the syntax of Sanskrit is different from the Chinese translation that seems to state "the three are equal": the Chinese translation is literally translated as "it is also a false name, and it is also the meaning of the Middle Way", which makes people think that "emptiness", "falsehood" and "middle" are equal and equivalent to each other. But in fact,In Nagarjuna's original meaning, "emptiness" is the fundamental reality, "nominal name" is a conceptual hypothesis based on emptiness, and "middle way" is the right way that does not deviate from the view of emptiness.Therefore, "Middle Way" is by no means simply synonymous with "emptiness", but refers to the correct principle based on the wisdom of emptiness, which is the correct application and embodiment of "emptiness".
This is very important because some later interpreters mistakenly understood the "Middle Way" as a third truth or state independent of "emptiness", on a par with "emptiness" and "falsehood". In fact, Nagarjuna did not regard the "Middle Way" as another entity or principle parallel to emptiness; the "Middle Way" is always a correct view or methodology that can only be established with emptiness as the core. Understanding this meaning will help avoid misunderstanding the "Middle Way" as a way of seeking a compromise between "existence" and "emptiness". On the contrary,The "middle" in the middle way is the "neutral point" after thoroughly realizing the emptiness of nature without falling into extreme views., does not mean admitting a mixture of some reality and some nothingness. Nagarjuna cleverly showed through Sanskrit sentences that "emptiness" itself needs to be explained through false names (emptiness can only be expressed through false names), and the true meaning of "Middle Way" is the correct understanding and application of emptiness - since we have realized that all dharmas are empty of self-nature, we have also stayed away from all extreme views at the same time, which is called the meaning of Middle Way.
2. “Emptiness is also a false name”: the philosophical intention of language designation and transcendental interpretation
Nagarjuna included "false names" in his verses, which already hinted atThe tension between language and truthThis important philosophical question: Since the true nature of all dharmas is emptiness beyond words and thoughts, how is it possible to explain the Dharma itself? In his "Reply to the Argument", Nagarjuna discussed in detail the rationality of language in response to the challenge from the Nyaya-sastra school. He pointed out that his theory was not without words, butUsing false names to speak to reach the unspeakable truth: Precisely because all words and phrases are conditioned, relative, and false, they can become a tool for communicating worldly matters. At the same time, precisely because we understand the falsehood of language concepts, we will not be deceived by language, and can transcend language itself through the guidance of language.
“Emptiness is also a pseudonymThis is a classic statement of Nagarjuna’s philosophical position on language, meant to remind us:The concept of "emptiness" itself is also a temporary pseudonym.It does not refer to a real "void" or "entity", but is just a temporary concept to break the attachment. As mentioned earlier, the Sanskrit "upādāya prajñapti" means "based on the void, there is a false name", indicating that the concept of "void" itself is also a name based on dependent origination, and has no independent nature. As modern scholars interpret: "Emptiness is also a false establishment, and it is also a conceptual establishment based on the name. There is no real thing behind it as a reference object." Therefore, Nagarjuna repeatedly emphasizedDo not cling to any dharma expressed in words or language, including the dharma of emptiness itself.Another famous verse from the Madhyamika Shastra illustrates this point vividly:Because of the emptiness, all dharmas are accomplished; if there is no emptiness, all dharmas are not accomplished.. " The "emptiness" here does not refer to a real thing, but to the idea of "emptiness" as a flexible solvent, which enables all phenomena to arise from causes and conditions and exist without self-nature; without the principle of "emptiness", all dharmas will fall into reality and their changes and births and deaths cannot be explained. However, once the "emptiness" has completed the task of breaking attachments and explaining all dharmas, it itself must be put down, otherwise it will become a new farce. Nagarjuna pointed out after the 18th verse of "Madhyamaka-karika: Contemplation of the Four Noble Truths":If anyone asks if there is any difference between these two, you should know that this person has no understanding of my teachings.” (paraphrase), which means that if someone misunderstands that “emptiness” is another existence relative to “existence” (taking emptiness as one of the two sides of existence and non-existence), then they have completely misunderstood my Madhyamika Dharma. From this we can see that the real meaning of “emptiness is also a false name” is:By negating the attachment to emptiness (i.e., the emptiness of emptiness, the negation of negation), we can guide sentient beings to realize the Prajna reality beyond words and thoughts..
From the perspective of language and cognition, BuddhismTheory of Two TruthsProvides a framework for understanding "emptiness is also a false name":Conventional TruthAll the words and concepts in it are convenient arrangements and belong to the category of false names.Ultimate TruthIn the middle, all dharmas are ultimately empty and silent, words and teachings cease, and the mind and actions cease. The Buddha followed the secular world and established his teachings with language, which was a skillful way of "giving medicine to a disease". However, the ultimate truth of Nirvana cannot be directly expressed in words, which is the so-called "The true nature of all dharmas is beyond words and descriptions". Nagarjuna understood this principle very well, so on the one hand he used a lot of logical arguments to refute heresy, and on the other hand he constantly warned people not to cling to these arguments themselves. He used the language view of "dependent origination and false name"To resolve the self-referential problem of Buddhist theory: When the outsiders questioned, "Since everything is empty, isn't your argument also empty and meaningless?" Nagarjuna replied: It is precisely because I advocate that all dharmas have no self-nature that I canThis view is stated without self-nature** (not absolutely); if all dharmas have self-nature, it would be impossible to communicate and explain, because each person would have no common basis. Thus, Nagarjuna expressed his **"not establishing a single dharma"** position: the "emptiness" mentioned is just a prescription to break attachments, not to establish another real dharma. If someone does not understand this meaning and insists on emptiness as existence, it is like a patient clinging to medicine and not giving it up, which only increases confusion.
Therefore, "emptiness is also a false name" reflects NagarjunaSuperb language philosophy wisdom: Language is a signpost, not a destination; concepts are prescriptions, not the ultimate meaning. The key to the practice of Madhyamika isThrough language to silence: First, use the false name to guide, eliminate all kinds of real attachments, and finally let the practitioner realize the true reality that cannot be explained in words. When all the concepts of attachment (including "emptiness") are negated and completely eliminated, the Buddhist Dharma has achieved what is called "The words are cut off, the mind is extinguished"The state of Prajna wisdom is the state of "no words and no thoughts". Nagarjuna's entire argument strategy is to constantlySelf-denial, the process of peeling off concepts layer by layer: by breaking the attachment to "existence" to reveal "emptiness", and then breaking the attachment to "emptiness" to reveal the Middle Way, and finally making the mind no longer fall into any opposing distinctions, so as to personally verify the inconceivable reality of the Middle Way.
3. The influence of Nagarjuna’s thought on Chinese Buddhism: the development of the “Three Truths and Three Views” of Tiantai Sect
Nagarjuna's Madhyamika works had a significant impact on Chinese Buddhism through the translation of Kumarajiva. Among them, Tiantai Master Zhiyi inherited and developed Nagarjuna's "emptiness, falsehood, and middle" thought and established the famous "three truths in harmony"Theory and"One Heart, Three Views"The method of cultivating meditation. It is said that the first patriarch of Tiantai school, Zen Master Huiwen, realized this principle after reading the "Madhyamaka Shastra", and he understood Nagarjuna's verse "Dharmas produced by causes and conditions are empty, are false names, and are the middle way" as the teaching of the "Three Views": that is, from the perspective of one thought of mind, all dharmas are empty in their own nature (emptiness view), false (false view), and middle (middle view). Although the three are different in terms of view, they are the perfect and harmonious realms that are simultaneously possessed in the same mind. Based on this, Huiwen founded the theory of "One Mind and Three Views", combined it with the "Three Wisdoms" contained in the "Great Wisdom Treatise", and developed a doctrinal system of "Three Truths in terms of principle, three wisdoms in terms of wisdom, three views in terms of view, three are one, one is three". Master Zhiyi continued this theory and systematically expounded it in his works such as "The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra" and "The Great Samadhi and Prajna".The idea of the harmony of the Three Truths and the attainment of three thousand worlds in one thought laid the foundation for the core theory of Tiantai school’s judgment of teachings and practice of meditation.
Tiantai SectThe Three Truths, namely the true truth, conventional truth, and middle truth: corresponding to the three truths of "emptiness", "falsehood", and "middle" respectively. Among them, the "emptiness truth" reveals that the nature of all dharmas is empty, which belongs to the first truth (true truth); the "falsehood truth" refers to the false appearance of all dharmas arising from dependent origination, which belongs to the conventional truth; the "middle truth" refers to the first truth of the middle way of emptiness and existence. Zhiyi emphasized that these three are just different angles of observing the same reality, and are not actually three completely different entity truths, because in the final analysis, "the reality of all dharmas is just one taste, the non-dual dharma door." Therefore, he advocated the "three truths in harmony": In one Dharma, the three principles of emptiness, falsehood, and the middle way are all present. The three principles are mutually inclusive and perfect."One Heart, Three Views": When a practitioner observes any dharma in one thought, if he observes that its essence is empty, he will also know that the dharma is also false and is the middle way; if he observes that it is false, he will not leave its emptiness and the middle way; if he observes the true nature of the middle way, he must also have the two meanings of emptiness and false existence. In other words, when he starts to observe, he has three views, and the three views are harmonious and consistent. Through such observation, the practitioner can realizeThe mind-nature of one thought possesses the harmonious state of the Three Truths and the Ten Dharma Realms**, and one can see the true nature of all dharmas.
While improving the theory, Tiantai Sect also took NagarjunaDependent Origination and EmptinessThe significance ofBirth and death are nirvana, and troubles are bodhiMaster Zhiyi clearly stated that the life and death of ordinary people and the nirvana of the Buddhas are not two completely different states, but are essentially equal; the same is true for the sufferings of sentient beings and the bodhi wisdom of the Buddha. This seemingly paradoxical statement is actuallyThe Ultimate Expression of Dependent Origination and Emptiness: Because all dharmas are empty and without self-nature,There is no difference between the two opposite ends in the ultimate reality.Nagarjuna himself has hinted at this in his Madhyamika Shastra: for example, in the 22nd chapter, it says:The nature of the Tathagata is the nature of the world; the Tathagata has no nature, and the world also has no nature.” — Buddha (Tathagata) and the world seem completely different, but if we know that both are without self-nature, we can realize their equality and non-duality. As the Madhyamika masters explained: “Two things without self-nature must be the same, because emptiness = emptiness, and zero = zero.” In other words, since the concept of “Buddha” refers to the same object as the concept of “living beings”,There is no real self-nature(Both are empty), then in the emptiness their boundaries disappear and become one. It is based on this principle of emptiness that Tiantai masters such as Zhiyi assertedBirth and death, nirvana, afflictions and bodhi are one and the same：From the perspective of the ordinary worldly truth, life and death are different from nirvana, and afflictions are different from bodhi; but from the perspective of the ultimate truth, all dharmas are empty and equal, life and death are nirvana, and afflictions are bodhi, without any difference. This teaching aims to break the practitioner's attachment to nirvana and fear of life and death, so that they can see the true nature in the present afflictions, life and death. In short, the Tiantai school further developed Nagarjuna's prajna emptiness view with the harmonious thought of "three truths and three views".Realizing the truth without leaving the worldThe complete and sudden teachings of the Buddha have greatly deepened the practical implications of the "non-dual" principle of the Prajna Middle Way.
4. The influence of Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka on Chinese Buddhism: Huayan School’s “True Emptiness and Wonderful Existence” and the philosophy of perfect harmony and unhinderedness
In addition to the rooftop,Huayan SectThe Huayan School was also deeply inspired by Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka thought, but its emphasis was different: the Huayan School was based on the rich doctrines of the Huayan Sutra, integrating the emptiness view of Madhyamaka and the dharmakāya-dharmakāya thought of Tathagata, and constructed the "The true vacuum is wonderful, everything is unobstructedThe third patriarch of Huayan School, Fazang, had repeatedly explained the Huayan Sutra and proposed the "Dharma Realm Origination"The idea is to advocate that everything in the universe is interdependent and endless. The "Dharma Realm Origination" here can be seen as an extension of Nagarjuna's idea of dependent origination and emptiness: Nagarjuna revealed that any single dharma is born from causes and conditions, is empty in nature and has no master, while Dharmazang and others further advocatedAll dharmas are simultaneously mutually causal, mutually interdependent**, forming an endless network in whichEvery Dharma contains all DharmasThis idea is based on the idea that "because of everything, there is one; because of one, there are everything"This is consistent with the principle of the Madhyamaka School that “dharmas arising from causes and conditions are empty and without self-nature”: it is precisely because all dharmas are empty and without fixed obstacles that they canTolerating each other harmoniously and without hindrance**.
Huayan School explains this principle with the "Four Dharma Realms": First isThe Realm of Principle and Law, that is, the truth that all dharmas are truly equal, absolutely harmonious and harmonious (true emptiness); the second isDharma Realm, refers to the myriad different phenomena (wonderful existence); the second isThe Directors and the Members have no Obstacles to the Dharma Realm, that is, truth and phenomena are integrated without hindrance, the vacuum does not hinder the wonderful existence, and the wonderful existence is inseparable from the vacuum; ultimatelyAll things are free from obstacles, that is, all phenomena are interpenetrating, without any obstacles, and are in an endless harmony. The latter two realms of Dharmadhatu are the creative development of the Madhyamaka thought by the Huayan School: Madhyamaka emphasizes the non-duality of emptiness and existence, while Huayan further describesThe fusion of all things in the universe revealed after the harmony of emptiness and existenceFor example, the Huayan Sutra often uses the metaphor of "Emperor's Net Pearl" to describe the state of no obstruction in everything: because all dharmas are empty like illusions, each bead of Indra's Net reflects the images of countless other beads, layer upon layer, and are mutually causal. If all dharmas are not empty and each has its own nature, then the boundaries between all things will be clear and they will not be able to be included in each other; only when they are completely empty of their own nature can all dharmas be "unobstructed".It can be said that the Huayan School inherited Nagarjuna's fundamental view that "all dharmas have no self-nature", but it emphasizes the perfect positive significance of emptiness: the true vacuum breeds wonderful existence, and emptiness is not arid and annihilated, but the possibility of achieving all dependently originated phenomena; it is precisely because of emptiness that all phenomena can arise and be integrated with each other. The Huayan School often says "one is everything, everything is one", and this principle of everything being one is based on the emptiness theory of the Madhyamaka School, and then rises to a gorgeous metaphysical picture - the moment is eternal, the mustard seed contains Mount Sumeru, the entire universe appears in every dust, and all dharmas are mutually inclusive without hindering each other. This "perfect and unobstructed" thought reflects a high degree of integration: all dualities such as emptiness, affairs, mind and matter are transcended and unified in the Huayan Dharma Realm. This is undoubtedly in line with the spirit of the Madhyamaka School's "non-dual middle way", but the expression method emphasizes perfection and harmony. It can be said that Huayan Buddhism is a way of integrating Nagarjuna's Middle Way emptiness with Mahayana Buddhism's Tathagatagarbha and Dharmadhatu, showing the harmony between the emptiness of Buddhism and the universe.Comprehensive innovation**. Its philosophical structure is sophisticated and grand, representing China's unique creative development of Madhyamika thought.
5. The Ultimate Middle Way Wisdom: The Negation of Negation Beyond Opposition and the State of “No More Words and No More Thoughts”
In summary, Nagarjuna revealed the ultimate middle way of Buddhism through the three meanings of "emptiness", "falsehood" and "middle way":Dependent Origination is Emptiness,byEmpty all attachments, thus achievingMiddle WayThe characteristic of this methodology is the use ofDialectical Negation: First, deny the secular obsession with "existence" (by breaking the real existence and revealing emptiness), then deny the obsession with "emptiness" (emptiness is also emptiness), and finally achieve double negation.The Incredible Middle Way RealityThis is vividly called "Negation of Negation". The first negation is to negate the various dharmas we cling to, and to view all dharmas as empty; the second negation is to empty the concept of "emptiness" itself, and never create a metaphysical entity with emptiness. After this thorough negation process, there is no attachment left in the mind, so words and thoughts naturally stop, just as the saying goes, "Words are gone and thoughts are gone”——When language is exhausted, thoughts are extinguished, and one enters the realm of wisdom and tranquility of Nirvana.
The practical goal of Nagarjuna's Madhyamika is to realize this truth after eliminating all relative arguments: "The path is cut off by words, and the mind is extinguished by actions."This is not only the most profound wisdom of the Buddha, Prajna (the wisdom of emptiness that cannot be distinguished by language and thinking), but also the ultimate liberation pursued by the Madhyamaka school. Logically, Madhyamaka does not advocate any side, so it is praised as the middle way of "staying away from all nonsense". It enables practitioners not to cling to all worldly laws, nor to cling to Nirvana or emptiness itself, so as to truly gain great freedom. It can be said that the process of Madhyamaka begins withRationally analyzing and breaking the obsession, finallySuper rational verification of facts: When analysis causes all the false beliefs supported by concepts to collapse, what emerges is the true wisdom that cannot be expressed in words. As stated at the end of the "Madhyamaka-karika: Contemplating the Four Noble Truths":The true nature of all dharmas can only be realized through wisdom, beyond words.” (paraphrase), the only thing we can do at this time is to realize it with non-discriminatory wisdom. At the beginning of the first chapter of the "Madhyamaka-karika", Nagarjuna praised the Buddha for "good at eliminating all idle theories" and called the Dharma "the best among all teachings". It is precisely because the Buddha eliminated all idle theories and delusions in the world with the wisdom of the middle way, but did not fall into empty prejudice, and preached the Dharma in a harmonious and unobstructed way to save people. This kind ofDestroy all laws and establish all lawsThe inconceivable nature of the Middle Way is the embodiment of the emptiness of dependent origination and the harmony of the Middle Way. The wisdom of the Middle Way does not destroy worldly dharma. On the contrary, while affirming the dependent origination of false dharma, it sees through its emptiness, thus neither sinking into birth and death nor stagnating in Nirvana. It can be "worldly and true, true and worldly". Therefore, both the Buddha and Nagarjuna emphasizedThe middle way is not a compromise between the two sides, but a leap forward.: Through profound negation and transcendence, we enter a completely new perspective, in which duality loses its meaning and there is only one absolutely perfect reality. At this time, the three "emptiness, falsehood, and the middle" are harmonious and unobstructed - emptiness is the middle, the middle is also emptiness, and the conventional truth and false names are all subordinate to this emptiness and are one with the light.
**Conclusion:**Through the above discussion, we can see that Nagarjuna established a set of sophisticated philosophy around "emptiness, falsehood, and the middle way" in "Madhyamaka-karika" and "Reply to the Arguments": he used dependent origination to prove emptiness, used emptiness to show the middle way, and used pseudonyms to explain the limitations and necessity of language. The exquisite wording of the Sanskrit text reveals the interdependence and hierarchical differences between emptiness, falsehood, and the middle way: emptiness is the root of reality, pseudonyms are the interpretation of the language level, and the middle way is the criterion of practical wisdom. The three are unified in the truth of dependent origination and emptiness. Although Kumarajiva's Chinese translation made the three seem to be parallel at the time, Chinese Buddhist masters elaborated on them and developed rich theories: Tiantai School derived the harmony of the three truths and the three views of one mind from them, emphasizing the perfect and sudden interest of the common and true; Huayan School integrated the emptiness of the middle way into the harmonious view of the Dharma Realm, depicting a magnificent realm of no hindrance in everything. Whether it is the direct pointing to the human heart of "life and death is nirvana, troubles are bodhi", or the mysterious Dharma realm of "one is everything, everything is one", all are based on Nagarjuna's dependent origination, emptiness, and the wisdom of the middle way. Without the foundation of the middle way to break attachments, there would be no such transcendental propositions that are not afraid of contradictions. In short, Nagarjuna's "emptiness, falsehood, and the middle way" thought not only clarified the Buddhist view of emptiness, but also provided profound enlightenment for the thinking about the relationship between language and truth, and became the fundamental basis for the innovation of Mahayana thought in the future. The way of the middle way tells us that only by going through layers of negation and returning to the origin and emptiness can we enter the middle way reality of the non-dual Dharma. At this time, all words and explanations return to nirvana, and all opposites merge into equality - this is the wisdom and brilliance of Prajnaparamita, and it is also the highest realm of the perfect harmony of Buddhism.
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