The Void
I have grappled with the void for a long time. I think I still do but there is an important distinction between my previous struggle with this entity and my current one; for starters, the struggle is much less now and lasts only for a few hours if at all it begins unlike my battle a few years ago which was … challenging to say the least. But let’s first see what is the void? If it enters your life in a way that you do not understand, it could be that feeling in your chest which makes you feel empty on the inside. Or is it the churning of thoughts in your brain telling you none of this matters because none of this has any meaning anyway? Or is it that heavy-sleepy feeling, stopping you from getting up from bed in the morning and making the most of life? All of these are manifestations of the void or the various ways in which it comes to trouble us and inhibit us from reaching our full potential. But what does it mean conceptually? Again I wonder, what is the void?
Before we delve into and delineate this topic, I would direct you to this and this and if you want a shorter, quick analysis I would direct you to this as the sources from which this blog derives its content, other than of course, my personal discussions with my spiritual guru. Also, please understand that I am not a Buddhist and I haven’t done a deep research into Buddhist teachings — I have only learnt what my enthusiasm into this topic has led me to read. I am writing this blog from a place of pure curiosity and an interest in knowing more.
From what I know, Vedantic philosophies do not discuss the concept of the void as much as Buddhism (Tibetan Buddhism specifically) does so to look into the meaning of the void, we must understand the essential differences between core Vedantic and Buddhist teachings vis-a-vis what is the Ultimate Truth in these traditions. In Advaita Vedanta, the Ultimate Truth is described as Purnatvam while according to Buddhism, the Ultimate Truth is Shunyata, defined as Paramartha Satya that is the universal emptiness — that which lies beyond empirical phenomena and beyond verbal expression.
The way these two philosophies treat the subject of consciousness also is quite distinct. In Buddhism, consciousness is defined as Vijnana and it is not independent of the object, that is, the consciousness is equivalent to cognition— as long as there is an object to be experienced, there is a consciousness. In this sense, consciousness is a dependent entity and not constant. The only thing independent and changeless is the void. This view is in alignment with the view of the world of Quantum Physics. If we go by the Big Bang Theory’s description of how the universe came into existence, it came from “nothing”. As per Advaita Vedanta, on the other hand, the ultimate reality is Brahman, sat chit ananda, existence consciousness bliss — it is the all-pervading all-knowing consciousness that is the material cause and efficient cause of the universe— Brahman wills the creation of the universe and assumes its form. It is not an object to be experienced, nor is it a state to reach, it is our veritable true nature. That which we are at all times, always, everywhere but are not aware of due to our ignorance. Consciousness in Advaita Vedanta is independent of everything. Even after this Yuga cycle ends and the universe ceases to exist, consciousness will be there.
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But I digress, this is not a blog about completeness but about its opposite. Let’s focus on emptiness. When one begins to understand the void, one realises that everything in the world is empty (which is true and in conformity with Buddhistic traditions) and that everything is meaningless (this is not in agreement with Buddhism) and I think it is this second conclusion that leads to a Charvaka or nihilistic outlook towards life (not buddhistic). It is a bit difficult to meditate upon Shunyata for me because it can easily lead to an existential loneliness and contribute to a nihilistic attitude towards life that is not conducive to spirituality (this happened to me before). That is not to say that contemplating Shunyata only leads to unhappiness. Indeed, contemplating and understanding the void can reveal interesting lessons about the universe. I think a partial understanding of this concept definitely might lead to sadness however, I find that learning about Shunyata can actually enhance one’s spiritual understanding.
I think the biggest takeaway from the philosophy of the void is that the universe is empty and as such not real. But wait, how do we know the universe is empty if we don’t intuitively arrive at this conclusion? Let’s first answer this using an intellectual exercise. Imagine an object (say a pencil) and break it and then take a piece of that object and further break it again. Keep on breaking and dividing this piece of object until you reach the smallest unit, an atom. An atom as physics describes it, is mostly just empty space. Even if we were to further divide the atom’s nucleus into its constituents, protons, neutrons, quarks, gluons we would find that these are mostly empty! That it is only their force fields that are strong and interact with each other to create energies and build up the physical world as we experience it is a different story altogether and it doesn’t take away from the fact that an atom is mostly just empty.
We can also attempt to understand the emptiness of the universe using a lesson from Theravada Buddhism. When we are dreaming, the objects in our dreams and the subject that is us, are merely appearances — they don’t have a reality independent of the dream. In a similar manner, the Theravada Buddhists argue, the waking world operates. There is no difference between the dream state and the waking state and just like the universe of the dream world is an appearance, is empty, so is it in the waking world. This universe is empty and there is no substance to it that could accord it its so-called reality. It is thus not real.
This is a very useful understanding because I think it is a good way to start off ones spiritual journey. When I was a teenager and was going through an existential crisis, I wanted to be a mathematician and build a proof to show that 1=0 because I intuitively believed that this universe is “nothing”. But this argument is quite hollow you see. If one believes that the universe is empty, then one must ask the question, empty of what? The emptiness of the universe itself indicates that there is something that is a witness to that emptiness so the void is not actually independent and hence not real either.
Ideally, an understanding or a natural proclivity towards the void should propel one to the path of Pransangika Madhyamika Buddhism or Mahayana Buddhism instead of Nihilism. Mahayana Buddhism or “The Great Vehicle” is a school of thought of Buddhism that focusses not only on personal liberation but also the welfare of the world. Central to this philosophy is the concept of Boddhisattva. A person who is on the path to attaining Buddhahood, one who will help others on their paths too.
To summarise the philosophy of emptiness, one can find two results: one, Nihilism that results into Charvaka or materialism; or two, Pransangika Madhyamika Buddhism or Mahayana Buddhism that paves a path for spirituality. Personally, I find meditating on emptiness a bit lonely but I have found that contemplating it is a fascinating intellectual exercise. It really helps you understand the hollowness of the universe but this mere understanding although significant is not enough, one must use it to work on their spirituality. There’s nothing else in this universe more worthwhile, after all it is all but empty!
