AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE CONCEPT OF EMPTYNESS (SŪNYATĀ) DOCTRINE AND ITS CONNECTION WITH DEPENDENT ORGINIATION

Abstract

The aim of this paper is an attempt to analyze the concept of emptiness from the early Buddhist teachings to subsequent Buddhist developmental schools, namely, Madhyamaka and Yogācāra Schools. An examination of an insightful bridge between the Buddha’s major teaching on dependent origination and the notion of emptiness
will also be attempted. The initial part of this qualitative research will focus on the etymological term of emptiness (śūnyatā) and the Buddha’s teaching of emptiness from the Early Buddhist standpoint. Next, this research will seek to explain the concept of emptiness in the Madhyamaka School and Yogācāra School. This study will further demonstrates the eradication of suffering is what is meant by the understanding of the concept emptiness from an ultimate standpoint which concerns a connection to the Buddha’s central teaching of Dependent Origination.