Abstract

The aim of this thematic paper is to studythe concept of Śūnyatā (emptiness) and its development in Early Buddhism, Sarvāstivāda and Mādhayamika.

The result of study has shown that the teaching of Śūnyatā (Emptiness)exists in early Buddhism.The concept of Śūnyatā (Pali :Suññatā)is found in Cūḷa-SuññatāSutta and Mahā-SuññatāSuttaof Majjhima-Nikāyain three contexts asSuññata-vihāra (the abiding in Voidness), anattā (the lack of self) and awareness-release.And all the three contexts lead to the non-existence of self or the emptiness of self or Pudgala-Śūnyatā. In other words, Pudgala-Śūnyatā is relevant to the teaching of  ‘anattā’ or ‘not-self’ in Early Buddhism. For Sarvāstivāda, the schoolstood for the principle of “sarvamasti,” i.e., “All exists,” so that the concept of karma and rebirth could be more clearly explained and understood. Its doctrine did not thereby profess merely the real existence of things in the three phases of time, ie. past, present and future, but rather insisted quite vigorously the non-existence of the self or àtman by denying individuality, thus referring to Pudgala-Śūnyatā. ForMādhayamika, the school, its intentionseeming to refute the Sarvāstivādin’ concept of ‘All exists’, taught not only the egolessness of the individual (Pudgala-Śūnyatā) but also the unsubstantiality and emptiness of all phenomena (sarvadharmaśūnyatā) by eightfold negation, but rather infinite negations of every possible concept.Mādhayamika’sŚūnyatā(emptiness) has been developed from the Theory of Dependent Origination (paticcasamuppāda)in Early Buddhism through the realization of the Two Truths, ie. Conventional Truth and Absolute Truth, Śūnyatā (emptiness) is thus regarded as the “Middle Way”.