March 19, 2026
Emptiness in Action
The core Buddhist doctrine of emptiness, or sunyata, is often misunderstood as nihilism when, in fact, it points to just the opposite. An extension of the truths of impermanence and dependent origination, emptiness actually means connection—that everything is in constant flux and nothing exists independently.
Theravada Buddhism emphasises the emptiness of self, and Mahayana Buddhism the emptiness of all phenomena. Either way, embodying emptiness is to realize our interbeing, as Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh said. It’s to feel compassion.
To experience emptiness of self requires working against our own wiring, and there are, of course, different paths and practices to do that work. Chan teacher Guo Gu says, “Not identifying with arising thoughts, feelings, and views is the practice of emptiness. Experiencing them as wondrous displays of possibility is emptiness in action.”
This week’s Three Teachings offers different perspectives on emptiness and how, perhaps counterintuitively to some, compassion is its logical extension. | 
