The Distinction Between the Emptiness of Inherent Nature and Emptiness Itself

What is emptiness? Emptiness is nothingness, first signifying no-thing, no-dharma, no-form, no-mind, no-action; secondly signifying non-abiding and non-attainment.

The meaning of emptiness in nature is that the nature of a certain dharma is empty—having no-thing, no-dharma, no-form, no-mind, no-action, as well as non-abiding and non-attainment. Which dharma possesses such an empty nature? One must search among the eight consciousnesses. Although the deluded consciousness (the seventh consciousness) has no-thing, no-dharma, and no-form, it possesses mind, actions, abiding, and attainment; therefore, it is not empty in nature. The nature of the eighth consciousness is no-thing, no-dharma, no-form, no-mind, no-action, non-abiding, and non-attainment. The mind does not cling to any single thing, does not grasp any dharma, and within the mind-essence, there is no dharma whatsoever—no wisdom and no attainment. Thus, the eighth consciousness is empty in nature.

Emptiness in nature represents virtue. An empty mind is virtue. What people often refer to as great virtue mostly points to enlightened individuals who have realized emptiness—those whose minds are empty and devoid of things. Why is emptiness in nature and an empty mind considered virtue? Because emptiness is the most powerful force; nothing, no principle or phenomenon, can surpass emptiness or defeat it. Since the mind is empty, what could surpass emptiness? Nothing. Emptiness is the highest and greatest, transcending everything. All people, events, and things are incomparable to emptiness; therefore, emptiness is virtue. Those with an empty mind are worthy of offerings from humans and devas, worthy of their admiration and respect.

The "nature" in "suchness of emptiness" sometimes refers to the mind-essence. For example, "self-nature" (自性). In ancient times, people generally used the term "self-nature" to represent the unchanging, indestructible fundamental consciousness, the eighth consciousness, which possesses its own distinct function and is not influenced by other dharmas. Most notably, the Sixth Patriarch often spoke of "self-nature." "Suchness of emptiness" is similar to "self-nature," meaning that a certain dharma possesses the nature of emptiness. This can only refer to the eighth consciousness mind-essence. The subject is the omitted eighth consciousness, and the object is "suchness of emptiness," directly representing the noumenon of the eighth consciousness.