The Difference Between Mahayana and Hinayana Emptiness

The concept of emptiness in "all phenomena are empty" has two aspects. The first, from the perspective of the Hinayana teachings, refers to the emptiness of the five-aggregate world. This understanding is relatively superficial and narrow in scope, not encompassing all phenomena. The second, from the Mahayana perspective, refers to the emptiness of both the five-aggregate world and all phenomena. This understanding is progressively deeper—fundamental, essential, and ultimate emptiness—culminating in complete and thorough emptiness. Its scope includes all phenomena without the slightest omission. Hinayana teachings discuss the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self of the five-aggregate world. This "emptiness" refers to phenomena subject to birth, change, and impermanence—whatever arises will change and eventually cease, unable to abide permanently or endure long. Phenomena that arise and cease are non-self in nature; this is the emptiness of Hinayana.

The emptiness of Mahayana is realized after attaining the Tathagatagarbha, through direct perception observing that both the five-aggregate world and all phenomena are manifestations of the Tathagatagarbha, hence they are all empty. These phenomena are also subject to birth, change, and are ultimately unreal. Clearly, the emptiness of Mahayana is more fundamental, ultimate, and thorough, elucidating the principle of emptiness. From the perspective of the ground-stage Bodhisattva's consciousness-only wisdom, all objects seen before the eyes are manifestations of the mind; phenomena produced in this way are illusory and unreal. It is like a magician conjuring a bouquet of flowers out of thin air—while the flowers appear to exist phenomenally, they are essentially empty and non-existent; their existence is a false appearance. Mahayana expounds on the emptiness, falsehood, and middle way of all worldly phenomena, whereas the emptiness of Hinayana is relatively shallow, lacking the concepts of falsehood and the middle way. It merely observes the impermanence, change, and instability of worldly phenomena, without recognizing the illusory falsehood or grasping the essential nature of phenomena; its observational wisdom is relatively superficial.

Whether in Mahayana or Hinayana practice, the aim is to dispel the ignorance of the seven consciousnesses and five aggregates, enabling them to possess the wisdom of emptiness. If one studies many doctrines, accumulates rich theoretical knowledge, and can write numerous debate treatises, yet the mind remains unempty—grasping all learned theories as truly existing phenomena—this is merely acquiring knowledge, not cultivation. It runs counter to genuine practice.

Especially in studying Mahayana, if one becomes engrossed in profound and fascinating theories, constantly absorbing knowledge, diligently pursuing exploration and research, organizing and categorizing, meticulously analyzing, and grasping all phenomena manifested by the Tathagatagarbha as real entities—clinging to existence rather than emptiness—this is not practice. Practice means relying on theory to realize emptiness, thereby dispelling ignorance and transforming mental conduct and mind-nature. Mind-nature can only change when the mind is empty. When mind-nature changes, mental activities can subsequently transform, and karmic retribution can shift from negative to positive. Every learner must remember that the purpose of studying Buddhism is to attain an empty mind. An empty mind is the ultimate attainment. Practice is not scholarship, not the accumulation of knowledge or theoretical research. Therefore, one must not cling to principle while neglecting practice; principle and practice must be unified, perfectly harmonized and unobstructed.