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Emptiness Talks
Śūnyatā ( shoon-yə-TAH; Sanskrit: शून्यता; Pali: suññatā lit. "emptiness", "voidness", "vacuity") is an Indian philosophical concept in Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, and other Indian philosophical traditions. The concept has multiple meanings depending on its doctrinal context: an ontological feature of reality, a meditative state, or a phenomenological analysis of experience.
In Theravāda Buddhism, Pali: suññatā often refers to the non-self (Pāli: anattā, Sanskrit: anātman) nature of the five aggregates of experience and the six sense spheres. Pali: Suññatā is also often used to refer to a meditative state or experience.
In Mahāyāna Buddhism, śūnyatā refers to the tenet that "all things are empty of intrinsic existence and nature (svabhava)", but may also refer to the Buddha-nature teachings and primordial or empty awareness, as in Dzogchen, Shentong, or Chan.
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Miraculous Stories of the Buddha’s Birth Wisdom, Great compassion, Emptiness |
Apr 11 2026 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Reflections on the Sandokai War, Emptiness, Sandokai |
Nov 08 2025 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Aspects Class 3 of 4 on The Sandokai Suzuki Roshi, Precepts, Emptiness |
Oct 30 2025 Class 3 of 4 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Not Knowing Koan, Emptiness, Consciousness |
Aug 23 2025 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Taking Refuge Emptiness, Sangha, Five Ranks |
Aug 08 2025 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Call Me By My True Names Class 2 of 3 Emptiness, Heart Sutra, Compassion |
Jan 27 2025 Class 2 of 3 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Call Me By My True Names Class 1 of 3 Suffering, Class, Emptiness |
Jan 13 2025 Class 1 of 3 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Dipping a Toe into Nagarjuna’s “Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way” Emptiness, Study, Liberation |
Jan 11 2025 Berkeley Zen Center |
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CLASS ON THE HEART SUTRA 3 OF 4 Emptiness, Heart Sutra, Suffering |
Mar 29 2024 Berkeley Zen Center |
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CLASS ON THE HEART SUTRA 2 OF 4 Heart Sutra, Zazen, Emptiness |
Mar 22 2024 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Silent Illumination Study, Cooking, Emptiness |
Dec 07 2023 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Immersing Body & Mind Deeply in the Way.mp3 Dogen, Emptiness, Heart Sutra |
Oct 14 2023 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Gate Kitchen Light Emptiness, Precepts, Tassajara |
Aug 15 2023 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sojun On, Suzuki Roshi’s Key Subjects Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Emptiness |
Jun 17 2023 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Zen Mind, Beginners Mind (Believing in Nothing) Suzuki Roshi, Emptiness, Composure |
Jun 15 2023 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Heart Sutra East to West Heart Sutra, Wisdom, Emptiness |
Apr 15 2023 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Buddha’s Birthday Emptiness, Buddha's Birthday, Suffering |
Apr 08 2023 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Emptiness Emptiness, Suzuki Roshi, Koan |
Feb 25 2023 Berkeley Zen Center |
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“What is the Self?” Koan, Suzuki Roshi, Emptiness |
May 28 2022 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Three Doors of Liberation, Class Three Emptiness, Zazen, Liberation |
Jan 27 2022 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Three Doors of Liberation, Class Two Emptiness, Liberation, Enlightenment |
Jan 20 2022 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Choice Rinzai, Emptiness, Skillful Means |
Aug 14 2021 |
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Practicing With Emptiness Heart Sutra, Emptiness, Zazen |
Feb 27 2021 |
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Birth and Death, Part 2 Zazen, Shosan, Emptiness |
Dec 20 2020 |
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Public Dokusan 11 Emptiness, Zazen, Suzuki Roshi |
Oct 30 2020 |
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The Whole Earth Is Medicine Emptiness, Manjushri, Effort |
Oct 17 2020 |
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Dongshan Class 2 Emptiness, Study, Enlightenment |
Sep 01 2020 |
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Three Doors Of Liberation Emptiness, Liberation, Buddha Nature |
Aug 15 2020 |
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Harmony Of Diversity Big Mind, War, Emptiness |
Jun 20 2020 |
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Monastic PracticeSerial: BZ-02216 The Law of Circularity, Saturday Lecture Wearing down Self-centeredness, Jizo's Compassion, Tiger's Cave
Emptiness, Jizo, Compassion, Monastic Practice, Daily Life, Demons, Emotions, Heart... |
Nov 26 2011 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Three Doors of LiberationSerial: BZ-01228 Emptiness, Signlessness, Aimlessness, One-Day Sitting Liberation, Emptiness, Non-discrimination, Big Mind, Birth-and-Death, Separation,... |
Apr 09 2006 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Cultivating the GroundSerial: BZ-00141B Comentary on Suzuki Roshi Lecture, Sesshin Day 2 Emptiness, Buddha Nature, Causation, Big Mind, Ego, Karma, Mahayana, Hui-neng,... |
Mar 16 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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EmptinessSerial: BZ-00102A Saturday Lecture Emptiness, Chanting, Composure, Daily Life, Duality, Ego, Heart Sutra,... |
May 26 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Heart Sutra: Setting the SceneSerial: BZ-00952B Skandas and Emptiness, Rohatsu Day 4 Heart Sutra, Skandhas, Emptiness, Heart Sutra, Four Noble Truths, Non-duality,... |
Dec 07 1994 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Madyamika/Yogachara Schools of Emptiness/SynthesisSerial: BZ-00964A Three Bodies of Buddha pt. II, Sesshin Day 2 Madyamaka, Trikaya, Emptiness, Yogachara, Emotions, Karma, Hui-neng, Platform Sutra,... |
Mar 13 1994 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Spiritual Life is Not Separate from the MundaneSerial: BZ-00668B Saturday Lecture Emptiness, Happiness, Teacher-and-Student, Conversation, Posture, Doubt |
Jul 18 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Communal Path to Enlightenment Jewel Emptiness, Buddha Nature, Zazen |
Mar 10 1993 |
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Awakening Through Zen's Hidden Powers Buddha Nature, Emptiness |
Mar 03 1993 |
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Big Emptiness and Small EmptinessSerial: BZ-00516B Saturday Lecture Emptiness, Dharma Transmission, Lay Practice, Hui-neng, Teacher-and-Student,... |
Aug 25 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Book of Serenity: Case #2: The Highest Truth is EmptinessSerial: BZ-00418A Rohatsu Day 6 Emptiness, SER-2, Enlightenment, Bodhidharma, Two Truths, Four Noble Truths, Practice... |
Dec 1983 Part 1 of 2 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Prajna Paramita: Four SamadhisSerial: BZ-00002B Sesshin Day 4 Samadhi, Emptiness, Samadhi, Zazen |
May 14 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Importance of Attention to Form in Zen PracticeSerial: BZ-00049A Sesshin Day 1 Zazen, Emptiness |
Feb 19 1983 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Unknown Title, Serial 01503, Side BSerial: BZ-01503B Speaker most likely the same as Serial No. 00306B - identified with the assistance of Shosan Victoria Austin. Emptiness, Bodhidharma, Poetry |
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The Heart SutraSerial: BZ-01537A First part of class 1 of 4 Emptiness, Heart Sutra |
1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Heart SutraSerial: BZ-01538 Class 2 of 4 Emptiness, Heart Sutra, Abhidharma |
2 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Heart SutraSerial: BZ-01539 Clas 3 of 4 Emptiness, Heart Sutra |
3 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Heart SutraSerial: BZ-01540 Class 4 of 4 Emptiness, Ego, Chanting |
4 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Being-Time: Uniting Self and Moment Doubt, Emptiness, Koan |
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