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"Shunyata" - <br><br>
Here's one explanation:<br><br>
<dl><div align="center">
<dd><h2><font size=5 color="#000080"><b>Shunyata</b></font></h2></div>
<dd><font color="#000080"> Shunyata (Tib. <i>stong-pa-nyid</i>,
Chin. <i>kung</i>),usually translated as "emptiness",
"voidness", "nothingness", or even
"relativity", is a key technical and philosophical term in the
<a href="http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/Mahayana.htm">Mahayana
Buddhist</a> tradition.<br>
<dd>This is a difficult term, usually translated as "Void" or
"Emptiness", but sometimes more positively as
"Openness". The philosophical nuances of this term are
complex. Emptiness must not be understood as simple nihilism (the denial
that anything exists), much less as referring to some absolute entity
that underlies appearance. Rather, things are "empty" in the
sense of lacking independent, persistent existence.<br>
<dd> In the Buddhist scholar H. V. Guenther's words: "the
technical term shunya indicates the "open dimension of
being". The customary translations by "void" or
"emptiness", fail to convey the positive content of the
Buddhist idea"
<a href="http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/sunyata.htm#1">[1]</a>.<br>
<dd> While according to T. R. V. Murti
<a href="http://www.kheper.net/topics/Buddhism/sunyata.htm#2">[2]</a>,
the terms shunya and shunyata are used in two allied meanings.
<dd>(a) All phenomena are shunya (void, empty), as they are
relative and so lack substantiality and independent reality; they
are conditioned by and depenedent on other phenomena (this is the
Buddhist theory of <i>Pratitya-samutpanna</i> or "dependent
origination") and hence in themselves ultimately unreal.
<dd>(b) The Absolute Reality is shunya or shunyata, as it is devoid of
empirical forms and thought constructs, no predicate ("is",
"not-is", "is and not-is", neither "is nor
not-is") can legitamately be applied to it.
<dd>For an in-depth philosophical discussion, see Francis Streng,
<i>Emptiness: A Study in Religious Meaning</i> (Abingdon Press, 1975)
(unfortunately out of print).<br><br>
<dd>Ultimately shunyata is a phenomenological term for the experience of
the
<a href="http://www.kheper.net/theoryofeverything/The_Absolute_Reality.htm">
Absolute Reality</a>. The Absolute Reality is the experience of
total freedom from the distortion and limitations of conceptual
understanding (<i>vikalpa</i>), it is "empty" or
"void" of all such particular characteristics. This
Shunyata, according to the great 2nd Century Buddhist dialectician
Nagarjuna, can only be described in terms of a paradoxical series of
negations. So for example in Absolute Reality (<i>Shunyata</i>)
there is neither Movement nor non-Movement nor both Movement and
non-Movement nor something other than Movement and non-Movement.
Reality embraces all, includes all and transcends all.<br><br></font>
</dl>Jimmy Pryor<br><br>
<br>
At 12:39 PM 3/13/2006, David Barnes wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">I don't believe I have every
posted here before but have to admit that I<br>
have enjoyed the conversations over the years. As someone who
has<br>
facilitated Open Space events, and have tried to work in Open Space
whenever<br>
possible, I am transitioning into another venture!!. Along with a
few other<br>
like minded souls, we are creating a consulting company that will have
a<br>
mission to be socially responsible in all work that we
generate. Through<br>
partnerships in the private , NGO and Not for Profit sectors, we
hope to<br>
create synergies that will benefit those that we are able to serve.
I can<br>
share more with those who are interested as to how we plan to create
this<br>
work. We have potential partners in Africa, Denmark,
Washington and<br>
Canada. We share a vision in common to, create and work within<br>
organizations through Open Space and Open Sourcing. In moving
forward, we<br>
need to come up with a new name, a name that symbolizes our vision for
work.<br>
A company that is in many ways virtual, given the geographic locations
of<br>
our partners, the fact that we want to share leadership, grow ideas
and<br>
services through an open space consulting company. We want to
continue to<br>
attract individuals who will move the vision forward.
So....the<br>
challenge...... what should we call ourselves..... Any
thoughts, ideas,<br>
ways to approach the naming game, would be welcome.<br><br>
Barnes Kinnear Associates<br>
1071 King St. West. Suite 102<br>
Toronto Ontario M6K 3K2<br>
Phone 416-977-3811<br>
Fax 416-977-5690<br>
Cell 416-804-1319<br><br>
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