➥ suñña and suññatā.

• for suñña:
  • empty
  • desolate
  • void
  • void [of personal qualities]
• for suññatā:
  • [the perception of][relative] voidness
  • the [perception of the] absence [of any abiding phenomena]
  • the [perception of the] absence [of personal qualities]
• for suññato phasso:
  • sensation that is void [of the perception of personal qualities]
• for asuññataṁ:
  • state which is not absent

Suñña meanings

Often suñña simply means ‘empty’, ‘void’, or ‘desolate’:

• empty village

suññaṁ gāmaṁ. (SN iv 174)

• desolate forest

suññaṁ araññaṁ. (SN i 180)

• That group of non-Buddhist ascetics is void even of one who goes to heaven.

suññaṁ aduṁ titthāyatanaṁ antamaso saggūpagenāpīti. (MN i 483)

• He knows that ‘This state of perception is void of the perceptions of village and man.’

So suññamidaṁ saññāgataṁ gāmasaññāyā ti pajānāti suññamidaṁ saññāgataṁ manussasaññāyā ti pajānāti. (MN iii 104-5)

• Whatever house he enters is empty, deserted, and void.

yaññadeva gharaṁ paviseyya rittakaññeva paviseyya tucchakaññeva paviseyya suññakaññeva paviseyya. (SN iv 174)

• Whatever pot he takes hold of is empty, hollow, and void

yaññadeva bhājanaṁ parimaseyya rittakaññeva parimaseyya tucchakaññeva parimaseyya suññakaññeva parimaseyya. (SN iv 174)

• This assembly appears empty to me now that Sāriputta and Moggallāna have passed away to the Untroubled-without-residue.

Api ca khvāyaṁ bhikkhave parisā suññā viya khāyati parinibbutesu sāriputtamoggallānesu asuññā me sā bhikkhave parisā hoti. (SN v 164)

Suñña: void [of personal qualities]

Suñña has a technical sense, meaning ‘void [of personal qualities]’:

• ‘Void [of personal qualities] is the world [of phenomena]’: on what grounds, bhante, is this said?

suñño loko suñño loko ti bhante vuccati kittāvatā nu kho bhante suñño loko ti vuccatī ti?

‘Because, Ānanda, it is void of an [absolute] Selfhood and of what could belong to an [absolute] Selfhood, therefore it is said that the world [of phenomena] is void [of personal qualities].’

Yasmā ca kho ānanda suññaṁ attena vā attaniyena vā tasmā suñño loko ti vuccati. (SN iv 54)

Suññatā: three meanings

Suññatā has three meanings:

• 1) [the perception of][relative] voidness
• 2) The [perception of the] absence [of any abiding phenomena]
• 3) The [perception of the] absence [of personal qualities]

We illustrate these as follows:

1) Suññatā: [the perception of][relative] voidness

In the same way, Ānanda, a bhikkhu, not focusing upon the perceptions of village and man, focuses undistractedly on the perception of forest. His mind becomes energised, serene, settled, and intent upon the perception of forest.

evameva kho ānanda bhikkhu amanasikaritvā gāmasaññaṁ amanasikaritvā manussasaññaṁ araññasaññaṁ paṭicca manasikaroti ekattaṁ. Tassa araññasaññāya cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati adhimuccati.

He knows that “Whatever states of suffering there are because of the perceptions of village and man are absent. And there is only this amount of suffering, namely the undistracted concentration focused on the perception of forest.”

So evaṁ pajānāti ye assu darathā gāmasaññaṁ paṭicca tedha na santi ye assu darathā manussasaññaṁ paṭicca tedha na santi atthi cevāyaṁ darathamattā yadidaṁ araññasaññaṁ paṭicca ekattan ti.

He knows that “This state of perception is void of the perceptions of village and man. And there is just this state which is not absent, namely the undistracted concentration focused on the perception of forest.”

So suññamidaṁ saññāgataṁ gāmasaññāyā ti pajānāti suññamidaṁ saññāgataṁ manussasaññāyā ti pajānāti atthi cevidaṁ asuññataṁ yadidaṁ araññasaññaṁ paṭicca ekattan ti.

He regards it as void of whatever is not there. Of the remainder, he discerns: “That [absence] being, this [relative voidness] is.”

Iti yaṁ hi kho tattha na hoti tena taṁ suññaṁ samanupassati yaṁ pana tattha avasiṭṭhaṁ hoti taṁ santamidaṁ atthī ti pajānāti.

This is for him the undistorted, pure realisation of [the perception of] [relative] voidness according to reality.

Evam pi’ssa esā ānanda yathābhuccā avipallatthā parisuddhā suññatāvakkanti bhavati. (MN iii 104)

2) Suññatā: the [perception of the] absence [of any abiding phenomena]

• There is this abiding discovered by the Perfect One, namely to enter and abide in the [perception of the] absence [of any abiding phenomena] internally, by not focusing upon any abiding phenomenon.

Ayaṁ kho ānanda vihāro tathāgatena abhisambuddho yadidaṁ sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā ajjhattaṁ suññataṁ upasampajja viharituṁ. (MN iii 111)

Comment:

Nimitta: abiding phenomenon. An ‘abiding phenomenon,’ is a phenomenon that is regarded as an actual, existing thing instead of an everchanging condition. See Glossary sv Nimitta.

3) Suññatā: the [perception of the] absence [of personal qualities]

And what, bhante, is the liberation [from perceptually obscuring states] through the [perception of the] absence [of personal qualities]?

Katamā ca bhante suññatā cetovimutti

In this regard a bhikkhu, gone to the wilderness, or the root of a tree, or a solitary abode, reflects thus: ‘This is void of an [absolute] Selfhood and of what could belong to an [absolute] Selfhood.’

Idha bhante bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā itipaṭisaṁcikkhati suññamidaṁ attena vā attaniyena vā. (MN i 297-8)

Suññatā: dividing ‘internal’ and ‘external’

When receiving visitors, the Buddha, although unaware of any abiding phenomena internally, perceived abiding phenomena externally through conventional perception, and would therefore be able to properly communicate with visitors:

• There is this abiding discovered by the Perfect One, namely to enter and abide in the [perception of the] absence [of any abiding phenomena] internally, by not focusing upon any abiding phenomenon. And if he is abiding thus, he is visited by bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, laymen, laywomen, kings and kings’ ministers, and non-Buddhist ascetics and their disciples, then the Perfect One, with his mind mentally inclining, verging, and drifting towards seclusion [from sensuous pleasures and spiritually unwholesome factors], psychologically withdrawn [from sensuous pleasures and spiritually unwholesome factors], taking delight in the practice of unsensuousness, is one whose words are exclusively connected with religious inspiration.

Ayaṁ kho ānanda vihāro tathāgatena abhisambuddho yadidaṁ sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā ajjhattaṁ suññataṁ upasampajja viharituṁ. Tatra ce ānanda tathāgataṁ iminā vihārena viharantaṁ bhavanti upasaṅkamitāro bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo upāsakā upāsikāyo rājāno rājamahāmattā titthiyā titthiyasāvakā. Tatrānanda tathāgato vivekaninneneva cittena vivekapoṇena vivekapabbhārena vūpakaṭṭhena nekkhammābhiratena vyantībhūtena sabbaso āsavaṭṭhāniyehi dhammehi aññadatthu uyyojanikapaṭisaṁyuttaṁyeva kathaṁ kattā hoti. (MN iii 111)

Suññato phasso

Suññato phasso occurs twice in the scriptures, and only in this passage:

• When a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of the ending of perception and sense impression, sensations of three types affect him:

Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ kho āvuso visākha bhikkhuṁ tayo phassā phusanti:

1) sensation that is void [of the perception of personal qualities]

suññato phasso

2) sensation that is void of the perception of abiding phenomena

animitto phasso

3) sensation that is void of aspiration

appaṇihito phasso ti. (MN i 302)

➥ suññatassa: (main article see: suñña)

Illustration: suññatassa, the [perception of the] absence [of personal qualities]

I can attain both states: the [perception of the] absence [of personal qualities], and the [inward collectedness that is focused upon the] unabiding [phenomena], whichever I wish.

Suññatassānimittassa lābhinīhaṁ yadicchakaṁ. (Thi 46)

➥ suññatā: (main article see: suñña)

Illustration: suññatā, the [perception of the] absence [of any abiding phenomena]

Those discourses spoken by the Perfect One that are profound, profound in meaning, transcendental, connected with the [perception of the] absence [of any abiding phenomena]

ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatā paṭisaṁyuttā. (AN i 72)

➥ suññato: (main article see: suñña)

Illustration: suññato, void [of personal qualities]

He regards whatever phenomena there that are connected with the five aggregates, as unlasting, as intrinsically unsatisfactory, as an illness, as a carbuncle, as a [piercing] arrow, as suffering, as an affliction, as alien, as destined to decay, as void [of personal qualities], as void of personal qualities.

so yadeva tattha hoti rūpagataṁ vedanāgataṁ saññāgataṁ saṅkhāragataṁ viññāṇagataṁ te dhamme aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassati. (MN i 435)

Illustration: suññato, void [of personal qualities]

Being ever mindful, Mogharāja, view the world [of phenomena] as void [of personal qualities]. Having eradicated the notion of there being an [absolute] Selfhood, thus would one overcome death.

Suññato lokaṁ avekkhassu mogharāja sadā sato
Attānudiṭṭhiṁ ūhacca evaṁ maccutaro siyā. (Snp 1119)

➥ suññaṁ: (main article see: suñña)

Illustration: suññaṁ, empty; suñña, void [of personal qualities]

He would see an empty village. Whatever house he enters is empty, deserted, and void. Whatever pot he takes hold of is empty, hollow, and void.

So passeyya suññaṁ gāmaṁ: yaññadeva gharaṁ paviseyya rittakaññeva paviseyya tucchakaññeva paviseyya suññakaññeva paviseyya yaññadeva bhājanaṁ parimaseyya rittakaññeva parimaseyya tucchakaññeva parimaseyya suññakaññeva parimaseyya.

‘The empty village’ represents the six senses.

Suñño gāmoti kho bhikkhave channetaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ

If a wise, capable, intelligent person examines them by way of the eye… by way of the mind, they appear to be empty, hollow, and void [of personal qualities].

Cakkhuto… Manato cepi naṁ bhikkhave paṇḍito vyatto medhāvi upaparikkhati rittakaññeva khāyati tucchakaññeva khāyati suññakaññeva khāyati. (SN iv 174)

➥ suññam: (main article see: suñña)

Illustration: suññam, void; asuññataṁ, state which is not absent; suññatā, voidness

He knows that “This state of perception is void of the perceptions of village and man. And there is just this state which is not absent, namely the undistracted concentration focused on the perception of forest.”

So suññamidaṁ saññāgataṁ gāmasaññāyā ti pajānāti suññamidaṁ saññāgataṁ manussasaññāyā ti pajānāti atthi cevidaṁ asuññataṁ yadidaṁ araññasaññaṁ paṭicca ekattan ti.

He regards it as void of whatever is not there. Of the remainder, he discerns: “That [absence] being, this [relative voidness] is.”

Iti yaṁ hi kho tattha na hoti tena taṁ suññaṁ samanupassati yaṁ pana tattha avasiṭṭhaṁ hoti taṁ santamidaṁ atthī ti pajānāti.

This is for him the undistorted, pure realisation of [the perception of] [relative] voidness according to reality..

Evam pi’ssa esā ānanda yathābhuccā avipallatthā parisuddhā suññatāvakkanti bhavati. (MN iii 104-5)