Emptiness yoga: The middle way consequence school

by Jeffrey Hopkins

Hopkins deserves congratulations on making this difficult material on the nature of emptiness as transparent as possible.--Religious Studies Review

Genres: Buddhism, Philosophy

510 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Paul Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D. (Buddhist Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1973; B.A. English Literature, Harvard University, 1963), served for a decade as the chief English-language interpreter for the Dalai Lama. A Buddhist scholar and the author of more than thirty-five books, he is Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia, where he founded the largest academic program in Tibetan Buddhist studies in the West.

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you see the face of the cube angling upwards or downwards? Can you make it switch?

Madhyamika (Middle Path) Buddhism,instead of staying stuck in the contemplation of such either/or dilemmas submits them to a conundrum within the conundrum: a tetralemma: (a) does the downward-angled (or upwards-angled) cube produce itself (b) or is it produced by some other self-existing thing or (c) or is it caused by both (d) or is it caused by neither?

Instead of meditating on cubes in this manner, however, the Madhyamika meditator ruminates on such things as afflictive emotions: such as anger or jealousy or greed or lust.

By submitting a bothersome feeling to such analysis, the meditator finds that none of the four elements of the tetralemma apply. The anger cannot be logically found or located, and its grip loosens. Therefore, asserts Madhyamika, the anger is empty of inherent existence. This does not mean it does not exist, but that it is a "dependent arising," just as the downwards-facing and the upwards-facing cubes are both dependent, absolutely, on one another.

Madhyamika was the brainchild of Nagarjuna, sometimes called The Second Buddha. After Buddha, he was the greatest Buddhist philosopher, and the most influential thinker in Asian history. His thought, which provided the basis for Mahayana philosophy, influenced many schools of Buddhist thought, including zen. He also influenced Hindu and Taoist thought.

We know little of Nagarjuna's life, other than the fact that he grew up on the balmy, palm-fringed coast of southern India and spent much of his life there. Legend has it that he was a magician and also a playboy. In fact, one night, it is said, while the full moon was floating overhead, a night alive with clapping hands, throbbing drums, and the hum of sitars, a night perfumed with the rich odors of wines and dark clouds of incense, Nagarjuna was lost somewhere between the tinkling anklets and sandalwood-scented breasts of his local raja's harem.

The tinkling of the little bells on their ankles and bracelets mingled with their sighs and laughter, the motions of their swimming hips, their floating veils, their slender, trembling limbs, their pleasure-flooded, wide-swooning eyes. . .

It was not until their passion was spent and there remained nothing but a sea of slumbering beauties, with Nagarjuna dreamily adrift somewhere in their center, that they were discovered by the royal guards.

Nagarjuna felt so repentant about this incident, it is said, that he embraced a new way of life: Buddhist monkhood. The suddenly woman-deprived youth then came up with an appropriate concept -- emptiness.

Jeffrey Hopkins presents one school of the Tibetan inflection of Madhyamika philosophy, which--if you can remember to put into practice the moment you are drowned in a wave rage or despair, it just might surprise you.

For serious readers only.

[Allen]

thick as a brick but fascinating

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 4 out of 5]

In depth analysis of some key texts in the Consequentialist school of Buddhist Philosophy, primarily followed in Tibet (Indian / Northern Buddhism). Contains some useful commentary by the author who is a professor in Buddhist/Asian studies. Follows on from the writings and perspectives of Nagarjuna (Middle Way School), and contemporaries Buddhapalita, Atisha, Shantideva, though primarily Chandrakirti. Personally, I found reading the full text without commentary (included at the end) more useful first, than diving into the text with commentary, which becomes quite philosophically dense.
Great book for any philosophy, Eastern, or Buddhist library.

[Jacob Ville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for the faint of heart, this was a heady read. I give 5 stars not because of the writing itself, but for how it transformed my practice. I found it exceedingly helpful to use the meticulous reasoning thoroughly described in the book (sometimes too thoroughly) to transcend reasoning during meditation. I come back to these reasonings during almost every sit and it consistently allows me to step back from the discriminating mind. A worthwhile read for me, perhaps not for everyone.

[Stephen C · Rating 5 out of 5]

People warned me about Jeffrey Hopkins' works, but I found this quite readable. Although my inferior intelligence only allowed me to grasp a tiny bit of this text I found the reading to flow. I particularly appreciated his analysis of different schools of Buddhism and their position on emptiness. He put it all out there now it's up to me to work on my comprehension.

[Salvatore Familia]

Hopkins deserves congratulations on making this difficult material on the nature of emptiness as transparent as possible.--Religious Studies Review