Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

appear nor do I ever practice with this aim in mind. In
all places, at all times, for all beings and all things,
sunyata is there without any limitation at all. The
Buddha can never increase sunyata and we, even if we
do not perceive it, have no less sunyata than he.
Even in the Hinayana, all meditations must be based on
sunyata, otherwise there is no liberation. No proper fruit
can be obtained from any Buddhist practice unless it is
founded very thoroughly upon the doctrine of the void.
Although we know something of the sunyata of
Buddhist philosophy, we should also learn its different
aspects. Sunyata itself is always the same, but it takes
on different forms in its appearance. In the exoteric
philosophies of the first two yanas classifications of 2, 3,
4, 6, 7, 11, 30, 60, and 80 forms are mentioned as aids
to help one fully realize true sunyata (see Chapter X).
Further, in the esoteric philosophy of the Vajrayana,
four kinds of voidness are given which correspond to
the four states of bliss (ananda—see Chapter XIII).
These must not be mixed with the sunyata of the other
vehicles. For instance, the mahasunyata of the Tantra is
quite different from the void-category of the same name
in the Mahayana.
All this is very important. It must be deeply understood.
(Note: Some western scholars who were considered
very skilled in the explanation of sunyata made
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