The Core of Buddhist Philosophy

The Logic of Emptiness

Thomas McFarlane gives here an excellent account of the distinguishing core Buddhist concept of "sunyata" (voidness, emptiness), from the writings of Nagarjuna. As I read it, my mind turned repeatedly to the co-relative findings of quantum science, in which the ultimate nature of reality is unable to be finally fully described. The physicists have also the problem described by Nagarjuna, that if reality is reduced to particle-like matter alone, with so-called inherent seperate existence, we are left with the question of whence "mind" and the correlated wave-like nature within "matter"? And if we see "mind" as all, then what of the undeniable "hard", seemingly seperate, experience of "matter"? The paradoxes abound. Nagarjuna would give the reductionists a good run for their money today!
Apart from the likely modern scientific connection, the Buddhist understandings of wisdom, ignorance, compassion and release of suffering are all related to this core concept, so well explained here.