An Empty Chair

An Empty Chair

An empty chair is my teacher; it remains silent and still from beginning to end. It quietly waits there for someone to sit on it—whether a poor person or a rich person, a healthy person or a sick person, a beautiful person or an ugly person, a kind person or a wicked person… It accepts everyone equally, as compassionate as a Buddha. No matter how long you sit on it, when you leave, it will not say to you: “Hey! Ungrateful fellow, you haven’t thanked me yet.”

An empty chair embodies the qualities of the Buddha and contains the characteristics of all phenomena. Just by venerating or contemplating an empty chair, one can attain enlightenment. An empty chair is fully qualified to be your guru; you don’t need to travel to Tibet to follow a master or seek out monks in Thailand or Myanmar—it’s right at home with you. An empty chair has always been there beside you, waiting for you to see it, understand it, and comprehend it; yet you’ve never looked in that direction. Your eyes are always gazing far away, missing the true master and the embodiment of the Dharma.

An empty chair has always been teaching by example; it tells you what selflessness is, what impermanence is, and reveals to you the tranquility of Nirvana. Yet you have not looked at it; you’ve been searching for and demanding the Dharma from books and your mind. The empty chair speaks to you through unspoken words and through the essence of the Dharma itself about the truest reality, yet you did not see it. Textual teachings are meant for those with limited wisdom; if one possesses great wisdom and directly asks about all phenomena—the empty chair, an ugly little stool, or a stone can provide answers.

What all phenomena directly offer us took the Buddha forty-nine years to convey in eighty-four thousand ways using the languages of the Tripitaka’s twelve divisions—only because our wisdom is so insufficient. Only because we do not look directly at the Dharma; only because we think in our minds without seeing what is truly before us. Awakened beings quietly dwell with an empty chair, a little stool, a teacup, or anything present before them—studying their qualities and listening to their teachings in order to gain insight.

I enjoy being with an empty chair because it fulfills all my needs for understanding the Dharma. An empty chair contains both worldly and transcendent truths; it possesses almost everything I might seek from Buddha or scriptures—it provides them most directly. On an empty chair lies worldly knowledge as well as teachings from texts like Tao Te Ching and Diamond Sutra. An empty chair also serves as a Heart Sutra written in form of a chair; it embodies Lotus Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra, Prajnaparamita Sutra, Baozang Sutra—it represents all three baskets (Tripitaka) and twelve divisions of scriptures.

The teachings found within Tripitaka’s twelve divisions do not exceed those conveyed by an empty chair; they merely guide you towards seeing that very same empty chair. An empty chair teaches both Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism; an empty chair encompasses Tibetan Buddhism, Southern Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism; an empty chair conveys Zen Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism (Vajrayana), Pure Land Buddhism—have you seen this? When looking towards an empty chair, one can see all Buddhas across past lives and all phenomena throughout ten directions. This is no nonsense. When your heavenly eye opens—your wisdom eye opens—the Dharma eye opens—the Buddha eye opens—you will gradually perceive this truth.

“All conditioned things are impermanent,” an empty chair daily thunders this point silently—did you hear? “All phenomena are selfless,” at every moment an empty chair demonstrates this selflessness without intention—did you see? “Nirvana is tranquility,” its eternal quietude continuously displays this quality… An empty chair not only manifests these three marks of existence but also undoubtedly reveals everything spoken by all Buddhas across time—all will be seen when conditions are ripe—as clearly as seeing leaves in hand or fruits on plate before us.

Quietly being with an empty chair allows one not only to see all Buddhist teachings but also brings one closer to that which these teachings point towards—the silent presence that exists now—a beautiful existence filled with light—Heavenly Kingdoms (Sukhavati), Pure Lands (Jingtu), or paradises (Dharma realms). The myriad realms of law—the halls of Maitreya—or every worldly distinction reflect our deluded perceptions created by our minds—we should erase them all—to only witness that singular shared beautiful Heavenly Kingdom.

The Heavenly Kingdom is not up above; Sukhavati isn’t elsewhere; Pure Land lies right beneath our feet—as we remove illusions and barriers within our hearts—with pure awareness reflecting reality—all kinds of scriptures from this world—all realms spoken by saints exist right here. Dissolve your words away—eliminate your imaginations—and follow either an empty chair or even just a stone—you can reach Heaven’s Kingdom (Sukhavati), Pure Land (Jingtu), or paradise (Dharma realms). Because they were originally right there—we just wandered off—we were led away from reality into illusions created by our own imaginations.

When we awaken from our dreams returning back into Heaven’s Kingdom (Sukhavati), Pure Land (Jingtu), or paradise—it happens in just an instant—for we never truly left from beginning onward. An empty chair exists both in Heaven’s Kingdom as well as within mundane worlds—it depends on how your heart perceives it. A mere seat transcends being just furniture—it becomes sacred beyond naming itself altogether! Once understood—you cannot help but feel reverence towards it! When gazing upon its namelessness—the indescribable nature—you cannot help but kneel down worshipfully touch its surface—as if caressing the feet of a saint rather than merely sitting upon its surface.

The sanctity of an empty seat equals that of any greatest saint—but its teaching method proves more direct than any saint’s approach unwaveringly firm! A seat compared against any saint makes seeing Dharma easier through sitting upon that seat rather than through encountering any saint themselves! Because humanity often gets blinded by concepts surrounding “humanity.” The lessons imparted through sitting upon chairs sometimes carry more weight than wise words uttered by Buddhas since they connect more directly back toward sources within Dharma itself!

Often obscured by notions surrounding “humanity,” we tend more easily perceive truths via chairs instead compared against encountering Buddhas themselves! Thus sometimes chairs resemble teachers more closely than human teachers—they fulfill roles akin toward guiding us along paths toward understanding truth itself! Spend time quietly alongside chairs instead rather than solely relying upon your master! Being near masters may easily stir desires related toward emotions/attachments/interests/moral judgments while remaining near chairs continually calms thoughts down instead! Chairs serve well as good teachers especially when they’re simply left vacant!

The Buddha himself embodies Dharma while chairs embody Dharma too—in witnessing truths via seated experiences before them—they become embodiments born anew before each respective seat encountered along paths taken forward together alongside seated presence itself witnessing everything unfolding therein together harmoniously existing within shared realities established collectively among beings present everywhere around us now too!

Chairs remain inherently void regardless whether occupied/unoccupied—isn’t this something worth noting? When I mention “empty chairs,” don’t let “empty” mislead perceptions instead focus solely upon essence underlying each respective seating arrangement present here today among us gathered together sharing insights exchanged freely amongst ourselves openly engaging throughout discussions held here today too!

Chairs aren’t merely seats—they represent names devoid entirely stripped away entirely revealing true emptiness inherent therein existing beyond mere physical forms perceived externally outwardly appearing distinctively separate apart outwardly observed separately existing distinctly apart outwardly perceived differently altogether henceforth distinguishing between naming conventions applied versus underlying essences revealed herein today collectively shared amongst ourselves gathered here today openly engaging throughout discussions held here today too!

Come forth recognize true essence behind every single vacant space encountered along paths traversed forward together harmoniously existing amongst ourselves sharing insights exchanged freely amongst ourselves openly engaging throughout discussions held here today too!

By- Taiwan Fearless Tathagata Bodhi Great Perfection Meditation Center