The Art of Emptiness
A free six-essay series from The Labyrinth
The Art of Emptiness is a series of six free essays on the concept of śūnyatā (emptiness). Below, you’ll find links to each essay, and an introduction to the project.
Essays
In this essay, we explore:
Emptiness in 150 words
Ignorance, fabrication, and inherent existence through IKEA tables
The importance of study, reflection, and meditation
How emptiness has transformed my life
Introduction
Hello, reader!
Does the word śūnyatā mean anything to you?
If not, let me be the first to sing its praises. Śūnyatā (translated as emptiness or boundlessness) is the central concept of Mahayana Buddhism, and the single idea most responsible for transforming my mind.
Though most powerful in a Buddhist context, śūnyatā is not a claim about religion but about reality. It’s not something believed, but perceived. That perception, with practice, enables a new way of life: one which is wiser, more flexible, and more loving. It has for me.
I’ve been obsessed with śūnyatā for over a year now—studying, reflecting on, and meditating with it daily—to truly awe-inspiring effect. But because much of the writing and teaching around śūnyatā can be technical and inaccessible, I’ve felt a hunger to adapt the teachings for a wider audience.
So I made a completely foolhardy decision. I wrote The Art of Emptiness: a six-essay series I’ll be publishing for free here on The Labyrinth. I want to demonstrate that śūnyatā (emptiness) is not a dry concept like the quadratic equation, but an art. Like painting, piano, or French cooking, emptiness is something to be learned, practiced, and then innovated on. It opens the door to a playground of limitless possibility.
Stay tuned for Part 1—Emptiness changes everything—arriving in your inbox this week! Future essays will explore the illusion of the self, our interdependent world, and the love and wisdom that flow out of emptiness.
My dream for The Art of Emptiness is for it to go beyond essays and be a source of community. You’re encouraged to share reflections, insights, and questions in the comment section—including the comment section of this post! I’m excited to see how people are engaging with these mind- and heart-opening teachings.
If you have friends who would enjoy this material, I encourage you to bring them along for the ride! Sharing The Labyrinth helps support my work more than people realize.
See you all very soon! Together, we’re about to discover how emptiness changes everything.
Rey ☀️
I enjoyed reading! Looking forward to reading more. Your articulation, humor, and genuine curiosity shine through.
I am so excited and grateful to see this announcement! I've taken up chanting the Heart Sutra at the start of my daily practice, in part because of my fascination with emptiness (which iirc Franz sometimes calls boundlessness) and in part because that mantra was one of my favorites even before I'd heard of the Heart Sutra. On the rare occasions that I catch a glimpse of "emptiness" (garg - words are so frustrating sometime), I am left almost breathless - awed, open and peaceful. I'll be eager to read your thoughts on the subject.