A solid concrete “I” does not exist
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Wisdom 
May 25, 1998 Part of a series of teachings on the Heart Sutra given during Dharma Friendship Foundation's annual spring retreat in May 1998 at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, Washington.
- “Emptiness is form”
- Form being a manifestation of emptiness
- Analogy of hologram
- Phenomena are mere appearance
- Phenomena are mere name
- Subtle conventional nature of form
- “Emptiness is not other than form”
- Example: Rose and redness are one entity
- Samsara and nirvana are equal—both are empty of inherent existence
- “Form also is not other than emptiness”
- Two truths are nominally distinct
- Distinguish between ultimate and conventional nature
- Questions and answers
Heart Sutra 03 (download)
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.
