Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
The fragment of The View of Emptiness begins with a formal invocation to Avalokiteśvara and establishes a philosophical framework regarding the nature of phenomena. The text posits that the conceptual peak of the mind is identical to the nature of phenomena, employing a spatial metaphor by describing this relationship as a seed within the expanse of space. By equating mental conceptualization with the ontological status of phenomena, the text commits the reader to a non-dual understanding of the mind and external reality. The brief excerpt suggests an argument centered on the emptiness of inherent existence, though the fragment terminates before the full logical progression is articulated. The work appears designed to guide the practitioner toward a specific meditative or philosophical view of emptiness through the reconciliation of mental activity and the nature of existence.
Provenance
About this text
A treatise on the nature of emptiness, the Śūnyatādṛṣṭi originates from the Indian tradition. It is attributed to the author Śābaripāda. The work entered the Tibetan corpus through the translation of Ratnaphala and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཟི, where it is categorized within the General Unexcelled Yoga Tantra Works. Spanning two pages in this edition, the text is titled stong pa nyid kyi lta ba in Wylie. Following an invocation to Avalokiteśvara, the work addresses the conceptual peak of the mind as the nature of phenomena, utilizing the metaphor of a seed in the expanse of space. It urges the practitioner to abandon these conceptualizations, framing the process as an awakening from sleep through the embrace of Youthful Selflessness. A scholar or serious reader consults this fragment to examine its specific philosophical framework regarding the non-duality of mind and external reality, and to analyze how it guides the practitioner toward a meditative view of emptiness by reconciling mental activity with the ontological status of phenomena.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “The View of Emptiness” (Toh 2426), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2426
Summary & commentary
Significance
This text is significant as it represents the intersection of Madhyamaka philosophy and the devotional practice associated with Avalokiteśvara. For the modern reader, it illustrates the use of paradoxical metaphors to describe the voidness of phenomena. Its importance is inferred from the specific terminology used to describe the nature of the mind and space.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Introduction
Contains the title in Sanskrit and Tibetan, an invocation to Avalokiteśvara, and an initial proposition regarding the nature of phenomena and the mind.
Themes
The nature of phenomena (1)
Emptiness and space (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Śūnyatādṛṣṭi-nāma. In the language of Tibet: Stong pa nyid kyi lta ba zhes bya ba (The View of Emptiness). Homage to Avalokiteśvara!
The conceptual peak of the mind is the nature of phenomena; it is described as a seed in the expanse of space. Embraced by the neck of the Youthful Selflessness, it abides as the very awakener from sleep. Abandon it! Cast it away! I am deluded!
Kye ho! All bonds without exception, Śavaripa, sport in great bliss. Embracing the consort of emptiness, Kye ho! Body, speech, and mind are ripened. By examining everything at all times, Śavaripa becomes intoxicated. In every aspect of joy, Śavaripa has fallen asleep; sleep has returned to the expanse of space.
Kye ho! My own suchness is described as a seed equal to space. The fruit is the great star risen in space. Abandon it! Cast it away! I am deluded! The elephant bound by existence is slain; the offering cake of the five sense faculties is prepared. All my suffering is abandoned. Abandon it! Cast it away! I am deluded!
Day and night, without ever sleeping, I have kept watch over my own mind. Then, man and woman, having gone to a solitary place, abide together. To the Lord, the Protector of the World, I speak: Abandon it! Cast it away! I am deluded!
Embracing the consort of emptiness, Śavaripa abides in great bliss. This concludes "The View of Emptiness," composed by the master Śavaripa.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.