Two Sides of the Same Coin

Buddhitakso

The wise Buddha has laid emphasis that one should see in all angles of things or matters while searching for the ultimate truth. Without it, any conclusions made out of one’s observation would not be balance or in a wholesome nature.  In Buddhism, wholesome would mean in totality of perspective (skillful) and unwholesome would mean in non-totality of perspective (unskillful).  There is no holy or sinful thought or act in the eyes of the Buddha.  

In fact, the Buddha has recommended Middle Path as an ideal approach when addressing a problem.  Middle Path is all about focusing on core, neutral, balance and upright.  It means to investigate and break through the core of life and all things without any attitudes of favouritism.  Any investigations must commence based on unbiased grounds i.e. on neutral and upright positions.  In other words, one needs to investigate the problem from various angles, analyse the findings, understand the truth thoroughly, and find a reasonable conclusion.

For general understanding, every subject matter can be viewed in two different ways.  Literally, it means all things or matters are very closely related although they seem different.  This is what the principle of emptiness is all about i.e. all created things or happenings can never be in an absolute discrete orientation.  Therefore, we could rightfully mention that all things or matters are closely inter-depending, inter-waving and inter-relating with one another since the dawn of time in a very comprehensive and complicated network of existence.   This is the rationale for the saying, ‘...neither identical to, nor entirely different from... but forms part of a causal continuum...’  And this scenario explains well on the saying, ‘No two minds are the same.’  In other words, Buddhism sees in a basis of blueprints in individuals or things that is always evolving under the influence of conditional phenomena.  

Right now, let us study into the elements of energy. As scientists have discovered, energy can neither be created nor be destroyed and it is ever transforming and changing in continuum.  But the sum of all energies in a system is a constant or never changes.  So is energy a variable or a constant element?  Paradoxically, energy corresponds well to both of these elements.  As mentioned earlier, every subject matter can be viewed in two different ways and each way is very closely related with one another although they seem different.  Therefore, energy is a constant element on one perspective and concurrently, it is a variable element on another perspective.  By understanding well and observing thoroughly into the characteristics of energy, one could gain insight into the nature and its orientation.

As a conclusion, both the emptiness and energy are the fundamental qualities of the nature because every single thing or happening would involve with it, without exception.  On one hand, the nature would bear with the conditions of beginning and ending and on the other hand, it would bear with the conditions of beginning-less and end-less.  In other words, the nature is a system that is universal i.e. it is inherent existing and dependent arising concurrently.  Likewise, the best way to respond to the question of, ‘Who am I?’, would be, ‘I am what I am.’  ‘If you think this is what I am, then I am’ and ‘If you see that is what I am, then I am.’  At the end of the day, any conclusions made are merely two sides of the same coin.