You Have to Believe It to See It: Understanding Emptiness in Buddhism

The Importance of Direct Experience

I want to put a little twist on the old saying, “You’ve got to see it to believe it!” Instead, I say, “You have to believe it to see it!”

In Buddhism, the direct experience of Emptiness is crucial. Without this experience, you are left with only a conceptual or intellectual understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. While this understanding is important, it is just a stepping stone toward awakening. A solid grounding in the logic and reasoning of the Buddha’s teachings can eliminate doubts and misconceptions. These doubts can hinder the path to direct experience.

My old Zen Teacher used to say, “Understanding is the booby prize.” Zen practitioners often accept this without question. They spend their lives striving, more or less urgently, to achieve this “direct experience.”

Common phrases heard at the Zen Center include “Just sit!”, “Drop the Self!”, and “Kill the ego!” This is the Zen way of saying, “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.”

The Role of Meditation

My point in bringing this up is not to disparage the efforts of many qualified and well-meaning teachers. While the direct experience of Emptiness can be attained through meditation, it is rare. Like everything else, it results from many causes and conditions beyond just sitting meditation. This kind of experience, whether during meditation or while walking in nature, exemplifies the idea of “You’ve got to see it to believe it!”

Yes, when you see it, you will believe it. But then what? Usually, the experience fades. The student often tries, mostly in vain, to recreate it for many frustrating years. Stories build up around the experience, and it becomes a mess. Without context, the student is left with little to work with after glimpsing the non-dual. Doubts linger in the conceptual mind, acting as a barrier.

That’s why I say, “You have to believe it to see it.”

The Need for Rigorous Analysis

What I mean, and highly recommend, is that students spend real time rigorously analyzing the logic and reasoning behind the core teachings of Cause & Effect, Impermanence, Dependent Arising, and Emptiness. This includes understanding the emptiness of inherent existence of objects, persons, and phenomena.

If you don’t fully understand or believe these teachings, you might still have a random direct experience. However, without the context of your study of these principles, that experience remains an incomplete awakening—just a glimpse, not a deep experience.

When the intellectual and conceptual mind is entirely convinced of the Buddha’s logic, the path is smoothed for seeing the deep implications of that logic during meditation. That’s when the direct experience occurs, fully confirming the Buddha’s teachings. It is in meditation that the teachings flower, and your insight expands.

The Journey of Study and Meditation

Study, then sit with the teachings. Go deeply into them to uncover their vast implications for your life. This journey is essential for a profound understanding of Emptiness.

The Dalai Lama describes this deep experience as, “When Emptiness Dawns as the Meaning of Dependent Arising, and Dependent Arising dawns as the Meaning of Emptiness.”

Study this quote carefully. Reflect on its meaning and how it applies to your practice.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

In conclusion, remember: “You have to believe it to see it.” Embrace the teachings of Buddhism with an open heart and a curious mind. Engage in rigorous study, and allow your meditation practice to deepen your understanding. Only then can you truly experience the profound insights that Buddhism offers.

By committing to this path, you can transform your understanding and experience of Emptiness. The journey may be challenging, but the rewards are immeasurable.