Sunyata
/ˈʃuːn.jə.tɑː/noun
A Buddhist concept describing the emptiness of phenomena of independent, permanent existence.
Did you know?In Buddhist philosophy, Sunyata does not mean that nothing exists; it means everything arises dependently, without an isolated, permanent essence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swel-
“To swell or become enlarged; a proposed ancient root associated with Sanskrit śūnya’s older sense of being swollen or hollow.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śūna
“Swollen, hollow, or empty; an older form connected with the later philosophical vocabulary.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śūnya
“Empty, void, vacant, or lacking contents.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śūnyatā
“Emptiness or the state of being empty; the abstract noun formed from śūnya.”
Ancient Buddhist Sanskrit
Buddhist Sanskrit
śūnyatā
“The insight that phenomena lack independent, permanent essence and arise through conditions.”
Modern English
English
sunyata
“A transliterated Buddhist term, especially used in discussions of Mahayana philosophy and meditation.”