Emptiness is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Buddhist philosophy, which is not surprising given that it cannot be fully explained in words and is counterintuitive to our normal perception of everyday reality. As the well-known description in the Heart Sutra–“Form is emptiness and emptiness is form”–suggests, there’s a lot more to understand than, well, “nothing.”

By examining the ways in which nothing exists separately, independently, and permanently on its own, we can get a better handle on this fascinating concept and begin to integrate it into our lives, both on and off the cushion.