The most profound statements about sameness in Buddhist philosophy are:
"FORM IS EMPTINESS AND EMPTINESS IS NONE OTHER THAN FORM"
and,
"SAMSARA (this world in all its aspects) IS NIRVANA (The outcome of awakening)" *
Those who stated these apparently ridiculous contradictions were intelligent and deeply reflective people, who were well aware of the harshness, problems, evils and sufferings of existence.
When I first encountered them I was deeply intriqued and confronted.
This is no simplistic kindergarten stuff. It's very, very profound and a lot of people find it challenging if they take the other path, putting ridicule aside. One doesn't come to understand what is being pointed to here, with one liners and quickfire from the hip of apparent obviousness. Those who maintained intensely this was the case knew how counter-intuitive, and counter-observational it was. They wrote extensively and participated in fiery and constant debate with their contemporaries.
I like to put aside the rituals and cultural accompaniments of Buddhism (which I nevertheless appreciate) to focus on the philosophical and logical reasoning. That reasoning and viewpoint shared has occupied some of the greatest philosophical minds of both the East and the West, and still does. We find very similar views in some Taoist and Hindu philosophies.
The longer I have studied it, the more strongly I am convinced of its validity and uplifted by its wisdom-meanings.
Agree or disagree, simple ridicule is small dribble in the stormy ocean of examination these strange statements have faced. They also happen to resonate (not equate) with some strange counter-intuitive observations of quantum science.
"He dares to be a fool, and that is the first step in the direction of wisdom"
James Hunecker.
*bracketed words my insert.
