The Buddhist view is that in the external world there are some elements that are material, and some that are nonmaterial. And the fundamental substance, the stuff from which the material universe arises, is known as space particles.

But what brought about that process? How did it happen? It is believed that there existed other conditions, or other influences, which were nonmaterial, and these were of the nature of awareness. The actions of sentient beings in the preceding universe somehow modify, or influence, the formation of the natural universe.

"...when we ask, what is the substantial cause of the material universe way back in the early history of the universe, we trace it back to the space particles which transform into the elements of this manifest universe.

And then we can ask whether those space particles have an ultimate beginning.

The answer is no.

They are beginningless.

• Where other philosophical systems maintain that the original cause was God, Buddha suggested the alternative that there aren't any ultimate causes.
• The world is beginningless.
• Then the question would be: Why is it beginningless?
• And the answer is, it is just nature.
• There is no reason.
• Matter is just matter.
• Now we have a problem:
• What accounts for the evolution of the universe as we know it?
• What accounts for the loose particles in space forming into the universe that is apparent to us?
• Why did it go through orderly processes of change?
• Buddhists would say there is a condition which makes it possible, and we speak of that condition as The awareness of sentient beings."

"Now let's look at ultimate reality," the Dalai Lama said, pointing a little finger to his mug.

"What exactly is it?

We're seeing color, shape.

But if we take away shape, color, material, what is mug?

Where is the mug?

This mug is a combination of particles: atoms, electrons, quarks.

But each particle is not 'mug.'

The same can be said about the four elements, the world, everything.

The Buddha.

We cannot find the Buddha.

So that's the ultimate reality.

If we're not satisfied with conventional reality, if we go deep down and try to find the real thing, we ultimately won't find it."

Thus, the Dalai Lama was saying, the mug is empty.

The term and "mug" is merely a label, something we use to describe everyday reality. But each mug comes into existence because of a complex web of causes and conditions.

It does not exist independently.

It cannot come into being by itself, of its own volition.

For example: suppose I decide to make a black mug.

To do this, I mix black clay and water, shape it to my liking, and fire the resulting mixture in an oven.

Clay plus water turns into a mug because of my actions.

But it exists because of the myriad different ways that atoms and molecules interact. A

and what about me, the creator of the black mug?

If my parents had never met, the black mug might never have existed.

Therefore the mug does not exist independently.

It comes into being only through a complex web of relationships.

In the Dalai Lama's own words, and this is the key concept in his worldview, the mug is "dependently originated."

It came to be a mug because of a host of different factors, not under its own steam.

It is empty.

"Empty" is shorthand for "empty of intrinsic, inherent existence."

Or to put it another way, empty is another word for interdependent."

~~ H. H. Dalai Lama and Victor Chan. (2005). The Wisdom of Forgiveness: Intimate Conversations and Journeys. Riverhead Trade.

"Buddha's teachings on non-manifest phenomena, such as the extremely subtle presentations of actions and their effect--which are very hidden phenomena--cannot be proved with reasoning. How then can they be verified?

There is no need to verify manifest phenomena through reasoning because they appear directly to the senses.

The slightly hidden, however, can be proved with reasoning that generates inferential understanding, and since emptiness is very profound but only slightly hidden, it is accessible to reasoning.

...very hidden phenomena cannot be proved with reasoning, and it seems that Buddha can say whatever he likes.

However, through our own experience we can confirm Buddha's teachings on more important topics such as emptiness, the altruistic mind of enlightenment, love, and compassion, for no matter who analyzes--Buddhist or non-Buddhist--or how much one analyzes, if the person is not biased through desire or hatred, these teachings can bear analysis and serve as powerful sources of thought.

When you see that Buddha does not err with regard to these more important phenomena, you can accept his other presentations.

...The process of cyclic existence and the eradication of it can be proved by the reasoning that

• establishes the misconception of inherent existence as its root cause and
• establishes the wisdom cognizing emptiness as its antidote."