The Buddhist idea of "emptiness" — that things lack independent, self-standing existence — often misread as nihilism.
Sunyata, usually translated "emptiness," is among the most powerful and most misunderstood ideas in Buddhist philosophy. It is emphatically not the claim that nothing exists. It is the subtler claim that things lack independent, self-standing essence — that they exist only in dependence on conditions and relations.
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A term for the innermost self explored in the Upanishads — its nature, and its relation to ultimate reality, are debated across traditions.
The idea of a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth — a shared framework across several traditions that nonetheless interpret it differently.
The Buddhist term for liberation — the "blowing out" of the fires of craving — distinct from, though often confused with, moksha.
The founding teacher of the Buddhist tradition — a figure whose core teachings are well attested while much of the traditional biography is later material.
A major tradition originating in ancient India, spanning many schools and cultures, with a distinctive analysis of self, suffering, and conduct.
A comparative note on the deepest fault line in Indian philosophy — traditions that affirm an innermost self against the Buddhist analysis that questions it.