The Illusory Nature of Reality
Buddhism views emptiness as a fundamental characteristic of the world, defined by the absence of any self-sufficient substance in things. What we perceive as stable reality turns out to be a collection of temporary, interdependent elements, devoid of a constant, inherent "self." Thus, all phenomena are seen as illusory because they lack independent existence and are merely conditional constructs that arise and vanish according to their internal laws.Supporting citation(s):"If inherent existence is found nowhere – neither in the causes and conditions of all existing things, nor in the totality of causes and conditions, nor individually – then it follows that all things are empty." (source: link txt)"Buddhism, by discarding the assumption of God, similarly discards the concept of substance, refusing to recognize matter, spirit, or even being or non-being. ... All that so-called 'being' is pure illusion." (source: link txt)Thus, according to Buddhist teaching, the realization of emptiness and the illusory nature of all existence helps one understand that nothing is permanent or independent, paving the way for liberation from the suffering associated with attachment to seemingly real objects and phenomena.