Existence Quote by Karl Brunnholzl
““If you first fix a horn on the head of a rabbit and then remove it again, the rabbit might wonder what you are doing, but your whole maneuver affects neither the rabbit's existence nor your taking the rabbit for a rabbit. This is precisely why it is said that such an approach to the object of negation is not suitable for relinquishing the reifying clinging to persons and phenomena and thus does not lead to liberation from cyclic existence. Through negating the hornlike object of negation called "real existence" with regard to a table, we will neither relinquish the clinging to the reality of this table nor realize its ultimate nature.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Buddhist Philosophy, 2015
Attempting to negate existence through logical analysis fails to free one from attachment; true liberation requires direct insight beyond conceptual tricks.
In simple terms: Logical negation doesn’t free us from clinging.
Key Takeaway
Seek experiential insight, not just reasoning.
Themes
attachment
emptiness
liberation
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- meditation practice
- academic study
- spiritual counseling
Key Concepts
negation
philosophical analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How can practice transcend conceptual analysis?
- What role does language play in attachment?
A Different Perspective
Intellectual debate may reinforce reification rather than dissolve it.
![“Hence, [emptiness] is also not an object of [something like the] cognition of Buddhas, because they do not have [such a thing as] cognition.” quote by Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c69/karl-brunnholzl-4600_psychology_hence-emptiness-is-also-not-an-object-of_55069.jpg)
![“Here, master Bhavya states [this as] the main argument, and then he formulates four autonomous reasons as the means to prove the subject property. The venerable and fearless Candrakirti presents this by labeling the mere refutation of arising from the four extremes a "position." He teaches the…” quote by Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cb7/karl-brunnholzl-4600_logic_here-master-bhavya-states-this-as-the-ma_140001.jpg)
![“Therefore, everything is the illusory magical display of one's own mind. It is appearing yet delusive, and delusive while appearing. Thus, all of it is contained in the body, and the [body] is again contained in the mind. As for the mind, it has no color and no shape. It is natural luminosity that…” quote by Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8f8/karl-brunnholzl-4600_psychology_therefore-everything-is-the-illusory-mag_189022.jpg)
![“Not only can nobody deny the appearance of mere consciousness whose nature is other-dependent and not affected by the flaw of conceptions of a body with form and so on, but those who make any such [denial] only invalidate themselves by perception and such.” quote by Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/52d/karl-brunnholzl-4600_nature_not-only-can-nobody-deny-the-appearance_199293.jpg)
