Cause and effect Quote by Karl Brunnholzl
““the Centrist approach of presenting mere conditionality without analysis is in clear opposition to any reifications of asserting arising from the four extremes. Hence, the Centrist way of presenting the two realities is highly superior to any such approach by realists, since it expresses the knowable objects of all persons from ordinary beings to Buddhas in a way that does not contradict common worldly consensus. As was said before, to abstain from reifying things such as karma, cause and effect, ethics, and the means to achieve liberation in no way makes these things lack their justification or functioning. To the contrary, it is precisely the fact of their emptiness-their lack of solid and independent existence-that allows for the unimpeded and dynamic flow of the dependent origination of conditioned phenomena.””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Mahayana Philosophy, Karl Brunnholzl, 2015
A balanced view avoids reifying concepts, recognizing their emptiness, allowing fluid understanding of dependent origination.
In simple terms: Seeing things as empty helps flexible thinking.
Key Takeaway
Embrace non‑attachment to fixed ideas.
Themes
philosophy
Buddhism
balance
emptiness
dependence
Mood
contemplative
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- Meditation practice
- academic study
- conflict resolution
- personal growth
Key Concepts
Madhyamaka
dependent origination
non‑dualism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does recognizing emptiness change your response to conflict?
- Can non‑attachment improve decision making?
A Different Perspective
May be too abstract for practical daily use.
![“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_emptiness_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_consciousness_not-only-can-nobody-deny-the-appearance_199293.jpg)
