Second to third century CE

Nāgārjuna — Emptiness is dependence, not disappearance

If nothing has an independent essence, are things unreal or real only through relations?

Evidence-backed account

In Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka, emptiness means that phenomena lack an independent, unchanging intrinsic nature (svabhāva).

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

Nāgārjuna
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Locator: §2.1 Svabhāva and §2.2 Emptiness
Open source

Emptiness is read together with dependent origination, and emptiness itself must not be reified as another ultimate substance.

Open evidence

This is an evidence-linked editorial paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

Nāgārjuna
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Locator: §2.2 Emptiness; §3 The Two Truths
Open source