Shunyatavada
Madhyamika Shurangama-sutra (Suramgama-sutra), Skt.
(Jap.,Rydgen-kyd); the “Sutra of the Heroic One," which is only extant in Chinese translation, exercised a great influence on the development of Mahayana Buddhism in China. It emphasizes the power of - samadhi, through which enlightenment can be attained, and explains the various methods of emptiness meditation ( shunyata), through the practice of which everyone, whether monk or layperson, can realize the enlightenment of a - bodhisattva. The sutra is particularly popular in Zen.
Shushna (Susna), Skt.; falsehood, deceit; forces that lead to suffering; they arise from impure thoughts and ego-directed impulses, and act as an impediment to knowledge.
In the Rigveda, Shushna is a demon (symbolic of the forces opposing knowledge) who is slain by the god Indra, lord of the sense ( indriya). In other words, through control of the senses the forces that stand opposed to knowledge can all be overcome.
