Emptiness (空) and Epistemic Transformation: The Heart of Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in the Context of Chinese Buddhist Philosophy

This study explores the philosophical development of the Heart of Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (心经) within Chinese Buddhism, focusing on its transmission during the Tang dynasty and its integration into Daoist and Confucian thought. Using both textual and historical-philosophical analysis, it compares Xuanzang’s accurate translation with earlier versions by Kumārajīva and interprets the key doctrine “form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” The study emphasizes how Chinese scholars like Sengzhao reinterpreted śūnyatā (emptiness) through Daoist wu (non-being) and Confucian ethics, turning it into an epistemic and moral framework. The findings indicate that Chinese Buddhism saw emptiness not as nihilism but as a dynamic relational ontology that influences cognition, ethics, and spiritual practice, thereby enhancing cross-cultural philosophical understanding.