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I was initially captivated by the aesthetics of the Buzhenkonglun (不真空论). 1 I found its intense writing style and literary richness remarkable. Its complexities kept me awake at night as I tried to understand the subtle messages of the eminent monk and talented writer Seng Zhao 僧肇. I believe the complexity of the essay is one of the reasons for its lack of popularity among Western scholars. Nevertheless, I wish to contribute some of my insights. My interests in the essay are varied in nature. Firstly, I am interested in understanding the different discourses it represents—whether Buddhist, Daoist, or of other origins. I aim to address the questions raised through this essay in a variety of related contexts and connotations. Secondly, I will analyze the essay from a philosophical standpoint. I wish to understand the metaphysical worldview, which Seng Zhao’s concept of “emptiness” suggests and explore how he sees entities and matter arranged in his version of reality. Furthermore, from a practical standpoint, I wish to understand Seng Zhao’s view of emptiness as a methodology; that is, what sort of practice does Seng Zhao suggest? As a philosophical text, which is rooted in the Buddhist tradition, we need to consider its religious aspect. Therefore, its practical value should not be ignored. 2 Finally, I will also engage with different sources in analyzing the contextual background of this essay. I argue

1 The title was actually never translated formally to English as far as I know. Foreign scholars kept it in Chinese, as did I. The simple meaning of Buzhenkong (不真空) can be translated as;“Emptiness which is not real”, or “emptiness which is not concrete”. While I …