on what the Buddha taught
No core, yet real
There is a lot confusion about void, emptiness. It is often taken as nothing to be really existing, that everything is an illusion, even when this directly goes against the very first Noble Truth. And how can that be, right? So, lets look at another take on things.
The first Noble Truth states that there is suffering; suffering is real. And what is suffering? In short attachment to matter, feeling, perception, inclinations and cognition; the five masses-with-grasping (Pañc'upādānakkhandhā), which means we take these things to be (part of) me, myself. Or that this 'me' is in them. Basically we are hijacking these things, forcing the esteem 'I am' (see Māna) upon them.
Now matter seen as everlasting, not subject to change, does indeed not exist, but matter which is not permanent and subject to change, does. As is the same with the other four masses. In the sermons we can find these five compared to respectively foam, bubbles, illusions, weed, and magic; lets look at these comparisons first.
1.1 At The Beach
Matter compared to foam
Take a look at sand, it is matter. But you don't see this matter originating nor changing or dissolving. Perhaps you understand that grain of sand existing long before you and will still do so after you are gone (though not likely to stay at the same place). Water and air too are matter but for many, when they think of matter, a first thought might be about something more 'tangible'. Foam might look more tangible. And with foam we do see it coming to shore, staying there behind and dissolving. And not only that, but foam also consists of foam. Matter consists just of matter, there is nothing else found in there. Take an onion for example. If you remove the outer layer you see another layer, which you can peel off till nothing else is found. If you peel an avocado you do find a core but that core is just matter too. When you cut an onion you don't only find layers, you find fluid, smell etc. too, these things are also matter. Matter is matter through and through. Thus how matter behaves (arises, changes, decays) it does so through and through too. In this way it is void, void from anything else that is matter. When understood you don't have to make more of that; there is no 'holiness' in matter for example, nor are there feelings in matter, etc.
1.2. A Rainy Day
Feelings compared to bubbles
Feelings are not tangible like matter. But they are just as real. Feelings are just feelings, they too are void of anything else. And like bubbles, when popped they are gone.
1.3. A Rainbow
Perceptions compared to illusions
Another translation had something to do with 'beam of light' which reminded me of a rainbow. There is no tangible arc 'hanging' there, you can search for its end (for that pot of gold) forever. It is not that it isn't real, but it is a perception. Another thing to think of are optical illusions. Two lines can be perceived as different in length while they are of equal size. The perception is real, but it too is only perception, not lasting forever and it can change by adopting your viewpoint/understanding.
1.4. The Garden
Inclinations compared to weeds
When not addressed, weeds can creep all over the place. Left, right, under or over things. They grow and grow, and grow to cover places you don't want to be covered. It is the same with inclinations, they go all over the place. And when not held in check we get covered, overwhelmed, by them. Weeds need constantly be dealt with until they are uprooted. And like the others, inclinations don't contain matter, or feelings, etc., they are void of anything else.
1.5. Not Out Of My Ear!
Cognition compared to magic
In magic shows often things, not seldom coins, are appearing and disappearing (while normally these things wouldn't). The trick is very quickly done so you don't really see what is going on. But once you know how it works you are not enchanted by that magic any more. You don't see the magician as magical, or the appearing and disappearing coin as special. You might think the magician is a good trickster. And cognition appears and disappears fast too. So it is here, then it is gone. Not understanding, we are enchanted, tricked, by it. But cognition just does cognition; there is no matter, feelings, perceptions or inclinations in there. It leeches on those things and quickly appears and disappears, void of anything else.
2.0 The Lesson
Getting to the core of things
Whether things got a core or not is not really what we are talking about. What we assume, believe, see, think, is that there is an 'I', 'me', 'soul' or 'self' in these things; something that is 'me' at its core. But here we are taught that things are empty, void, of 'self'. When we are told whether it is or isn't so, it is not that much helpful; it doesn’t make it wisdom, it remains 'book knowledge'.
The teachings are set up to train so we can understand for ourselves. With these five being all void, we know the necessary things we need to know about them. Thus we can play with that. As example, if we look at the characteristics of these comparisons we see that:
Looking at it this way, we see it can be a lesson, instruction, showing us a bit about how-and-what-to-do; in fact it is about Dependent-Co-Arising. Emptiness is in this way a very condensed form of a teaching instruction. Don’t just admire the label on the medicine bottle; read the instruction and apply to treat the threat.