The Sanskrit term Sarvadharmaśūnyatā can be transliterated into English as Sarvadharmasunyata or Sarvadharmashunyata, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Sarvadharmaśūnyatā (सर्वधर्मशून्यता) or simply Sarvadharma refers to the “emptiness of all dharmas”, representing one of the sixteen or eighteen emptinesses (śūnyatā), according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XLVIII. Accordingly, “what is the emptiness of all dharmas (sarvadharmaśūnyatā)? All dharmas is form, sensation, concept, formations and consciousness; eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind; color, sound, smell, taste, contact and dharmas; eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness and mental consciousness; eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact and mind contact; sensation due to eye contact, sensation due to ear contact, sensation due to nose contact, sensation due to tongue contact, sensation due to body contact, sensation due to mind contact; form dharmas and formless dharmas; conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas: those are called ‘all dharmas’. Now all dharmas are empty of all dharmas because they are neither eternal nor transitory. Why? Because such is their essence. That is called: emptiness of all dharmas (sarvadharma-śūnyatā)”.

Emptiness of all dharmas (sarvadharmaśūnyatā).—By ‘all dharmas’ we mean the five aggregates (skandha), the twelve bases of consciousness (āyatana) and the eighteen elements (dhātu).

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Sarvadharmaśūnyatā (सर्वधर्मशून्यता) or simply sarvadharma refers to “emptiness of all things” one of the “twenty emptinesses” (śūnyatā) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 41). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., sarvadharma-śūnyatā). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Shunyata, Sarvadharma.

Full-text: Shunyata, Sarvadharma, Shodashashunyata.

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Search found 2 books and stories containing Sarvadharmashunyata, Sarvadharmaśūnyatā, Sarvadharma-shunyata, Sarvadharma-śūnyatā, Sarvadharma-sunyata, Sarvadharmasunyata; (plurals include: Sarvadharmashunyatas, Sarvadharmaśūnyatās, shunyatas, śūnyatās, sunyatas, Sarvadharmasunyatas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

IV. The emptinesses (śūnyatā) in the great Prajñāpāramitā-sūtras < [Note on emptiness (śūnyatā)]

Chapter XLVIII - The Eighteen Emptinesses

Emptiness 14: Emptiness of all dharmas < [Chapter XLVIII - The Eighteen Emptinesses]

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A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)

Part 1 - One Stroke

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