Fullness & Emptiness: Vedanta and Buddhism

by Sarvapriyananda

Is ultimate reality fullness or emptiness? This book explores the profound convergence and contrast between Vedanta and Buddhism, two of the world’s greatest spiritual traditions. Combining the precision of a scholar with the insight of a contemplative, Swami Sarvapriyananda unveils how fullness (Purnam) in Vedanta and emptiness (Sunyam) in Buddhism lead to the same ultimate realization—beyond duality, beyond concepts, into the heart of truth. A must-read for seekers and scholars alike, this book offers a deep and illuminating journey into the nature of existence.

Genres: Philosophy, Buddhism, Spirituality

114 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2025

About the author

Swami Sarvapriyananda, MBA (Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar), born Biswarup Mitra, is a Hindu monk (sannyasi) of the Ramakrishna Order, currently serving as the resident Minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York. Previously, he served as assistant minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, and held a Nagral Fellow at Harvard Divinity School.

Reviews

[Arvind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Condenses a whopping 1000 years of intense debate into a deceptively slim volume. Advaita Vedānta and Mahāyāna Buddhism (both Yogācāra and Madhyamaka) are the ultimate frenemies, with a deeply intertwined history of co-evolution, intense mutual refutation, appropriating metaphor and ideas. So much so that Gauḍapāda and Śaṅkara were often accused of being crypto-Buddhists.

Swami S presents śūnyatā according to the very specific Tibetan doxographical tradition (East Asian Yogācāra, for instance, would disagree strongly with the presentation of vijñaptimātra as subjective idealism). Still, each chapter offers a lot of fruitful discussion points for comparing and perhaps seeing echoes of one tradition in the other.

It's actually after attending his Vedānta lectures that I have been able to much better understand Madhyamaka. And he often encourages Nāgārjuna as a strong prophylactic against the temptation to reify Reality.

[Phil Calandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Fullness and Emptiness Vedanta and Buddhism" is the author's perplexing description of the comparisons between Buddhism and Vedanta. In short, Buddhism recognizes the negation of self as to all those elements of self (body, senses, mind, perceptions, etc.) that are transitory whereas Vedanta recognizes the Self as Brahman as the Infinite Consciousness as the only Reality and these same aggregates in Buddhism are also viewed as impermanent and not related to Atman, the individualized Universal Self of Brahman. Both traditions guide us to transcendence beyond suffering and duality whereas the emptiness of Buddhism and the fullness of Vedanta is a matter of semantics and are expressions of the same reality.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swami Sarvapriyananda explores the paradox that what we truly are is both nothing and everything: emptiness without lack and fullness without clinging. He synthesizes the teachings of Advaita Vedanta and several schools of Buddhism. As viewers of his lectures already know, SS makes subtle teachings feel vibrant and alive. This is an easy-to-digest companion for anyone wrestling with the big questions of identity, suffering, or meaning.

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Recommended videos to watch before, during or after reading.

The Four Noble Truths
https://youtu.be/QnGp0WON93I

Purnam - The Full
https://youtu.be/gQWEh9AC1K8

Sunyam - The Void
https://youtu.be/AJPQ0cDM5J0

Vedantic Self and Buddhist Non-Self
https://youtu.be/vAZPWu084m4