Imagine you are looking at a beautiful, intricate metal sculpture. At first glance, the sculpture appears permanent and solid, like it will last forever. However, upon closer inspection, you notice that parts of the sculpture have started to rust and decay. The metal is no longer shiny and smooth, but rough and pitted. What was once thought to be a permanent and immutable object is now revealed to be impermanent and subject to change.
As the sculpture rusts, it becomes more obvious that it is simply made up of parts that are joined together, rather than having a fixed or unchanging essence. The rusting process shows the interdependence and interconnectedness of the different parts that make up the sculpture, as well as the dependence on the environment and external factors that cause rusting to occur. In this way, the rusting metal sculpture can serve as a powerful example of the Buddhist concept of emptiness. It can help us to see how all phenomena lack inherent, permanent existence and are instead dependent on various conditions that are constantly changing. By understanding this, we can start to let go of our attachment to fixed ideas and identities and free ourselves from suffering.