The Remainderless Nirvana is not Nihilistic Emptiness

The notion of nirvana is absolutely not a destructible dharma or nihilistic emptiness. As stated in Vol. 2 of the Miscellaneous Agama Sutra (Saṃyuktāgama): 

Then the Buddha said to the bhiksus, “I will now explain to you the destructible and indestructible dharmas. Listen carefully, and contemplate them well. I will explain to you. Bhiksus! Form denotes a destructible dharma, and when this form ceases, the notion of nirvana denotes the indestructible dharma. The dharmas of sensation, perception, formation, and consciousness [S: vijñāna; C: shi,識] denote the destructible dharmas, and once the consciousness has ceased, the notion of nirvana denotes the indestructible dharma.” [1]

The foregoing means that after the complete extinguishment of the five-aggregate self, there will be no nihilistic emptiness; rather, there will remain an indestructible and permanent dharma. This notion of indestructible, permanently remaining remainderless nirvana denotes the consciousness (S: vijñāna; C: shi,識) that can bring forth name-and-form, the ālaya-consciousness (renamed the vipāka consciousness; C:異熟識), which exists by itself, without the six sense objects, and is therefore not nihilistic emptiness. 

Most importantly, the aforementioned consciousness (S: vijñāna; C: shi,識) is the entity that can bring forth the mode of name-and-form, not the mental consciousness, an element of the consciousness aggregate. All the five aggregates, including the consciousness aggregate, are arising-and-ceasing dharmas. On the other hand, the everlasting and abiding “consciousness” that can bring forth the mental consciousness and the consciousness aggregate while existing alone is termed the remainderless nirvana, which denotes a mode of indestructible dharma nature. This also proves that the remainderless nirvana is not nihilistic emptiness.

Footnote:

[1]【爾時，世尊告諸比丘：「我今為汝說壞、不壞法。諦聽，善思，當為汝說。諸比丘！色是壞法，彼色滅涅槃是不壞法；受、想、行、識是壞法，彼識滅涅槃是不壞法。」佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。」 】《雜阿含經》卷二