The meditational practice of analyzing things to be empty of self-nature. I.e.， when the compositional elements of one object are thoroughly analyzed， that object cannot be found existing in anyone of the elements; therefore that object is said to be established in name only， and is in reality， non-existent. In the same way， when the existence of an individual is analyzed in this way， a concrete or eternal self （a^tman） cannot be found among the compositional elements. Therefore there is the Buddhist theory that the a^tman is non-existent. This is a view of emptiness prevalent in Hi^naya^na teachings.