Buddhism, shunyata and the cult of zero…
The Buddhist doctrine of shunyata is one of its most famous, and the one that put Mahayana Buddhism on the map, a full step beyond what was envisioned with the original teachings of the Buddha, yet well within that purview. It is usually translated as ’emptiness’ or ‘voidness’, though I prefer ‘zero-ness’, in recognition of the fact that the word ‘shunya’ or ‘sunya’ literally means just that, zero, and in the modern standard language of every Theravada Buddhist country today, still means just that, or a derivation thereof…
And if that sounds a bit spacey and abstract, it’s probably best thought of as an extended version of the Buddha’s doctrine of anatta or ‘no-self’, or no soul or no ego, i.e. no intrinsic reality to the human personality, which, according to this theory, is merely a collection of (s)kandhas, literally ‘heaps’ of transient characteristics with no permanence…When extrapolated into shunyata, the doctrine asserts that it is not only the self or soul that has no intrinsic reality, but nothing, absolutely nothing, has intrinsic reality, notwithstanding the obvious appearances of real people in a material world in which everything seems to have a certain ‘realness’ to it, which is ‘conventional’ reality, or what I would call ‘common-sense’ reality…
(It should be noted that this is not much different from the logical conclusions to be drawn from a thorough consideration of the implications of the reality depicted by quantum mechanics: things are not real, not really)
But ‘shunya’ also means ‘center’ in many of the languages of that SE Asian Theravada group that I know of, and so fits well within the meaning of the English-language phrase ‘ground zero’. And, though obviously related, this is something entirely different from any concept of ’emptiness’ or ‘void’ or ‘nothingness’, but not so different at all from the concept of ‘zero’ or ‘zero-ness’, a concept which was being fleshed-out, if not outright invented, at the very time of Buddha, in the very place of the Buddha…
(BTW the Buddha’s old stomping grounds of Pataliputra, modern Patna, was one of the largest and most important cities of the world at the time, as was Chang’an in China, modern Xi’an)…
And if the ’emptiness’ aspect of ‘shunyata’ merges well with the earlier Buddhist doctrine of ‘no-self’, then the ‘center’ aspect of ‘shunyata’ also merges well with the well-established Middle Path, almost identical in fact—almost—the concepts of center and middle, and closely related to the concept of ‘half’, because that’s exactly what a center creates—in two dimensions, just as a zero is at the center of any number scheme, which is linear, i.e. two dimensions, composed of a myriad number of possible points…
But zero created a true center for the first time, not just a half-way point between two random extremes, but a point at the middle of everything, and every conceivable point along any given line, for once any sort of count is begun, the same count in negative numbers is not only possible, but it is inevitable. And so the Middle Path becomes a central path, and this is critical, because we do not live in two dimensions…
But the role of zero is even more than that of a void, or a center, of course, as it is both a multiplier and divider numerically, usually considered its status as a ‘place-holder’, i.e. it holds the count of each power of ten as a variable count either increases or decreases in a lower power of ten, like a pitcher filling up drop by drop, i.e. one by one. So no matter how many zeros a number has, as long as it has at least a single one, then it exists, the more zeroes the larger, or smaller…
So what are the implications of zero for our lives and our world? A few weeks ago scientists announced that they had found a large amount of the missing matter in the universe, i.e. in their calculations of the universe’s mass. Of course they found no real ‘stuff’, they merely found that their equations were incomplete. This illustrates how a misplaced zero can have manifold ramifications…
In our own lives the implications are more prosaic. Have you ever heard the expression: “You need to be more centered.” In other words, you are too scattered, emotionally and/or intellectually. You are not focused. You are all over the place with your preferences and your prejudices and your half-baked opinions. I’ve heard all this, mostly echoing in my own mind…
So what can we do about it? For one thing: meditate, create zeroes, space-holders, safe havens, psychologically, while we cross borders, both internal and external, like water tanks spaced incrementally across the Sonoran Desert to ensure safe travel. For another: create parks within cities, with one big one right at the center, preferably. And then: leave space between yourself and others, neutral ground to interact, neither one stepping on the other’s turf. Relationships work better this way. Then again: leave empty space in which to work, and play, and act, and be. You don’t begin a board game with a full board. Life is better this way IMHO...
So shunyata is not nothingness, because zero is not nothing, and because there is always something there to contain and define that emptiness. In fact any perceived emptiness could just as easily be perceived as vastness, if not infinity. Let’s say you have a bowl, but there is nothing in it, so the average bloke would be excused for thinking that it is empty, worthless, and of little use for ordinary purposes, BUT…
It defines a certain space, does it not? Just like the lowly zero, which gave its name and its life to the subject of shunyata, the possibilities are endless. So is Dark Matter shunyata? Is the unperceived, perhaps unperceivable, silent majority of our common-sense universe really just a problem of perception? Was Einstein wrong in his basic assumption that the laws of physics must apply equally throughout? Is the universe Swiss cheese? I sense a physicist or two snickering. Me, I’m hungry…
quantumpreceptor 6:29 am on July 16, 2018 Permalink |
Hey great post and expansion of the zero idea. Even for the fact that zero has been named means that it is something.
Have you heard of sunyata as being explained as empty of? Empty of its own or independent existence?
QP
hardie karges 7:15 am on July 16, 2018 Permalink |
Thanks. Yes, I think that your definition is the most commonly accepted one, and if I didn’t say that, then I meant to. Mostly I just wanted to give some context to the development of the doctrine. It seems that ‘shunya’ was discussed even in the Buddha’s time, becoming ‘shunyata’ later on. The invention of the zero was a really big deal, and it just may have much more to do with the development of Buddhism than is commonly acknowledged, a thesis I intend to investigate further. Thanks for your comment…
quantumpreceptor 12:23 pm on July 17, 2018 Permalink
Yes, Hardie, that’s a really interesting idea to develop that further, I can’t wait.
As for being a discussed, I would even say that it was a hot topic. In Tibetan, we have three words rangtong, shentong, and detong. The tong comes from tongpanyi which is Tibetan for shunyata. Rangtong is empty of self-nature. Many see only rangtong as nihilistic nits nature. Shentong is described as emptiness with something on top. The idea here was that because it could be experienced that the experience was part of reality. This was debated as being materialistic.
Detong is also very interesting. De comes from Dewa and means great bliss. So detong is seen as the great joy that arises from emptiness. This happens when mind recognizes its own radiant space.
You may look at these three terms as competing ideas and to some extent be correct. However, you may also see them as a natural progression as one leading to the next as if they were steps along the way. I cannot wait to find out more about your zero theory.
QP
Dave Kingsbury 4:52 pm on July 16, 2018 Permalink |
Some great practical suggestions that could give town planners something to think about. If they aren’t an endangered species! Seriously, they worry about what to do with empty shops … community hubs? You bring this abstract subject to life by relating it to modern discoveries and issues eg. “It should be noted that this is not much different from the logical conclusions to be drawn from a thorough consideration of the implications of the reality depicted by quantum mechanics: things are not real, not really”
hardie karges 6:13 pm on July 16, 2018 Permalink |
I’ve always loved Mexican cities, with the central park and lots of community space. I always assumed it was a Spanish thing, but it may actually be pre-Columbian. And what with ‘high streets’ now under the assault of online shopping, it’s probably time to reassess the role of cities…
Dave Kingsbury 11:50 am on July 17, 2018 Permalink
I’d love to think we had matured enough to take considered stock of the past and come up with a better future, though I fear we might be too locked in our mad consumer present …