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Mind King Bodhisattva wishes to understand the meaning of asamkhyeyas, inconceivable amounts, ineffable amounts, and other numerical measures.
The World Honored One elucidates them and speaks verses. The Buddha says,
What cannot be spoken is ineffable.
Everywhere is filled with the ineffable.
During eons which cannot be spoken,
The ineffable is spoken without end.
Annotation
The Buddha is the matchless mathematician King. He explains the inconceivable meaning of numbers known to the Buddha.
Mathematics is ‘the systematic treatment of magnitude, relationships between figures and forms, and relations between quantities expressed symbolically; mathematical procedures, operations or properties.’
Plato had an elevated view of mathematics. He says,
‘There is in mathematics something which is necessary and cannot be set aside… and, if I mistake not, of divine necessity…’
Bertrand Russell, the English Philosopher, author, and mathematician says,
‘Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty - a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture.’
The study of mathematics will activate our reasoning faculties. Logic is applied in law, psychology, rhetoric, science, and mathematics. Logic was a popular field of study for mathematicians in the past. ‘Symbolic logic’ uses letters to represent statements that are factual. Mathematics does have its practical application and usefulness in our daily lives. However, what is taught in schools and colleges is mathematical reasoning, which is a very limited and imperfect field of knowledge. As was mentioned in section twenty-eight, one cannot always rely on logic to seek the truth. How much the less can we rely on logical thinking to fathom ultimate Reality.
C.P.Ranasinghe explained ‘Mathematics of Infinity’ in this way:
- The mathematics of definiteness; the symbol ‘D’ represents definiteness.
D + D = 2D
D - D = 0
D x D = D2
D ÷ D = 1
- The mathematics of Infinity; the symbol ‘N’ represents infinity.
N + N = N
N - N = N
N x N = N
N ÷ N = N
The Pure Youth Comfortable Chief who appears in the final chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra has attained the Dharma Door of Great Spiritual Penetrations and Wisdom-Light of All Clever Arts and Skills. He is an expert in mathematics and can calculate what is incalculable perfectly without any mistakes.
When the Buddha expounded upon the meaning of numerical measures known to the Tathagata, he is speaking of what is immeasurable, limitless and unreckonable by living beings. The World Honored One is using words to express what is ineffable. The word ‘ineffable’ occurs many times in chapter thirty of the Sutra because it is in essence inexpressible. One cannot rely on one’s discriminating mind to understand its actual meaning.
That is why Chan Master Yuanwu says,
‘When conceptual assessments arise, you’ve already missed the point.’
Whatever is ‘ineffable’ cannot be understood through intellectual interpretations. To rely on the mind that discriminates to try and penetrate what is ‘ineffable’ is to get stuck on the words and to be spun around in words.
An ancient said,
‘The spiritual light shines alone, transcending the senses; the essential substance is manifest, real and eternal. It is not captured in writings. The nature of the mind has no defilement; it is inherently complete. Just get rid of delusive clingings and merge with the Buddha that is as is,’
It is said,
There is basically no word for the Way,
but we use words to reveal the Way.’
Chan Master Yuanwu remarked,
If you can penetrate one statement, you penetrate a thousand, myriad statements, all at the same time.
An ancient said,
When one statement is clear you transcend billions.
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© 2000 Soo Hoong Liung. All Rights Reserved.
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