[QUOTE=Ivana;59228]Surya
I learned that even a question which does not address reality is a good question. There are Koans as type of meditation which are based on the questions. The question “What is noise of one hand clamping?” does not have an answer which we can find by our intellect. But looking for a reply makes our mind calm. A teacher gives the question to a student and the student is looking for a reply. The main point is the process to try reply of the question. Student replies to teacher and teacher comments the answers.
Take care
Ivana[/QUOTE]
I think such traditions simply mystify and overcomplicate what really is a very basic matter. I do not personally support Zen. I studied it somewhat at university and when we discussed in class we found it to be pretty pointless. Zen is an irrational tradition - literally it rejects using any kind of rationality. If one approaches a Zen “master” with a question, they do not give a straight answer, but often a riddle, or they may do something completely random and nonsensical like stick their tongue at you, laugh out loud or hit you with a stick!
In my own tradition we answer every question logically in a scientific manner that would helpful to the asker. This is because by clearing up things and removing doubts in the student will then give them a clearer view. And this is what I did when I answered your question. I gave you a straight, logical answer:
It is impossible for there to be a nothing, because nothing is also a something. Nothing can only produce nothing. But we know there is something, so something could only have come from something. If something could come from nothing, then we would live in a crazy world where mules would come out of humans, apples would come from orange seeds things would happen at random without any cause and issue from anything, portraits would paint themselves, buildings would build themselves. This not the case, therefore there is no nothing. There is only something.
Now with that doubt cleared you can move on and be practical. Now that we know there is a something - an isness we - should out out what this isness is, what its its natural laws, so we can utilize those laws for our betterment. This is known as dharma. The law of dharma prescribes what actions produce harmony and what actions produce disharmony. This is known as karma. In brief:
THE LAW OF DHARMA: The natural order of existence
THE LAW OF LAW: Cause and effect
When you make an effort to find out the laws of nature you will be able to end diseases, end suffering and strife. In science today we know a lot of physical and psychological laws and this has helped develop medicine, technology and therapy etc. This would not have happened if we did not make an effort to answer questions.
Your question has been answerd with a proper logical and scientific definition. But despite the matter being settled people will continue to pretend that we are still ignorant on the matter: debate, speculate, discuss, compare - mystify the matter - because don’t people like being given answers on these matters. They prefer to mytisfy it. The same happened in the “What is enlightenment thread” the scientific definition was given in the second post itself, but again people want mystery.
There is no virtue in being confused and being full of doubts. I help people by giving people the most clearest and direct answers to remove doubts and make an effort to address as many doubts as I can. Some people then understand things and I have considered my effort wortwhile. While others still pretend to be ignorant - you can bring a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.
