Something vs. Nothing
Facet 1: This arising, that arises; this ceasing, that ceases.
Facet 2: Zero = A mathematical value intermediate between positive and negative values; the absence of any or all units under consideration.
So, what are you in now?
There are moments when we question why there is anything around us instead of nothing. What is the purpose of our existence, as well as that of other things? What are the objectives of the cycle of life and death? Wouldn't it be better to be nothing? Everything indeed falls into either the realm of something or nothing. From the moment we wake up or as far as our memories go, we inevitably enter a world of physical reality. We know that things happen because they can be known and felt by our senses. And our mind will interpret it as innumerable conditions we must go through, persevere, go on, or undertake, inevitably. As phenomena existed long before we realise or understood them, we are condemned to ignorance.
As a general rule, there is always something there in the field of something and also, there is nothing there in the field of nothing. Perhaps we’ve all heard the question, “Is it half empty or half full?” If you focus on the more visible part, you’ll see it’s half full. Similarly, if you notice the invisible part first, you have a better chance to see what is lacking. Either way, you only see half the image. The interesting dichotomy between something and nothing looks pretty much like the dualism between yin and yang. Ultimately, it is a simplistic understanding of the complex relationship between thoughts, perceptions, and realities.
Fundamentally, the field of something refers to the orienting energy in the sphere of time and the principle of absence, balance, and constant (ABC). The Energy Conservation Law stipulates that energy cannot be created or destroyed and the sum of all energies in a system is constant. If a scene is provoked, the natural law that governs the balance would take effect through time and the planes of existence, just as the rock hit the water and caused a ring of waves to spread and reverberate around. Furthermore, energy is an element that implies the motion of translation, rotation, and vibration that become the key components of universal laws.
In the field of something, the mind is the precursor of every state. That is, the object or matter must appear within the range of the mental frequency horizon; if not, observation is impossible. The relevant principle: the elements of awareness would discern some simple and variable frequencies based on information and memory. This would give birth to consciousness (e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.), commonly called soul. Consciousness would then progress in a manipulative mind (e.g. 1+2, 8-6, 5x7, 3/4, etc.) that can distinguish and understand the features of objects or matters like the dichotomy between something and nothing. Let’s review this illustration below: -
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Both Sides To Mother Nature
The two sides will exist simultaneously and can be illustrated in a mathematical equation, as described below: -
Facet 1 Facet 2
The Realm Of Something The Realm Of Nothing
(Dependent Arising) (Inherent Existence)
… (-2+2) + (-16+16) + (-133+133) + (0) + (-54+54) …, etc. = 0
Facet 1: This arising, that arises; this ceasing, that ceases.
Facet 2: Zero = A mathematical value intermediate between positive and negative values; the absence of any or all units under consideration.
At the end of the day, the field of something comes in when you have mental energy. This is because the mind is the architect for discriminating all existences by manipulative distinction. Like the famous quote from Brian G. Dyson (former CEO of Coca-Cola), “Value has value only when its value is valued”. Without mental consciousness, everything would appear as the deepest facts in itself, namely no label, no boundary, no name, no activity, no description, etc. (as the field of nothing). In Buddhism, enlightenment emphasises the full realisation of the modus operandi of Mother Nature and her liberation with absolute and permanent neutrality.