RE: virus: Free thought and control

Robin Faichney (r.j.faichney@stir.ac.uk)
Fri, 17 Oct 1997 09:59:03 +0100


> From: Marie Foster[SMTP:mfos@ieway.com]
>
> It occurs to me that the single quest of *science* is the pursuit of
> *nothing*. By that I mean that where ever we look we find
> *something*.
> Space, for example, is not *nothing*. The single act of defining
> creates. That is why the theory of the BIG BANG is so attractive.
> Before the bb *nothing* existed. No time. No space. No matter.
>
I like it! :-)

If you're interested in the equivalent in experiential, as
opposed to intellectual terms, Buddhism may be for
you. Its endpoint is sometimes characterised as "The
Void". On the other hand, I've also seen it described
as "neither something nor nothing", or words to that
effect.

And, despite my division between intellectual and
experiential, I do believe there's an important
connection between these -- more, in fact, I think
the nothing you're talking about, and the endpoint
of Buddhism, are the same, if seen from different
points of view.

Fascinating stuff, though, eh? :-)

Robin