2+2 = 2+2
Jaramillojp@kktv.com
Fri, 13 Mar 1998 00:11:00 -0700
<<<The '2+2=' thing still reminds me of Orwell's 1984 statement.
I've thought about the 2+2 question a lot and I've decided that the
answer is:
2+2 = 2+2
Buddhism wouldn't be as presumptuous as to provide no answer to the
question. >>>
My old philosophy prof once told me that when he was studying Buddhism
that he asked his master guy the same question. The master guy said that
the only answer is the sun in the sky and water in the bucket, or
something like that. This, he said came from an old Buddhist proverb,
and meant that if you look for answers you are already lost. Answers and
questions give respect to logic and for a Buddhist logic is what you are
trying to get away from because that's what got you into trouble in the
first. Place. It's like this, to a normal person with a first grade
education 2+2=4 right, more math. Now the question what does life mean
leads a college educated person to say well to get a good paying job,
more language. I guess all this philosophical mumbo jumbo is leading to
the idea that systems, even the ultimate systems like math and reason
and language will lead you to answers that depend on math and logic and
language and have nothing to do with the outside world. Its kind of like
trusting a blue print and not actually touching the building. Now what
the hell does all this mean . . .well I think it means to not be so
trusting and to always seek even if you are sure the answer is 4 and you
are sure you can describe something perfectly in a language every one
can understand. It's kind of like when Teddy said that people are always
looking for where things are stopping off. I think the whole point that
prof and the master guy was trying to make is that the universe, the
outside world or oh my god truth is never as easy as math or language or
reason and sure a hell of a lot more complicated than questions and
answers and definitely without limitation. I think that's what maybe
Salinger was trying to say through Holden because he's a bright kid who
could probably do great in math and history of Egyptians but what does
that all add up to? "common sense." Well everyone at his school has
common sense and I think we'd all agree that no one at the school is
exactly morally and spiritually sound.
<<<how else can we
understand?>>
As for how can we understand there can be many paths to the top of the
mountain but poetry is not a reason based language all the time, music
breaks into different systems and directions. Also the gestures and
matters of the everyday as Raymond Carver would argue and so would
Salinger.
Please mail me back, is all this making any sense.
Suerte