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What about something that cannot be tangibly seen, like a mathematical calculation or an equation?

Expressions researched:
"What about something that cannot be tangibly seen, like a mathematical calculation or an equation"

Lectures

Philosophy Discussions

You cannot see so many things. That does not mean that it does not exist. Your power of seeing is limited. Why you are depending on seeing?
Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: So even that law is temporary, that "The sum of the angles equals 180 degrees"?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: That's only temporary.

Prabhupāda: Temporary in this sense: because the existence of this universe is also temporary. So whatever is there is temporary.

Śyāmasundara: But even when this universe ends, doesn't that law carry on?

Prabhupāda: Just like this waterpot. This waterpot, you can say false or true. False means when it breaks, then it no longer will be waterpot; it becomes earth again. From the earth it is made, and again it becomes earth. Therefore the shape of this waterpot is not false but temporary. That is the right word. It will not remain as earthen pot for very long time. It will break, and when it breaks, it again becomes earth, from which it was made; therefore this shape is temporary.

Śyāmasundara: That example of the pot, we can verify if it is true or false by our senses.

Prabhupāda: The senses, it is also senses. I am taking it as waterpot, that is I am taking it by my senses. But the shape of the waterpot is temporary.

Śyāmasundara: That can be proven.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So whatever there is in this world, even this house, this big house, this is also temporary.

Śyāmasundara: But what about a principle, like "Two plus two equals four"?

Prabhupāda: Principle is truth, but the manifestation is temporary. Principle... Just like earth. Just like we hear from Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca: (BG 7.4) "This earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, ego, they are My separated energies." And because it is Kṛṣṇa's energy, and Kṛṣṇa is true, therefore that energy is true. But this interaction of the energy, manifestation of different things out of that energy, that is temporary. Therefore it is called material energy or external energy, temporary manifestation.

Śyāmasundara: What about the proposition that "Two plus two equals four"?

Prabhupāda: That is also temporary.

Śyāmasundara: That disappears when this universe disappears?

Prabhupāda: Yes. When the universe disappears, everything disappears. Who is going to calculate "Two plus two equals four"? Everything is finished.

Śyāmasundara: The principle does not carry on, despite...

Prabhupāda: The principle will carry on when again there will be manifestation. Just like this waterpot, it breaks, it becomes earth, and again from earth we make waterpot. Therefore this principle that the waterpot is made out of earth, that is a fact, but the waterpot as we see, that is temporary. Creation of the waterpot from earth is a fact. Similarly, this material world is a creation out of Kṛṣṇa's external energy. That is a fact. Kṛṣṇa's energy is fact. Kṛṣṇa is fact.

Śyāmasundara: What about something that cannot be tangibly seen, like a mathematical calculation or an equation?

Prabhupāda: You cannot see so many things. That does not mean that it does not exist. Your power of seeing is limited. Why you are depending on seeing?

Śyāmasundara: No. I want to take something that we all know, like "Two plus two equals four," that principle. There's no waterpot or anything visible involved, just a purely abstract principle, "Two plus two equals four."

Prabhupāda: Abstract or concrete, it doesn't matter. What is abstract for you is concrete for other. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa is concrete. Paraṁ satya, actually that is the only truth. So this idea, abstract and concrete, that is relative.

Śyāmasundara: Just like the idea, "The sum of the angles of a triangle equal 180 degrees."

Prabhupāda: This is calculation.

Śyāmasundara: It is calculation, but there's no...

Prabhupāda: Relative knowledge, because we cannot know beyond 180 degrees according to your geometrical calculation. But your calculation, everything is imperfect because you are imperfect. So because it is going on, for our purpose we take it as truth. That's all.

Śyāmasundara: It's only working in two planes, or two dimensions.

Prabhupāda: Just like this body. This body, I can say is false, but suppose somebody kills somebody, he cannot argue that it is a false thing. If it is killed, why the state should by so much anxious about it if it a false? No. Even it is temporary, even if it's false, but it has got temporary use. You cannot disturb that use.

Page Title:What about something that cannot be tangibly seen, like a mathematical calculation or an equation?
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Rishab
Created:20 of Jul, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1