Anything remains mysterious until it is fully comprehended. Certain things are self-evident, and thus do not mystify people very much. Many such things, on the other hand, are harder to decipher, and thus mystify a large number of people. Zero is one of these.
Shunya or Zero is one such entity. From a philosophical and mathematical viewpoint, Shunya goes deeper, as we go to understand it more. Let’s unfold the meaning of Shunya from various lenses.
Table of Contents
The Elemental Standpoint of Shunya
In the Chandogya Upanishad, sage Udyalak asks his son Shvetketu to cut the seed of a fruit of a banyan tree into two halves.
”Could you see anything inside it?”
Shvetketu replies, “I can see nothing in it.”
The sage remarks, “What you call as nothing is actually the source of everything. From this shunya springs a huge banyan Tree.”
From shunya or absolute zero springs the entire Universe.
Layers after layers open up as you keep travelling into infinite consciousness without end. The more you go, the more it goes on.
If seen literally, shunya equates to nothingness.
Panini, a Sanskrit philologist, defines zero (or shunya) as “Adarshanam Lopah”. It denotes the existence of an entity that is not visible. As a result, zero represents an enigmatic element with an unseen and unfathomable existence.
Shunya: A Neutral State of Nothingness
Look at the beauty of Shunya. Its own value is unmanifested. It gets value when kept next to another number.
Academically, we know that the value of a zero is unknowable. It can only be expressed or quantified when it is combined with other numerals. The value of zero is considered neutral. It never adds to an integer’s charge. It simply quantifies the integer with which it is joined, whether positive or negative. When paired with -1, it equals -10; when joined with +1, it equals +10.
Spiritually, as well, the value of Shunya is unmanifested. It only manifests itself when it is in sync with matter.
The nature of Shunya in the universe is very similar to it. It’s Nirguna which means shapeless. It is Neutral.
It is the universal energy, the universal consciousness, that drives or quantifies all of our acts—our entire life. When used with a positive mental proclivity, it leads to goodness or construction.
Everything Emerges from Shunya and Expands
There is yet another reason for calling ’Shunya’ mystical. All of existence emerges from and returns to Shunya.
Anything that can be seen or touched is matter. Beyond all matter, there has to be some root source of life. What should we call that root source?
Whatever name you want to give to it, it will still have an association with matter. We have only one word, Shunya, which does not sound material. That is why we call the divine Shunya.
When you are born, you are not born from your mother or father; they only provide a blueprint that determines the body – the shape of the nose, the color of the eyes, the color of the hair and the probable life expectancy of the child.
But you are not exactly your parents. You expand at your own awareness. Your habits are new, tastes are new, interests are new. Similarly a tree can be entirely different from another tree, which is planted at the same time, in the same season by the same person.
This proves that even after we emerge from similar sources, as we expand there is a shift in our awareness. Based on the shift in the conscious field, it can be determined where your journey will take you.
Shunya and Consciousness Connection
Shunya is formless and devoid of all attributes. Centuries ago, philosophers postulated that all physical existence was composed of five basic elements: earth, fire, water, air, and space. Science today reframes this same concept: matter with energy, space with time, and intelligence or awareness with consciousness.
We are aware that our body, thoughts, knowledge, and sensory organs all exist with their own limitations. We hear the frequencies that our ears can process—but we also know that a dog can hear much higher frequencies.
Therefore, we have our body and mind limitations, with different levels of consciousness within us. We, as a body-mind, may have limited power and knowledge. If we operate from a space of shunya, it goes beyond the mind into limitless energy.
A coach can unlock your ability to create your own awareness. He can make your thinking shift from one blocked space to a space where you are growing.
Shunya can be presumed to be that idle awareness eternally flowing in the cosmos.
When it merges with matter, it brings existence or life into force or reality, in the form and content called consciousness. Consciousness when understood from the space that is devoid of all material attributes alleviates our human understanding.
Shunya or nothingness will provide us a glimpse of our origin, beyond our questioning minds, and make us aware and conscious of where we come from and what we will finally disintegrate into—the supreme concept described earlier in detail as absolute awareness, a void called Shunya-zero.
Explore the nature of Shunya at The Coaching Conclave
The profound nature of Shunya will be explored at The Coaching Conclave 2021 (TCC 2021). The ‘Journey from Shunya to Expansion’ is the central theme at TCC 2021.
Consciousness is awareness with a purpose. Raising consciousness gives a new perspective and is to collectively push humanity to the next realm of possibilities where we all can experience oneness in its truest form.
We are making an attempt to expand collective awareness so that we can embrace a larger portion of the universal field of consciousness. We are aiming to create it through a series of events around masterful coaching conversations, mindfulness practices, spiritual practices, mystical experiences, learning, and sharing, at The Coaching Conclave 2021.
