Perhaps the following foundation is of interest to some of you: www.zerorigindia.org <http://www.zerorigindia.org/> Johannes Bronkhorst
> On 25 Jul 2022, at 15:43, Harsha Dehejia via INDOLOGY > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear Friends: > > The fact that the Greeks were afraid of zero is interesting and it fits in > with the comfort we had in India with Sunyata of Mahayana Buddhism. > As they said, "Emptiness is nothing but form, and form is nothing but > emptiness." > > As to which came first, sunya or sunyata, there is no debate. Sunyata was > championed by Nagarjuna in the 1st century AD, while sunya came with > Aryabhatta in the 5th century AD. > > Finally, sunya is cognate with the word, "sunn" in the bhashas, which means a > state of mental voidness. > > Thanks to everyone. > > Harsha > Prof. Harsha V. Dehejia > From: Dean Michael Anderson <[email protected]> > Sent: July 25, 2022 8:36 AM > To: Harsha Dehejia <[email protected]>; Howard Resnick <[email protected]> > Cc: Indology List <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] Sunya > > Mathematician Charles Seife writes in Zero: the biography of a dangerous idea: > "Unfortunately, the Greeks and Romans hated zero so much that they clung to > their own Egyptian-like notation rather than convert to the Babylonian > system, even though the Babylonian system was easier to use. ... > "However, the Greeks so despised zero that they refused to admit it into > their writings, even though they saw how useful it was. The reason: zero was > dangerous. > "In earliest times did Ymir live: was nor sea nor land nor salty waves, > neither earth was there nor upper heaven, but a gaping nothing, and green > things nowhere." > —THE ELDER EDDA > "It is hard to imagine being afraid of a number. Yet zero was inexorably > inked with the void—with nothing. There was a primal fear of void and chaos. > There was also a fear of zero. Most ancient peoples believed that only > emptiness and chaos were present before the universe came to be." > > > On Monday, July 25, 2022 at 06:12:08 PM GMT+5:45, Howard Resnick > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Might one say that sunyata may arise where sunya is well understood? > >> On Jul 25, 2022, at 4:08 AM, Harsha Dehejia via INDOLOGY >> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> > > Friends: > > Thank you for the many useful responses. > > While it is clear that no definite scientific evidence is forthcoming to > suggest that the mathematical concept of sunya arose from the Mahayana > concept of sunyata, it is difficult to dismiss that the similarity of the two > words is accidental. > > Sunya can only rise in an ethos where the concept of sunyata is well > understood. > > Kind regards, > > Harsha > Prof. Harsha V. Dehejia > > _______________________________________________ > INDOLOGY mailing list > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology > <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flist.indology.info%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Findology&data=05%7C01%7C%7Cbdc54b7f60d443b9354b08da6e3a5baa%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637943494165569284%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Rz2iXssIr%2Fy1TaV6hCoYy%2ByjT0jzmC%2BI%2FON5Z%2BMU%2BzI%3D&reserved=0> > > _______________________________________________ > INDOLOGY mailing list > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology > <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flist.indology.info%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Findology&data=05%7C01%7C%7Cbdc54b7f60d443b9354b08da6e3a5baa%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637943494165569284%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Rz2iXssIr%2Fy1TaV6hCoYy%2ByjT0jzmC%2BI%2FON5Z%2BMU%2BzI%3D&reserved=0> > > _______________________________________________ > INDOLOGY mailing list > [email protected] > https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
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