The Power of... Zero
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“God is the tangential point between zero and infinity."
-- Alfred Jarry
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ZERO. Is the presence of nothing different from the absence of something? Does the term "ground zero" mean the beginning or the end? Are you comfortable with empty space?
Zero is both a number and a concept. Many historians state that the introduction of zero was the most significant achievement in the development of our counting system because it made calculation with large numbers feasible. The inclusion of zero introduced negative numbers and opened up a new world of mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry and business. Creating a symbol that represents "nothing" also gave birth to an advancement of human abstract thinking. While our ancestors were more concerned about solving the problem of how many horses were needed (and -5 was not an acceptable answer!), we are now able to ponder the concept of “something” that is “not there” (which is different than “nothing”). Zero made possible the concept of “infinite.”
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The origin of the word zero says a lot about its significance. It comes from the Arabic “al-sifer”. Sifer is a translation of the Hindi word “sunya” meaning void or empty. In other words, zero came about as a way to define empty space. It is, in essence, a metaphysical number. German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Leibniz said: Zero is “a fine and wonderful refuge of the divine spirit – almost an amphibian between being and non-being.” The Tao Te Ching teaches us the value of empty space. Tao 11 says:
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"Next time you
confront an
empty space,
be Present with
it instead of trying
to fill the void."
-- Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy
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“We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.
We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.
We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.”
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So what’s all this fuss about nothing? Some have put forth that we have a cultural discomfort with both the concept of zero and the infinite because they both remind us of our own emptiness and finite nature. As a consumption-based society, we are used to acquiring external things versus inquiring within. We are not very comfortable with the unknown. Think about the number zero in your own life. Do you view it as positive or negative, or neutral? Does it reflect the beginning or the end… or both? Was there a time when your bank account hit zero? Why was that? Did you use it as an opportunity for a fresh start – a new way of managing your finances?
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Are
you
comfortable
with
empty
space?
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The concept of Yin/Yang mandates that for activity there must in inactivity. It is important to experience both sides. Next time you confront an empty space, be Present with it versus trying to fill the void. See how non-being can benefit your being. Use the emptiness to grow and experience a connection with the Universe. Find space in your daily activity to breathe. Remember that there is strength in non-action. Free yourself of expectations and attachments, and open up to life. Tune your mind to receive inspirations. Be a vessel for positive energy. Define your own Year Zero, a new base point, representing an awakened consciousness and a renewed spirit.
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Clear your physical and mental space. It's hard to think clearly when there is clutter around you. Clear away the unnecessary things and thoughts to create space for new possibilities.
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Practice stillness. We tune to a higher frequency by sitting in the empty space. Develop a practice of meditation, and allow the stillness to give rise to your potential.
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Seek to understand. Know that there are always at least two sides to a story. Approach situations with no judgment. Listen, learn and be Present. Allow the pauses to bring peace.
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Welcome endings and new beginnings. The Chinese word for crisis is composed of two separate characters. One means danger and the other means opportunity. The proper translation is, "Crisis is a dangerous opportunity." Flow with life. Change springs forth growth. Allow ground zero to be both an ending and a beginning.
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Today, I honor the empty space.
I am comfortable with my being. I don't always have to be doing. I balance activity with inactivity, and understand that the emptiness provides space for growth. I am open to the possibilities in life and in others. I approach situations with no judgment and allow the pauses to bring peace.
Today, I honor the empty space.
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Listen to the Affirmation:
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Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy is President of Power Living Enterprises, Inc. and Founder of PWR Brokers Incorporated. A former vice president at MTV Networks, she has a Ph.D. in World Religions, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and certifications in Holistic Health, Yoga and Fitness. Contact her at info@power-living.com, or 212-901-6913.
Power Living® Column Vol. 71.08, originally published April 2008. Terri Kennedy has written over 70 "The Power of..." columns that are available for syndication. Call 212-901-6913 for more information.
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Addendum
Counting has been around since prehistoric man. We first used fingers and toes as tools, hence the term “digit.” When we needed to represent larger numbers we moved to pebbles (“calculate” is derived from the Latin word for pebble). Then, about 20,000 years ago, we graduated to carving notches on bones in groups of five which became our first “tally system”. Finally, around 1900 to 1800 BC in Babylonia, the first known place-value number system appeared. This basically means that that the value of a particular digit depends both on the digit itself and on its position within the number. For example, a three in the right-hand column simply means three… in the next column it means thirty… one more column over means three-hundred, and so on. It is said that the zero concept originated as the written symbol for the empty column of the abacus – the ancient counting mechanism.
When zero came on the scene it caused quite a controversy. In the case of the original Babylonian system, a zero was simply represented by a space. Imagine if, in our decimal system, instead of writing 108 (one-hundred-and-eight) we were to write 1 8 (one-space-eight). Add some more zeros and you have an interpretation problem! Around 300 BC, the Babylonians began to use a special sign (“0”) for zero as a placeholder but they still didn’t have the concept of zero as an actual value. It simply replaced the space. Egyptian and Chinese mathematicians understood zero on a certain level, but had no symbol for it. Records show that the ancient Greeks were unsure about the status of zero as a number and wondered, “How can nothing be something?” The Mayans came up with a developed concept of zero but were simply not listened to by the rest of the world. Finally, in the 13th century, the Hindus devised a complete system of numerical operation including the concept of zero. It was a Muslim mathematician whose work, Al-Jabr wal-Mqabalah, helped spread the use of the new system in the Muslim world and then in Europe (the title Al-Jabr gave rise to the term “algebra”). Since the Roman numerals were pretty entrenched, it was not until the 16th century when the new numbers were fully adopted in schools and in business.
The notion of zero still brings about many questions. In mathematics, it is neither negative nor positive, so conceptually you would think that the word is neutral, with no judgment attached to it. However, in colloquial terms, it has taken on various meanings and is often psychologically negative. For example, in basketball, one might say: “He made zero baskets” meaning he failed to score. In tarot, card No. 0 is the Fool. Almost all historians omit the year zero from calendars, but astronomers include it. In the military, “ground zero” is used as an ending point, while many view it as a start. While we are taught that zero is a number, some still contend that it is not a number because you cannot have zero of something (e.g. “zero apples”). On the other hand, if one has a bank balance of zero, one has a specific quantity of money in that account, namely none.
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