[Buddha-l] asymptotic nirvana

[Leigh Goldstein (deneb)]

The idea of an asymptotic approach to enlightenment is very appealing,
allowing for practice without dogmatic belief in an unprovable nirvana.
 
There are some suggestive features of asymptotic functions in math and
physics:
 
1) The limit of an asymptotic function exists and is completely achievable.
(It is possible to construct exceptions to this, but it is not the natural
case.) The function approaches its limit without reaching it, but another
function reaches it without any problem. If the limit did not exist, it
could not be approached.
 
For example, 1/x approaches 0 asymptotically as x approaches infinity. If 0
did not exist and was not attainable by other functions, this would not be
possible.
 
The same is true in physics. For example, if you accelerate a space ship in
a certain way, its speed will asymptotically approach the speed of light
without ever reaching it. On the other hand, if you annihilate a positron
and electron, the matter will be instantly converted into photons traveling
at the speed of light. 
 
A more familiar example is that when you speak into your cell phone, your
words moving at the slow speed of sound are rapidly converted into radio
waves moving at the speed of light, and then back again at the other end.
 
2) The asymptotic function approaches its limit in such a way that for all
practical purposes the limit is reached more or less quickly (depending on
the speed of convergence). No matter how small a gap is specified, the
function gets closer than that in a finite interval. Obviously, for
practical purposes a small enough gap is no gap because it cannot be
measured. This is true in any practical geometry or science. In fact, small
enough gaps are theoretically unmeasurable in modern physics and therefore
one could say the asymptotic limit is actually reached in a finite interval.
 
Obviously these aspects of math need not apply to the metaphor as applied to
awakening, but I find them suggestive. There may be a distinction between
acceptance of a true asymptotic approach to nirvana and acceptance of the
possibility of approaching significantly closer to nirvana. A true
asymptotic approach to nirvana may not be much different from the
traditional acceptance of attainable nirvana (especially when combined with
belief in rebirth :) ).
 
-Leigh
 
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