Zen Story: The mathematics-loving Zen master
By emptychair
@innertalks (23740)
Australia
May 23, 2023 12:01am CST
The Zen master, Bunlo Kerlask, used to dabble in mathematics too.
He would say that every person has a particular number that resonates with their personality type, and it is important that we balance ourself to ourself.
Here is one of his talks about mathematics.
"There is a set of numbers which are called "prime" numbers. These numbers are only divisible by themselves, and one."
"We should be like these numbers too. We should only be ourselves, within God."
"There is also a subset of numbers within these prime numbers, called "emirp" (prime backwards) numbers."
"They are prime numbers, like the number 31, or 73, of which the mirror numbers, which here are the numbers 13, and 37, are also prime numbers."
"We should be the same true self, both forwards, and backwards too, as we do not want to be two-faced, showing one face to the world, and hiding a sinful, evil self inside."
"We need to be primed for life, and for love, from both our outer self, and from our inner self, too."
He would then speak about a unique set of four numbers, that he named the, "Triune numbers."
"These 4 numbers are the only such numbers to exist in the whole number system."
"These are the four numbers, 153, 370, 371, and 407."
"These numbers have the unusual unique quality of being the sum of their individual numbers cubed."
"For example, 153 = 1x1x1 + 5x5x5 + 3x3x3 (1 + 125 + 27)."
(This was long before these numbers were actually named in mathematics, by Michael F. Armstrong, in the 1960's, as being a part of the Armstrong number series, and they include the numbers 0 and 1 in them too, which the Zen master didn't credit in his numbers, as Trine numbers, as they did not have 3 digits in them, only 1 digit, itself, in 1 and 0. The Zen master's 4 Armstrong numbers are the only Armstrong numbers, in the subset of Armstrong numbers, where the numbers are raised to the power of 3, known as Armstrong numbers of the third level; the numbers 0 and 1, are of the first level, as well as these two unique numbers are a part of every other level too.)
(In general, an Armstrong number is a number of which the total of the sum of its digits, when each of its digits is raised to the power of the number of digits in the number, equals the number. A four digit Armstrong number is then 1634. The sum of the fourth power of each of its digits equals 1634. i.e. 1x1x1x1 + 6x6x6x6 +3x3x3x3 + 4x4x4x4 = 1634. )
The Zen master would then say that we also need to be like these numbers, and work with our inner, our outer, and our God self, or with our mind/body self, our soul self, and the indwelling presence of God within us too.
"We need to be three in one people, to live a full life of love, and service, here for God, ourselves, and for all other beings, too."
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
"God used beautiful mathematics in creating the world."
Paul Dirac, a British Physicist, (1902 to 1984), said this, and our Zen master here would have agreed with him.
6 people like this
7 responses
@Jenaisle (16568)
• Philippines
23 May 23
OMG! I had to read thrice to understand these math calculations, although, back in school they had called me the wizard kid.
. Such amazing facts in math. As they say, math is a perfect science and there are only correct or wrong answers.
Zen master, Bunlo Kerlask, is a genius to be able to connect God with math, and his examples are fascinatingly correct. We, as persons, should be what we truly are, inside and out, upward or downward, and from any angle,
I'm too proud if I won't admit that it's only now that I am aware of these facts. Thank you and have a great week ahead of you.

By the way, the photo is fascinating in itself.
. Such amazing facts in math. As they say, math is a perfect science and there are only correct or wrong answers.
Zen master, Bunlo Kerlask, is a genius to be able to connect God with math, and his examples are fascinatingly correct. We, as persons, should be what we truly are, inside and out, upward or downward, and from any angle,
I'm too proud if I won't admit that it's only now that I am aware of these facts. Thank you and have a great week ahead of you.5 people like this
@innertalks (23740)
• Australia
23 May 23
I also liked maths when in school, and I read a book by George Gamow on interesting maths facts, and those four numbers were mentioned there, but only 3 of the four were given.
We were given numbers 153, 370, and 407, and we had to work out what the fourth number was.
It is both hard and easy to see that it must be 371, as it just adds one more to the number 370.
I had to check my facts again to write this story though, as a long time has passed since I read that old book, when I was only 12 years old, from the school library.
It is an art to balance rocks like that. On our beaches here, are many examples of people doing this skill, and leaving it there for others to see.
@Jenaisle (16568)
• Philippines
23 May 23
@innertalks I have had college algebra and the works, but our teacher never taught us about these numbers, and you were 12 when you learned it. I am embarrassed.

These piled stones are works of art.


These piled stones are works of art.4 people like this
@innertalks (23740)
• Australia
23 May 23
@Jenaisle But, I never learned it in class either. I was so interested in maths, that I used to read a lot wider than just doing the maths in my class.
I did college maths too, and this type of maths was not mentioned there either.
Armstrong numbers are used in the field of encryption, or for data security purposes. It comes from recreational number theory, of which it is a part of.
Here is a photo of some piled rocks at a beach near me. It would be far harder to stack polished stones though, I suspect, as in the photo I used here.

@Treborika (18194)
• Mombasa, Kenya
23 May 23
@innertalks It's quite good to learn
3 people like this
@manikarnika (3301)
• India
31 May 23
Such a Wondrful Article...Thanks for sharing...I learned in some internet web ,that sky is a big database in which all mathematics calculated in this vast blue sheet of paper(Sky).All are recorded in those databases.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23740)
• Australia
31 May 23
Thanks. I think the whole of creation is a result of God's mathematics, and his maths can be seen working in every part of the Universe.
Everything has a unique number associated with it, which all together, creates a large database of God's creation.
@yoalldudes (35028)
• Philippines
23 May 23
Is this something about synchronicity?
3 people like this
@innertalks (23740)
• Australia
24 May 23
No, it is really just more about mathematical truths, facts, and the play of numbers.
It is interesting how numbers link together, which could be seen as synchronistically linking, l guess too.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23740)
• Australia
25 May 23
@yoalldudes Yes, they think that mathematics is so perfectly constructed, that there must be a spiritual meaning behind its creation. Various numbers, and shapes, are said to carry meaning then.
Some religions believe in numerology, for example, and claim that numbers carry meaning, and when we discern these meanings, it leads us to a greater understanding of God, and his creation.
In Hinduism, for example, the number 9 is revered, and is said to be a perfect number.
1 person likes this
@yoalldudes (35028)
• Philippines
24 May 23
@innertalks Divine Geometry mystics call it. This stuff is so beyond me. Im a realist for now with physical world. Maybe in another lifetime or something it will opened to me.
2 people like this

@Laurakemunto (13787)
• Kenya
21 Jun 23
This is nice illustration of mathematics to our spiritual life
2 people like this
@innertalks (23740)
• Australia
22 Jun 23
Yes, thanks. I think most things can be seen in a spiritual light, and this then helps us to see the real creator behind all, and helps us to understand his reasons for setting things up as they are.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23740)
• Australia
22 Jun 23
@Laurakemunto Yes, science sees only what it sees, but God also created many things unseen, and which scientists will never see.
@Laurakemunto (13787)
• Kenya
22 Jun 23
@innertalks I agree with you no matter how much we run away from spirituality and hide in science, God is still there hehe he's the author of everything
1 person likes this

@Treborika (18194)
• Mombasa, Kenya
23 May 23
This amazing my friend. Thanks for sharing
4 people like this
@Treborika (18194)
• Mombasa, Kenya
23 May 23
@innertalks Indeed Mathematics is amazing
3 people like this
@zainkhan121 (858)
• Pakistan
28 Apr 24
The Zen master, Bunlo Kerlask, had a unique take on mathematics. He believed that just like prime numbers, we should strive to be true to ourselves, only divisible by our own essence and the divine. He talked about "Triune numbers," like 153 and 370, which are special because they are the sum of their individual digits raised to the power of three. For him, these numbers symbolized the harmony of our inner, outer, and spiritual selves. It's a fascinating perspective on finding balance within ourselves and with the universe.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23740)
• Australia
28 Apr 24
Thanks. Yes, we need balance to live a full life, and mathematics to work is always in perfect balance too.
Numbers are never only half right, but always perfect in their execution.










