Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!decvax!ittvax!wxlvax!awex From: awex@wxlvax.UUCP (Alan Wexelblat) Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: Re: Are All Paths Equal...? Message-ID: <245@wxlvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 5-Mar-84 00:55:17 EST Article-I.D.: wxlvax.245 Posted: Mon Mar 5 00:55:17 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 6-Mar-84 02:16:47 EST References: ihuxj.417 Lines: 15 The answer, quite simply is "NO." Why? Now, that's a bit tougher. You see, it has to do with this Zen koan, which is notoriously hard to explain: "To re-cross is not to cross again." In essence, every action is unique, and it has a unique effect on the actor. Therefore, even though I may arrive at the same destination by two paths, it is not the same ME who arrives. Each me has had different experiences, and is thereby altered. Therefore, the paths (though they end up in the same place) are different by virtue of their different 'side-effects.' In some crude way, one could say that "2+2" and "1+3" are different paths to arrive at the destination "4." But one is not tempted to say they are the same path! --Alan Wexelblat (Koyaanisqatsi) ...decvax!ittvax!wlxvax!awex