Understanding Absolute Infinity - Part 2

"God is a circle whose center is everywhere, and its circumference nowhere."
- Empedocles

"I see it, but I don't believe it." - Georg Cantor

• Historical Recognition of Absolute Infinity : Despite the concept of absolute infinity being discovered and articulated by numerous wise and intelligent individuals over 2,500 years, mainstream education largely omits it, a fact Leo views as an educational shortcoming.
• Georg Cantor's Set Theory : Georg Cantor, a mathematician from the late 19th to early 20th century, is hailed as the father of set theory. He formalized the concept of sets in mathematics, which led to fundamental insights into why math operates as it does.

• Cantor's Interest in Infinity : Unlike his contemporaries who viewed infinity with skepticism, Cantor was deeply interested in the concept and sought to understand it using rigorous mathematical logic.
• Cantor's Revolutionary Discoveries : Cantor proved that there are different sizes of infinity. He showed that the set of even numbers is identical in size to the set of all natural numbers, and surprisingly, the set of rational numbers is also identically infinite. However, the set of real numbers possesses infinitely more elements than both natural and rational numbers—therefore, establishing multiple sizes of infinity.
• Infinite Sizes of Infinity : By extending his research, Cantor demonstrated that not only are there multiple sizes of infinity, but that there are infinitely many sizes of infinite sets, a ground-breaking revelation in mathematics.
• Cantor's Religious Beliefs and Mathematical Insights : A devout Orthodox Christian, Cantor believed he was exploring the mind of God through his study of infinity. He equated the 'Absolute Infinite' with God and saw mathematical evidence of divine presence in the paradoxic property that an infinite subset can be the same size as its whole set.
• Cantor's Recognition and Personal Struggles : Although now revered, Cantor's work initially faced severe rejection from the scientific and mathematical community. His deeply held religious beliefs intertwined with his mathematical findings, yet they caused him conflict within his religious cohort and contributed to personal distress.
• Diagonalization Argument : One of Cantor's techniques to prove different sizes of infinity involved matching each element of an infinite set to another set, revealing whether two infinities were of the same size or not.
• Metaphysics of Infinity : Leo suggests that Cantor's work resonates with the metaphysical implications of God, where every infinite subset reflects the entirety, thus allowing for infinite possibilities within the infinite.
• Social Ostracism of Cantor : Georg Cantor was denounced as a radical and hoax by his academic peers, which caused him significant personal distress, ultimately contributing to his mental breakdowns and his death in an asylum.
• Cantor's Identification with Divine Mind : Cantor perceived his work in mathematics as an exploration into the mind of God, creating a profound personal crisis when his Christian contemporaries labeled his ideas pantheistic and heretical.
• Cantor’s Mental Breakdowns : Cantor's mental health issues could have been compounded by the cognitive dissonance between his insights into the nature of infinity and the rejection of pantheism by Orthodox Christianity. This led to a deep inner conflict.
• Cantor’s Potential Enlightenment Experiences : It’s speculated that Cantor may have had glimpses of enlightenment that he was unable to integrate due to the cultural and religious beliefs of his time, possibly leading to his mental instability.
• Conceptualization vs. Direct Experience : Cantor's fixation on conceptualizing the divine through mathematics is used as a cautionary example of the limits of the mind and the dangers of attempting to understand absolute infinity solely through conceptual means.
• Shift in Perception for Experiencing Absolute Infinity : Leo Gura suggests that experiencing absolute infinity requires more than just intellectual understanding, involving a significant perspective shift towards realizing one's unity with the absolute.
• Cantor’s Legacy in Mathematics : Posthumously, Cantor's discoveries became mainstream mathematics, illustrating the difficulty of paradigm shifts and the resistance faced by pioneers in their fields.
• Giordano Bruno's Radical Ideas : Bruno, a mystic and former monk, expanded upon the works of Copernicus and Galileo, promoting the concept of an infinite universe filled with countless stars and planets, which was deemed heretical.

• Dangers of Challenging Established Beliefs : Bruno's fate, being burned at the stake for his beliefs, exemplifies the risks associated with defying established doctrines and the resistance to revolutionary ideas.
• Infinite Universe in the 1600s : Bruno’s ideas about an infinite universe with numerous worlds were astonishingly advanced for his time, predating the development of telescopes and the broader acceptance of such cosmological concepts.
• Giordano Bruno's Vision : Bruno envisioned a universe with innumerable suns and Earth-like planets, recognizing the existence of an absolute infinity, perceiving Earth as just a tiny component of creation. Despite his visionary ideas, he faced severe consequences from the Roman Inquisition, reflecting the risks of challenging established paradigms.
• Barbarity of Paradigm Locks History : Despite advances since the Middle Ages, Leo highlights that society retains significant paradigm locks, with contemporary examples showing how challenging established beliefs can still be met with severe societal resistance, though less physically violent than in Bruno's time.
• Dangers of Challenging Established Norms : Learning from the past, Leo Gura points out that challenging societal paradigms, especially in realms like deep self-actualization, can lead to ostracism as one leaves the comfort of herd mentality, emphasizing the need for radical open-mindedness in facing potential ideological opposition.
• Enlightened Greeks' Wisdom Over Dogma : Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers like Aristotle, Anaxagoras, and Anaximander were less constrained by dogma than later thinkers, showing a profound understanding of infinity and creating foundational concepts that anticipated modern ideas of non-duality and boundlessness.

• Anaximander's Concepts of RK and Apron : Anaximander's notions of Arche, as the underlying principle of all existence, and Apeiron, the boundless origin yielding creation and destruction, align with non-duality and the presence of infinite worlds, demonstrating advanced abstraction in ancient thought.
• Heraclitus's Enlightened Views on Unity : Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher with an enlightened perspective, wrote cryptically about the unity of existence, using metaphors to express the paradoxical nature of the universe and emphasizing the role of direct experience in understanding.

• Limitations of Realism in Understanding Idealism : Leo describes the difference between idealism and realism, stating that the 'mind of God' exists without physical foundation, challenging realist assumptions and underscoring the necessity of direct experience to comprehend idealism.
• Absolute Infinity Beyond Scientific Understanding : The recognition that realizing absolute infinity surpasses the capabilities of science which operates within finite boundaries, urging an experiential approach over reliance on scientific methods for comprehension of the absolute.
• Heraclitus's Metaphors of Unity : Through metaphors of circles, bows, and liars, Heraclitus conveyed the interconnected and paradoxical nature of existence, where the beginning and end are indistinguishable, illustrating non-duality's complex nature.
• Heraclitus on Nature of Existence : Heraclitus presents the paradox of existence where binary opposites like day and night are not separate but interconnected, thus emphasizing the interdependence of existential dualities.
• Metaphor for Understanding God : Through Heraclitus's metaphor, the challenge of grasping the formless essence of God is likened to naming the various aromas from spices in a fire, which distracts from acknowledging the singular source of the scents.
• Pythagorean School's Spiritual Mathematics : The Pythagoreans integrated mathematics with spirituality, using mathematical discoveries to understand the universe and divine essence, contrasting with the modern separation of science from spirituality.

• Plotinus's Concept of 'The One' : Plotinus enlightens on the futility of conceptualizing God, stating that whatever idea one has of God, the true nature of God always exceeds it due to the infinite quality of divinity.
• Plotinus on Unity and Multiplicity : Plotinus illustrates how multiplicity arises from the unified source, which is both infinitely present and absent in creation, challenging conventional categorization and advocating for the limits of conceptualization.
• The Kybalion on 'The All' : The Kybalion posits 'The All' as an infinite, eternal, omnipresent force with no limitations, transcending the current scientific understanding of the universe's vastness.

• Chi Ba Lien and Hermetic Teachings on Absolute Infinity : Descriptions of the infinite nature of the absolute in time, space, and power, with everything in existence reflecting a portion of this infinity within the mind of 'The All.'
• The Law of One on Infinite Unity : The Law of One expresses the philosophy of infinite creation through unity, where the infinite creator explores itself in an eternal array of manifestations, emphasizing never-ending self-exploration within the infinite reality.
• The Law of One and the Alf : In Kabbalah, the concept of the Alf embodies unity, representing a point in space containing all other points. This notion correlates with Leo's metaphor of infinite 'videos' within a larger video, signifying infinite perspectives within one unified existence.

• Jorge Luis Borges's "The Aleph" : The short story illustrates the experience of absolute infinity, where the protagonist perceives the entire universe from every angle simultaneously, without distortion, fostering an overwhelming sense of infinity in a single object.

• Georg Cantor's Physical Transformation : After an encounter with absolute infinity, Cantor experienced a powerful release of energy, evidenced by physical changes like peeling skin and altered fingerprints—a testament to the profound impact of such an insight.
• Paradox of Reality : Reality's deeply paradoxical nature, where the relative exists due to the absolute, yet they are intrinsically the same, is a cornerstone of understanding existence.
• The Nature of Absolute Truth : Absolute truth transcends all human faculties, laying beyond logic, imagination, physics, and even death. It is the most fundamental, paradoxically embodying both everything and nothing.
• Accessing Absolute Infinity : Despite its inconceivability, absolute infinity can be realized through a pivotal shift—recognizing oneself as not separate from the absolute but indeed being the absolute.
• Ego as a Barrier to Realization : The illusion of being a limited human being separates individuals from realizing their infinite nature. Overcoming this limitation demands a shedding of the ego, akin to a metaphorical death.
• God's Self-Limitation for Richness : Absolute infinity involves God imposing limitations within itself to facilitate discovery. These limitations, when lifted, reveal the journey from the finite back to the infinite.
• Simultaneity of Existence : God's reality transcends time, operating in a simultaneous existence, contrary to the human perception of linear progression.
• Pursuing Truth Above Distractions : The desire to comprehend absolute truth should outweigh everyday distractions, fostering a deep, inward-focused quest for realization.
• Self-Experience Over Preaching : Understanding absolute infinity calls for personal experience rather than disseminating beliefs without first-hand realization.
• Importance of Radical Open-Mindedness : Embracing radical open-mindedness is essential for enlightenment—prioritizing truth-seeking as a personal mission beyond established paradigms and external validation.
• Beware of Life's Distractions : Common life distractions can dilute one's pursuit of the ultimate truth, hindering the realization of absolute infinity.
• Prioritizing Truth Above Ego : In the journey towards self-actualization, the pursuit of truth should supersede all ego-driven concerns, necessitating a shift inward.
• Significance of Personal Experience : True understanding of the truth comes from one's own experience, transcending any external teachings or materials used for guidance.
• God's self-imposed limitations : God, or absolute infinity, limits itself to explore its richness; this limitation creates a sense of discovery and richness within the absolute.
• Physical death as a pathway to absolute unity : To experience the absolute unity of existence, one must undergo a process akin to physical death, letting go of attachments to one's limited human identity.
• The perfect deception of self : The belief in being a distinct individual, separate from God, is a deception that maintains the illusion of separation, which is intricately designed and deeply ingrained.
• Simultaneity of existence in God's perspective : For God, all events and experiences have already occurred and are happening simultaneously, not bound by time as humans perceive it.
• Desire for absolute truth as a driving force : A deep, genuine desire to know and experience the truth of absolute infinity is crucial and must be prioritized over other distractions to achieve this realization.
• Pitfalls of spreading unactualized knowledge : Preaching about concepts like God and absolute infinity without direct experience spreads misinformation and can harm both the individual and others, instead of illuminating the truth.
• Awakening to God through radical self-inquiry : Realizing one's infinite nature involves a deep desire for truth and an inner wisdom that guides one to let go of their limited sense of self.
• Distractions undermining the pursuit of absolute infinity : Everyday distractions and lower consciousness desires can divert attention from the true pursuit of absolute infinity, weakening the necessary resolve.
• Techniques vs. genuine desire in the quest for truth : While various techniques for enlightenment are available, it is the individual's authentic desire for truth that ultimately propels them towards actualizing the concept of absolute infinity.
• Leo Gura's encouragement to self-experience : Emphasizing the importance of self-experience over mere conceptual understanding, Leo Gura advises individuals to follow their inner desire for truth, stay open-minded, and immerse themselves in practices leading to the realization of absolute infinity.