Kurt Gödel born April 28, 1906 (died January 14, 1978) was one of the world's most significant logicians, mathematicians, and philosophers although he's rarely heard of today. His math work showed that in any consistent system, some true statements can't be proven within it, challenging what math can prove. He believed math exists on its own and intuition is as valid as our senses. This changed how we see truth and knowledge.
His ideas influenced philosophy and computer science. Gödel's proof, later expanded by others, said no system can prove its own consistency. This changed how we understand truth and logic, affecting modern culture.
Before Gödel, people thought science could explain everything. His death in 1978 showed intuition is complex and goes beyond science. Despite his math focus, his life hinted there's more to understanding than just science.
What does all this mean in the world of ChristoBuddhism?
There are a lot of unsung "heroes" who've added to this world in many ways. Their work in various fields has proven things like the validity of our own intuition - something that Buddhists believe is the deepest function of the human mind.
Gödel thought intuition was important for understanding life. He believed we should look beyond logic and science to understand the world better. One of the ways he believed we could benefit from this is through religious and philosophical systems which he criticized for hindering thought. However, there is one school (whether you consider it to be a religion or a philosophy is up to you) that "took this to heart": Buddhist (Zen Buddhism in specific).
Both Gödel and Buddhism share a common perspective on how both language and formal systems are limited when it comes to understanding reality. Both emphasize that words and symbols can't fully capture the essence of reality and therefore we shouldn't confuse language with reality itself. Instead, we must accept that true understanding goes beyond both language and formal systems. In fact, many Buddhists go so far as to teach that words are merely gestures towards reality, not full expressions of it.
No but this is from Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being by Neil Theise. You might want to give it a read if you're into this sort of thing. I haven't heard of the other 2 you mentioned here but I'm curious why you "love" the connection so much? Just trying to pick at your brain and see what you're thinking LOL
I absolutely love that you’ve drawn this connection between Gödel and Buddhism. Have you read Gödel, Escher, Bach? Now that’s the book club I want to have.