491

by Bob on March 14, 2007

I heard a nice story. Someone had a t-shirt made up with only the number 491 on the front. What does it mean ?

I had to think hard. 491 is a prime number. Can't think of much that happened in April 1991. 4-9-1 is not an obvious integer sequence. 4-91 is not obvious either. Etc. Etc. Etc. as the fictional King of Siam said in the movie "The King and I"..

I had to ask what it was. I gave up. I said "uncle".

So I was informed and I re-learned a powerful piece of wisdom.

Peter had asked Jesus an important question, as recorded in the Gospels. In Matthew 18:21 and on. Peter had asked how many times he should forgive his brother's sin against him. Peter asked if forgiving seven times was enough. He was told emphatically to forgive seventy times seven.

Then we have the t-shirt. One should go the extra mile and beyond. So, 7 x 70 = 490 and one beyond that for forgiveness to one's brother's sins. 491.

Forgiveness is important for all parties involved. But it is very hard in practice. Out human memory or even a Jungian collective memory tricks us and plays back incidents to re-stimulate our emotions. Surely, that's hard to bear.

Some say that one can finally forgive another's sins, but one has a hard time forgetting. The old adage "Forgive and forget" is important but a serious challenge.

Looking back is a slippery slope many times. But it depends. If we look back to history to become wise, and not make mistakes of the past, that's excellent. I wonder if we really do learn from the past, though. Whatever the past means. But other times, looking back is very bad for us. We can't help but re-live the upsetting times and incidents and get stuck in the quagmire of that dynamic. And then we get stuck in the past and the present and future are tainted. If there is really any difference metaphysically in the past, present, and future, remembering that Distance = Rate x Time is only a model serving society rather than necessarily a universally profound truth.

Nevertheless, in the bible, Lot's wife turned to stone when she looked back. That's an important caution. Salt is also a preservative. There's a profound message in there.

Forgiveness is critical and largely do-able. At least I think so. But forgetting seems to be a harder spiritual and mechanical problem to solve.

Let's not get into Animal Magnetism and Mesmer. That just complicates the issue.

So, 491. And "forgive and forget" if all that conjoined is humanly possible.

Life is a challenge. Whenever it might seem to being at a point or end at another well-defined point. Not very clear. The paradox of the Tortoise and the Hare. In Elea, Zeno's Paradox. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Godel, Escher and Bach. Oh well. Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be.

491.