Zero-Pete is an expression of a journey, representing a cross-disciplinary synthesis of conventional and spiritual trainings, both holistically dedicated to the benefit of other individuals. The name Zero-Pete is simultaneously an invocation of Pete’s personal heritage, as well as the view which he strives to uphold in his practice.
Zero is one of the literal definitions of the Sanskrit word shunya, which is likewise the root of the rich and multivalent term shunyata, a concept that is fundamental to the Buddhist tradition. Shunyata, often translated as “emptiness,” is a philosophical understanding and subjective orientation regarding all phenomena (including the self) as lacking in any solid, lasting, or independently real nature. Shunyata challenges our perception of the objects of reality as having any self-existence, that is, as objects arising without any dependence upon supporting causes and conditions. The term shunyata was first explored in depth by the great Mahayana scholar-monk Nagarjuna, who became established as a Buddhist saint sometime around the 2nd century, CE.
Nagarjuna. Buddhist Thinker
Nagarjuna’s legendary career is traditionally believed to have begun in the small South Indian town of Nagarjunakonda, which was at one time a revered center of Buddhist learning and tradition. Today Nagarjunakonda is a site of great archeological interest, due to its rich heritage of ancient Buddhist artifacts and monastic ruins. Nagarjunakonda also happens to be Pete’s birthplace, and the location where his father was appointed the chief technical engineer of the Nagarjunasar Dam, the tallest masonry dam in the world. Many Buddhist artifacts were discovered during the construction, including one sculptural remnant which is believed to be a representation of the feet of Nagarjuna himself.
Stanislav Grof
“History places higher value on those individuals who violated questionable laws of their time because of foresight and high moral principles than those who issued them for the wrong reasons.”