Physicists over the past 100 years have stumbled across some of the most bizarre and intriguing phenomena created in laboratory experiments. Today, some of these experiment phenomenas are still simply unexplainable by scientists and remain some of the most controversial cosmic mysteries. Many theories have been extended to try and put this mysterious nature of reality into some nice neat equation and interpretable parity. As of yet, reality hasn't been willing to be captured by simple ideas that can be placed into some epic textbook of everything. Perhaps, as Buddhists, we have a slightly different take on this weird and strange thing they call the nature of reality.
The Double Slit Experiment (Explanation)
So, just the act of being present and watching matter, changes the entire course of it's behavior? Interesting, isn't it?
Quantum Entanglement - (Explanation)
Wait! Physicists are saying that all matter and energy that 'is' and constitutes reality aren't really separate and distinct objects? So the change of one part in some aspect affects everything else in the universe?
The exotic oddness doesn't stop here!
The Brain, Creation, Realization and Time Reversal Symmetry (Partial Explanation)
When we start to watch our mind and the world around us, moment by moment, with the honest eye of a scientist, it is possible to start to understand all of these absurd and outlandish phenomenas that science can't put into a simple textbook explanation or equation. Have no illusions, what we begin to understand can be frightening to some at first, but nevertheless, cosmically and universally profound.
Buddhism, in a relative sense, can begin to bridge this gap between science, religion and philosophy. Science is beginning to see that we must study the mind and its workings in conjunction with studying natural phenomena. We are very fortunate to live in this moment, to be part of this great evolution of spiritual thought and scientific endeavor. Its no miracle to see these things if we watch and are mindful of the nature of transiency. In fact, I think miracles aren't luck or divine or mystical, just dependent arising.
"The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. The religion which based on experience, which refuses dogmatic. If there's any religion that would cope the scientific needs it will be Buddhism...."
~Albert Einstein
Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor tradition; nor rumor; nor what is in a scripture; nor surmise; nor axiom; nor specious reasoning; nor bias towards one’s beliefs; nor upon another's seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, 'The monk is our teacher.' When you yourselves know: 'These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness,' enter on and abide in them.
You are talking about my two favorite subjects: Buddhism and Physics.
ReplyDeleteI recently listened to the Rochester Zen Center's 9/14 podcast on Mind-Altered Perception and the Buddhist Geeks podcast interview (ep. 87 & 88) of Nova Spivack and read the recent news story on Rugby champion Jonny Wilkinson talk about Buddhism and quantum physics.
Spivack made some interesting comments about the mind and observation, just as you have pointed out here. It's this kind of stuff that makes me think that there might really be something to this Buddhism stuff.
Anyways, I love the hell out of all of this and it makes me wonder how the Buddha, who was not a scientist, had a lot of this figured out.
Great post.
Thanks for that information cpd. I just found the Buddhist Geeks on iTunes and listening now. Always cool things out there we never know about!
ReplyDeleteYea, honestly I actually became interested in Physics after I had discovered Buddhism. The parallels I found to be remarkable and certainly worth investigating more. You see both Scientist and Philosophers making more and more correlations between the two.
Thanks for the kind comments!
Saw this, check it out:
ReplyDeleteBuddhism and Quantum Physics
http://ctkohl.googlepages.com/
Experiment phenomenas are one of the most interesting new forms of science , so I think that we need a lot of technology if we can do it in our country,so it is great, thanks.....so cool the videos.
ReplyDelete