I just came across a Buddhist Chinese text that offers insight into the nature of the universe. As far as I am aware, this text is not available anywhere in English, so I will make it available here: Buddha said: If everything is there, time and space are not distances. If there is no chance, it will eventually be impossible to meet. 佛说 一切随缘 若是有缘,时间、空间都不是距离。若是无缘,终是相聚也无法会意。 (You can search for the Chinese and find that it is a real Buddhist text) It might be better to substitute "if nothing is there, time and space are not distances". What happens when you take away all the space between two objects? Then the distance disappears. We know space isn't just a fixed geometric construct, it can be moved. If there's no space between two objects, there is nothing impeding its travel and the distance effectively disappears, distance can be traversed in no time. The "if there is no chance, it will eventually be impossible to meet" is interesting too. It explains quantum probability and destructive interference (or the actual lack thereof). It is impossible for a particle-wave to set out on a path if it would eventually destructively interfere with another particle-wave and, in so doing, violate the laws of the universe. This is effectively the same as sending information back in time. Those familiar with time-space theory and quantum mechanics will see the striking similarity here between this Buddhist text and the understanding of the universe. Could it really all just be an eerie coincidence? Could these ancient Chinese sages really have had deep insights into the nature of the universe that predate modern times?
An interesting topic. Have you ever read the Tao of Physics? You should. As convincing as that book is in making the argument you are alluding to (re the: insight of mystics), I'm just not sold. Buddha said a lot of things. I could probably snap fit one of them to any random event or fact you post. Furthermore, why would we even deign to grant such an ostensibly magical power to anyone? If some guy with no knowledge of quantum mechanics, on the corner with a bullhorn and a sandwich sign, ranted for 2 years and evenytually said something like, "And one moment it's here, and *poof*, the next moment it's over there, just because I looked!!! And my houseplants told me so!!!!"... ...would you then wonder aloud how this man, or even his houseplants (!), had such deep insight into modern, hard-earned quantum mechanical theories? I wouldn't. The human mind has imagined a great many things. We have found many of these things to be true of the universe via science; this alone doesn't grant prescience or mystical insight to the imaginers. That is only coincidence, and especially so in light of the many things we have imagined which are not true. And we have even been forced to believe things we might never have imagined ( like black holes and viruses) , due to science. In my opinion, this shows Buddhism and any other mysticism as just a fragment of transient, human imagination contained in a universe full of wonder and unimaginable (yet) things, and it also shows it to be far inferior as a method of explaining things, much less "everything". I think that makes the universe and our scientific study of it infinitely more wondrous and interesting than any mysticism. Think of it as mysticism on steroids, sitting on a mountain of facts.
Well its one more reason why I would choose Bhuddism over all the others if I decided to become religious.
Why not? Around the same time ole Democritus came up with an atom model that was mainly space, yet was indivisible.
What you've written is in old or classical mandarin as used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Buddha is from India so the above is a translation by Chinese Buddhist monks. Hard for my wife to translate. Maybe someone from Taiwan can translate it.
Don't bother on my behalf - I have no time for this kind of pretentious and inconsequential double-speak.
Double speak it is but just for the hell of it I will take the bait and say that objects can be moved in space but space can not be moved. Our opinions many differ.
I might not be a translation of an original Hinayana Buddhist text. It could be Chan Buddhism which is Mayahana. The first thing you have to find out is the author of the text, then you can work towards understanding it. Buddhism is about the mind and how the mind interprets its surroundings. It's not about the surroundings.
You should read "The Dancing Wu Li Masters" if you have not....you would love it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dancing_Wu_Li_Masters
Near death experiencers have been reporting being given essentially all information.... within seconds........ or certainly within minutes of their brush with death. https://www.near-death.com/religion/judaism/beverly-brodsky.html
@DennisTate Or maybe he was on some really, good sh*t. Or even some mixture. At the crossroads Alcohol, Opium, Hashish, possibly some hallucinogens of various seeds or leaves or dried fungus/mushrooms. Who would grow the rice if everyone was as Buddha? Y'think he ever considered . . . Similarly everyone deciding to trust in the Lord as a shepherd sees his flock is fed and . . . Why Work? Trust the . . . and enjoy the thinking time. Moi shhh, I'm thinking more
Really good S*** has had some interesting effects on some people...... https://www.near-death.com/experiences/triggers/drugs.html The Trigger of Hallucinogenic Drugs: Larry Hagman's Near-Death Experiences
