A
Buddhist Dialogue with Science
By Timothy
Harada
The
last seven factors of life explain the symmetry between all relationships or
rather between all of the ten factors of life.
For example, power (the 4th
factor), explains the inherent force or forces within all things and how, when
those forces are activated, they have an influence
(the 5th factor) on their external environment.
However, because of the 10th factor of life, consistency
from beginning to end, or as science might call it, symmetry, the
environment also has a power and thus an influence on all things as well.
Another way to say this is that there is a symmetrical power and
influence from object and subject and from subject to object.
However, this dualistic way of thinking about things, as either subjects
or objects, really should be called subject and subject, as all things are
subject to all other things. There
is really no such thing as objective reality, according to Buddhism, because all
things are subjective.
Looking at these two factors of power and influence in relationship to cosmology, when observing large planets, one of the inherent forces we notice is the planets’ gravitational force on other planets or moons. Without other planets to “influence” a large planet, however, that force may not be apparent. However, because there are things near each planet, such as the objects on the planet getting pulled to the planet’s center or moons going around the planet, or even other planets in close proximity to the planet, the latent and inherent force of gravity is manifested. However, that force of gravity is only proportional to the mass of both objects. For example, the force of gravity between the planet, Earth and its one moon is only proportional to the size of both the Earth and the moon that revolves around the Earth. Scientists know there is symmetry in the gravitational force exerted on a planet’s moons, based on the size of both the planet and its moon(s). The idea of symmetry, from a Buddhist perspective is described as the 10th factor of life, consistency from beginning to end. NEXT>>>
The
views expressed in Mr. Harada's article are his
and not necessarily those of the publisher or editors of FortuneChildBooks.com.