This post compares non-luminosity with what quantum mechanics call the quantum realm. The conclusion from the comparison is that Buddha’s non-luminosity is equivalent to the quantum realm, except it is conscious.
Let’s start with some attributes of the quantum realm.
A) Empty Space is not Empty
- Let’s first understand what “Empty Space is not Empty” means. Dr. David Tong, a professor of theoretical physics at Cambridge, described what “empty space is not empty” in his video lecture, Quantum Fields: The Real Building Blocks of the Universe. He said, “Take a box, and take every single thing that exists out that box, take all the particles out the box, all the atoms out the box: what you are left with is a pure vacuum, and this is what the vacuum looks like.”
- Then, he showed this computer simulation.
http://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/theory/staff/leinweber/VisualQCD/Nobel/ActionAPE5LQanimXs30.gif.
- Dr. Tong continued, “So, what you are looking at here is a computer simulation using our best theory of physics, which is called the Standard Model. It’s a computer simulation of absolutely nothing. This is an empty space, literally an empty space with nothing in it. This is the simplest thing you could possibly imagine in the universe. What you are looking at here is that even when the particles are taken out, the field still exists. ……..Even when there is nothing else there, the field is constantly bubbling and fluctuating in a very complicated way. These things are what we call quantum vacuum fluctuations. This is what nothingness looks like from the perspective of our current theories.”
- So, according to Dr. Tong:
- “Empty space is not empty” because it is full of quantum vacuum fluctuations.
- “Empty space is not empty” because quantum vacuum fluctuations stubbornly remained even when scientists attempted to remove everything to create a truly empty space without fluctuations.
- Therefore, scientists deem “empty space is not empty” the “simplest thing you could possibly imagine in the universe” because a space without fluctuations does not exist and cannot be created in the universe.
However, if the simplest thing in the universe is full of fluctuations, then is non-luminosity not the simplest thing in Buddha’s cosmos?
- Buddha’s three-body cosmos consists of two realms of mentality with different fluctuating statuses. Citta, the quiescent mentality, exists as the Ultimate Reality in its own domain. On the other hand, non-luminosity begins as a realm of mental fluctuations and never stops.
- Therefore, like the quantum realm, non-luminosity is the simplest thing in Buddha’s universe because it is full of fluctuations, and a space without fluctuations cannot be created.
B) What fluctuates in the fields
- According to Dr. Tong, a quantum field consists of “fluid-like substances which are spread throughout the entire universe and ripple in a strange and interesting way.”
- Furthermore, according to Dr. Wiczek, scientists think of quantum fields as “space-filling ethers that create and destroy the objects, the particles.”
- However, there are neither “fluid-like substances” nor “space-filling ether” in the quantum fields. In his video lecture, Dr. Tong suggested that scientists often tell “white lies” to make their work easier for students to understand.
- In a field of fluctuating quantum energy, what fluctuates is energy. Given that energy is defined as a “quantitative property,” only numerical values fluctuate in them. Indeed, as Dr. Tong acknowledged, in physics, a field is “something that takes a particular value at every point in space. And what’s more, that value can change in time.” Consequently, the reality built on numerical values is “nebulous and abstract.”
- On the other hand, Buddha clearly states that mentality fluctuates in non-luminosity. Therefore, in Buddha’s universe, not only are humans born with consciousness, but all beings are sentient.
C) Foundational Block of the Universe
One of the most important relationships between quantum mechanics and Buddhism is that both regard their respective fluctuating fields as the foundation blocks of the universe.
In his video lecture, Quantum Field: The Real Building Blocks of the Universe, Dr. David Tong made it clear that “there are no particles in the world. The fundamental building blocks of our universe are these fluid-like substances we call fields.”
Buddha also teaches that non-luminosity is the foundational block of Buddha’s universe. To understand that, we must understand Buddha’s teaching known as the Twelvefold Chain of Dependent Origination, and the role non-luminosity plays in it.
Twelvefold Chain of Dependent Origination (Romanized Sanskrit=Pratityasamutpada; Chinese=十二緣起), according to The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, is “in Sanskrit, “dependent origination,” “conditioned origination,” lit., “origination by dependence” (of one thing on another); one of the core teachings in the Buddhist doctrinal system.” Additionally, “In one of the earliest summaries of the Buddha’s teaching, Buddha is said to have taught: “When this is present, that comes to be. /From the arising of this, that arises. /When this is absent, that does not come to be. /From the cessation of this, that ceases.”
In other words, the Twelvefold Chain of Dependent Origination doctrine is Buddha’s teaching that all phenomena in the universe are dependently originated. In the doctrine, Buddha enumerates twelve interconnected links, with each link serving as the cause (Romanized Sanskrit=nidana, Chinese=因緣/尼陀那) for the origination of the following link when conditions are right, until the last link, old age and death.
Of the twelve links, non-luminosity is the first link. Indeed, as the only “not causal” phenomenon in its own realm, non-luminosity is the only phenomenon that can be the first link without causing a chicken/egg dilemma. Of course, as the first link, non-luminosity, the fluctuating field of mentality in Buddhism, like the fluctuating quantum energy field in quantum mechanics, is the foundational block of Buddha’s universe.
D) Speed of Annihilation
- In the video “Empty space is not Empty,” Dr. Derek Lineweber, a professor of physics at the University of Adelaide, describes quantum fluctuations as quarks being annihilated.
- The host of the show, Veritasium, described the speed of the quarks being annihilated as “one million billion billion frames per second.”
- In a previous post, Dr. Frank Wilczek said, “The most basic objects out of which to construct the universe are not particles but objects we call quantum fields. We think of them as space-filling ethers that create and destroy the objects, the particles. …….. We see particles as epiphenomena. They are kind of ripples on the deep structure.” By comparing the descriptions of Drs. Lineweber and Wiczek, one can surmise that the quarks being destroyed are the epiphenomena.
- In a previous post, we discussed that Buddha’s “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” are equivalent to the epiphenomena and, therefore, it is the equivalent of the quarks.
- The purpose of equating quarks with “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” is to compare the speeds of their destructions described by quantum mechanics and Buddha as he lectured Ananda in Śūraṅgama Sūtra for his misunderstanding of reality.
- Ananda is “the primary attendant of the Buddha and one of his ten principal disciples.”
- Śūraṅgama Sūtra (Chinese=首楞嚴經) is “a Mahayana Buddhist sutra that has been especially influential on Korean Buddhism (where it remains a major subject of study in Sŏn monasteries) and Chinese Buddhism (where it was a regular part of daily liturgy during the Song). It was particularly important for Zen/Chan Buddhism.”
- Buddha told Ananda, “Ananda, you still have not understood that all dust floating and sinking are illusional manifestations, born here and also annihilated here. (They are just) delusionally names as observable phenomena; their true nature remains enlightened and luminous. (Chinese=阿難！汝猶未明一切浮塵諸幻化相，當處出生，隨處滅盡；幻妄稱相，其性真為妙覺明體).”
- The point of Buddha’s lecture to Ananda is to correct Ananda’s misunderstanding of reality. He wanted Ananda to understand that “all dust floating and sinking are delusionally named as observable phenomena” because “their nature remains enlightened and luminous.”
- So, what dust floating and sinking are suitable for Ananda to understand that “their true nature remains enlightened and luminous? “They are the “neighbor-to-emptiness dust” (Chinese=鄰虛塵 ).
- As mentioned in a previous post, Buddha teaches in Śūraṅgama Sūtra that the “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” is a neighbor so close to Emptiness that, if analyzed further, it would actually be Emptiness.” The only difference between “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” and Emptiness is they manifest differently. While “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” manifest as ripples that can be seen, Emptiness, being without an empirical form, cannot.
- However, because “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” appears as an observable phenomenon, it is easy to consider them distinct from the imperceivable Emptiness. Known as the Mind-Body Problem, this delusional misunderstanding of reality starts with epiphenomena and affects all humans, and Ananda was no different.
- Therefore, a perfect place for Buddha to lecture Ananda about his delusional misunderstanding of reality is to show him that “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” are “delusionally named as observable phenomena” because their true nature is the Emptiness, the enlightened and luminous Citta.
- Therefore, we can conclude that Buddha’s description of “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” being “born here and also annihilated here” is the same as scientists describing the quarks being annihilated at “one million billion billion frames per second.”
E) What Gives Weight
- In his video lecture, “A Universe From Nothing,” Dr. Lawrence Krauss, “a Canadian-American theoretical physicist and cosmologist who taught at Arizona State University (ASU), Yale University, and Case Western Reserve University,” talked about “empty space is not empty” using his terms.
- Deeming “empty space is not empty” as “nothing is not nothing” and epiphenomena as virtual particles, he said, “If you take empty space, and that means get rid of all the particles, all the radiation, absolutely everything so there is nothing there. If nothing weighs something, then it contributes to a term like this (Einstein’s Cosmological Constant). That sounds ridiculous. Why should nothing weigh something? Nothing is nothing. The answer is that nothing isn’t nothing anymore in physics. Because of the laws of quantum mechanics and special relativity, on extremely small scales, nothing is really a boiling bubbling brew of virtual particles that pop in and out of existence in a time scale so short that you can’t see them.”
- We focus on his description that “a boiling bubbling brew of virtual particles weigh something.”
- As Dr. Tong’s image shows, epiphenomena in quantum mechanics are ripples in a fluctuating quantum energy field. However, as energy, these virtual particles are “a quantitative property” and do not carry weight.
- Similarly, as Dr. Tony Tyson’s image shows, even giant galaxies in the sky are ripples of “quantitative property.” Nothing in it can have weight unless one believes that numerical values can.
- On the other hand, in Buddha’s cosmos, where there is “Nothing but Mentality,” mentality is the only reality that can give weight because everything in the universe, from ripples in the quantum energy field to galaxies in the sky, is mental. Although mentality is inconceivable, it is a reality obviously present in single-cell amoeba, the mimosa, the memory of water, a lion’s emotional reunion with the trainer, and, of course, humans. While mentality may not weigh much, as a verifiable reality, mentality can “weigh something,” especially since it is spread throughout the universe, as Buddha teaches.
F) Quantum
- In the post on Mentergy, we discussed that “while their different means of knowledge are mutually exclusive, their mutual exclusivity means Buddhism and science can complement each other. Indeed, energy can be the scientific mechanism that explains Buddha’s mental teachings. Together, these two different means of knowledge cover everything in the cosmos.”
- While epiphenomena, the quantum energy field, and the foundational blocks of the universe are all examples, we apply the same idea to the concept of quantum. Quantum is a critically important concept in quantum mechanics because it is what makes quantum mechanics quantum mechanics.
- By definition, a quantum “is a discrete quantity of energy proportional in magnitude to the frequency of the radiation it represents.” It was discovered by Dr. Max Planck in 1900, for which Dr. Planck won his Noble Prize in Physics in 1918. Examples of quantized phenomena include photons and electrons.
- In science, photons and electrons are considered “a discrete quantity of energy.” However, given that photons and electrons are energy themselves, “a discrete quantity of energy” of a photon or electron is just “a discrete quantity of energy” of energy. This is the ultimate example of how science, using inferentially connected knowledge, is about how different manifestations of energy relate to each other. While it can inform “how things are experienced by us,” it has nothing to do with “how things stand in themselves.”
- What do you think comes in “discrete quantities” in nature? Your thoughts. Do your thoughts not come and go discretely, one after another?
- However, in Buddha’s sentient cosmos, conscious thought begins with the “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust.” Fluctuating in non-luminosity, these “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” are pure conscious thoughts coming in and out of existence at the speed of “one million billion billion frames per second.” Human thoughts are slower, but there is no question that they come in and out of existence discretely and rapidly, one after another.
- Therefore, after considering conscious quantum and other similarities, we can conclude that non-luminosity is Buddhism’s equivalent to the quantum realm, except it is conscious.
In the next post, we will discuss the role “neighbor-to-Emptiness dust” plays in building a conscious universe substantially different than the universe quantum energy builds.
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