Messages from New Discoveries in Space Physics 

【撥放英文語音檔 Play English Audio】

 

太空物理學新發現的啟示

（此文曾在2003年7月4－6日舉行的澳洲宗教研究協會學術會議上用英文宣講）

Maosen Zhong, Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer in Finance

The University of Queensland

and

Student in Buddhism

The Pure Land Learning College

澳洲昆士蘭大學、

格裏菲斯大學榮譽教授

澳洲淨宗學院院長

淨空老法師 指導

澳洲昆士蘭大學高級講師

鍾茂森博士

 

Abstract

Traditional Buddhism is not a religion but an education about the truth of life and the universe. Modern science has gradually verified what Buddha Shakyamuni taught in the sutras (i.e., Buddhist texts). We contrast the new physics discoveries about the universe with statements in the sutras. These new scientific discoveries are very similar to what Buddha Shakyamuni taught 3000 years ago. Specifically, we relate three findings in space physics to the Buddha’s teachings: 1) Distance and time are “illusory”; 2) Things can be created from “nothing”; and 3) The origin of the universe. We hope this preliminary study can prompt our thinking and discussion about the truth of our universe.

 

Introduction

Traditional Buddhism is not a religion but an education about the truth of life and the universe. Modern science has gradually verified what Buddha Shakyamuni taught in the sutras (i.e., Buddhist texts). It would be interesting to contrast the new physics discoveries about the universe with the statements in the sutras. In this paper, we summarize some key discoveries about the universe from America.s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.s (NASA) on-line cosmology literature.

The purpose of this preliminary study is to stimulate our thinking and discussion of the truth about our universe. We believe that each religion has insightful descriptions about the truth of life and the universe. It is important for religious followers to study their own scriptures and understand these truths.

前言

尊敬的法師、尊敬的朋友、來賓：

大家好！今天我非常榮幸在此地報告我近來從太空物理學得到的一點啟示。恩師 淨公上人曾在講華嚴經時多次提到，佛陀教育是關於宇宙人生真相的教育，現代科學已在逐步證實 釋迦牟尼佛在經中所講的真相。 淨公的這些開示引發了我發掘宇宙學與佛法關係的興趣。我於是在最近瀏覽了美國國家航空管理局（National Aeronautics and Space Administration，簡稱NASA）的網絡文獻。NASA於1958年創建之後，成為世界領先的航太物理中心。我閱讀了NASA的有關宇宙形成及發展的文獻很受啟發，向 師父上人匯報，恩師讓我今天在這裡向大家匯報，以便加深對宇宙真相的理解。

 

Modern cosmology attempts to describe how the universe started and developed. It is built upon quantum  mechanics and Albert Einstein’s Theories of Relativity. Most of the discoveries are derived from highly advanced mathematical principles and are quite difficult for a person without sufficient knowledge in physics and mathematics to comprehend. However, we do not intend to focus on the technical details of those mathematical formulas here. What is important are the messages that emerge from this scientific research. We will elaborate on some key discoveries of space physics research, which appear amazingly similar to what Buddha Shakyamuni had taught 3000 years ago.

現代宇宙學研究的是我們這個宇宙的形成與發展。這門學科是建立在阿爾伯特•愛因斯坦著名的相對論和量子力學的理論基礎上的，許多的發現都是靠高深的數學推導出來的，普通沒有數學和物理學背景的人可能很難去理解。不過，我們今天不必去理解那些數學公式，重要的是我們從這些科學研究中去領悟一些訊息。

 

In this paper, we present three key messages derived from modern cosmology and quantum physics, which are essentially the same as some of the Buddha’s profound teachings about the universe. Below we try to use easy-to-understand language to explain the ideas, avoiding complicated mathematical equations, because we expect our audience to be the general public, not physics professionals. These three key messages are:

1) Distance and time are “illusory”;
2) Things can be created from “nothing”;
3) The origin of the universe.

下面我將詳細為各位分析，這些現代的科學研究發現與 佛在三千年前所講的宇宙真相如此驚人的相似。我將儘量用平實的語言，儘量避免數學推導，著重在讓大家理解其中的理念，並結合 佛對宇宙真相的闡述做對照性的說明。我將論述以下三點：

1、時空是假相　
2、無中可生有　
3、宇宙之起源  

 

1. Distance and Time are “Illusory”

To come up with this concept is not an easy task in physics. Although we do not emphasize the technical aspects of physics in this paper, the proof of this idea has to rely on Albert Einstein.s Theory of Relativity. Relativity is an outgrowth of Einstein’s thoughts in the early 1900s about motion and gravity in a non-Newtonian framework. Newton’s physics – especially in the realm of mechanics - works well in the dynamics of three-dimensional space (especially for earth-sized and smaller bodies) and at velocities common to everyday experience.

Einstein’s relativity framework, however, is completely different. Instead of the Absolute view of fundamental parameters such as space and time envisioned in Newtonian physics, space, time, energy, and mass can all vary in their perceived nature in a Relative sense. This theory completely altered the direction of modern physics and provided a solid theoretical founding for cosmic research. Einstein is therefore regarded as the “Father of Modern Science”.

Both the history of Einstein’s discoveries and an excellent portrayal of how they affect cosmology are given in Amir Acezel’s book God’s Equation: Einstein, Relativity, and the Expanding Universe, published by Dell Publishing in 1999. Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1922 and was later selected by Time Magazine as the “Man of the 20th Century.” A splendid biography of him: Einstein: The Life and Times by Ronald W. Clark, published by Avon Books in 1971, describes Einstein’s contribution as a scientist and humanitarian.

1、時空是假相

在物理上要證明這個現象不是一件容易事，雖然我們在這裡不過分去強調數學公式，然而要說明這個理念多少還是要借助於愛因斯坦的相對論。相對論是愛因斯坦在二十世紀初提出的關於在「非牛頓系統」中的勻速與加速度運動的理論。十七世紀中到十八世紀初的英國物理學家牛頓建立的物理學，適用於三度空間的物體運動，尤其是地球上小型緩慢物體的運動，比如我們日常生活中所見的汽車、火車的運動，飛機的飛行等等。而愛因斯坦的相對論卻是完全不同的系統。在牛頓理論中，空間和時間是絕對不變的，而愛因斯坦相對論中空間、時間、質量、能量都是相對可變的。這個理論完全改變了現代物理學的方向，為宇宙探索奠定了很好的理論基礎。愛因斯坦本人於1922年獲得了諾貝爾物理學獎，後來被美國《時代週刊》評為「20世紀的偉人」。他被後人尊為「現代科學之父」。（註：他獲諾貝爾物理學獎實際上是在光電效應方面的貢獻。）

 

 

There are two stages of Relativity theories: Special Relativity (SR) and General Relativity (GR). Special Relativity is applicable to objects that are traveling at uniform velocities. General Relativity is concerned with the effects of accelerating velocities. Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity (SR) was first published in Annalen de Physik in the summer of 1905. In the same issue of that Journal, he also had significant papers on Brownian motion and on the photoelectric effect, for which he later (in 1922) was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics.

相對論有兩個層次的理論：特殊相對論和廣義相對論。特殊相對論適用於勻速運動的物體，而廣義相對論適用於加速運動的物體。愛因斯坦第一篇相對論的論文發表在1905年一個學術雜誌《物理學年誌》上。同一期中還刊載了他關於布朗式運動與光電效應的論文，使他於1922年獲得了諾貝爾物理學獎。

 

Einstein, among other researchers, realized that physical properties should theoretically change greatly when their measurements are under conditions where the observer is traveling at high speeds relative to that of light. A simple relationship between the length and speed of an object can be described in the following equation:

                                    (1)

where Lv is the object’s length when it is moving, Lo is the object’s length when it is standing still, v is the speed of the  moving object, and c is the speed of light (approximately 300,000 kilometers per second). Figure 1 below shows the inverse relationship between an object’s length and its speed according to the equation (1). As an object moves increasingly faster (relative to the observer), its length becomes progressively smaller.

 

（如下所示）

Figure 1. The relationship between an object’s length and speed

愛因斯坦和其他幾位學者，發現當物體在接近光速運動中，許多物理特性會改變，例如物體的長度、體積等。物體的長度與速度的關係可以用以下的數學公式來說明：  

Lv是運動中物體的長度
Lo是靜止時物體的長度
v是運動物體的速度
c是光的速度，即每秒約30萬公里

這個公式告訴我們，當物體在高速運動（接近光速）時，在我們的眼中，它的長度會縮減。下圖描述了物體長度與速度的函數關係。

圖一：物體的長度與速度的關係

 

Equation (1) tells us that objects that are moving very fast (at significant fractions of light speed) would appear to “shrink” in length. If an object is moving at the speed of light, then the ratio v2/c2 =1, we will observe that the object has no length or size. In other words, lengths (or sizes) will vanish at the speed of light. For instance, under certain conditions, you will not see any distance  between a nearby object (say, the Queensland Performing Art Center in Brisbane, Australia) and a distant object (say, the White House in Washington, DC in the U.S.). Or put it differently, under some conditions, you may be able to appear on Earth and on Mars at the same time as the distance between Earth and Mars can vanish. Dr. Sten Odenwald, NASA’s space scientist, concludes that objects can be in many places at the same time. Therefore, distance is not real!

因此，當一個物體以光速運動時,那麼V＝C，→V／C＝1，則。我們此時會看到物體沒有任何長度和體積（Lv＝0）。也就是說，根據愛因斯坦的公式推理，物體的大小、長短、距離在光速狀態下統統消失。打個比方說，在一定條件下，你看近在此處（澳洲圖文巴淨宗學院）與遠在天邊的美國華盛頓DC之間沒有距離。以另一個比喻看，在一定條件下，你可以同一時刻在地球與火星上出現，因為地球與火星的距離在此條件下沒有了！正如美國NASA的太空物理學家斯丹•奧頓沃博士講的，物體可以在不同的地方同時出現。所以遠近的距離不是真實的，它是依賴觀察者之狀態而定。因此，絕對獨立的空間和距離是不存在的，那只是人的錯覺而已。真相當中根本就沒有距離，沒有遠近，沒有來去。佛講「此方即淨土。淨土即此方」，西方極樂世界就在目前，正說的是這個真相。

在觀察者眼中，物體處於光速狀態時，物體的體積、空間和長短、距離就突破了。如果觀察者處於深度禪定狀態，他眼中的空間和距離也突破了。據記載，中國近代高僧虛雲老和尚，在禪定之中到達天上（兜率天內院），聽彌勒菩薩講經說法，這個真實的記載，成為當代中國佛教的佳話。而自古至今，在禪定之中突破空間、距離者不乏其人。

 

This concept is consistent with Buddha Shakyamuni.s teaching in the Infinite Life Sutra : “The Buddha does come but without coming from anywhere. He leaves but without going anywhere. He was neither born nor will he pass away”. Another similar statement can be found in the Practices and Vows of Bodhisattva Universal Worthy of the Flower Adornment Sutra: “In each of the innumerable Buddhas’ lands, I manifested transformation bodies as numerous as the number of fine dusts in incalculable numbers of Buddha-lands.” Bodhisattva Universal Worthy has the ability to appear in infinite number of worlds at the same time. This ability can now be understood by modern physics.

佛與大菩薩們都有這種能力。普賢菩薩在《華嚴經普賢行願品》中講「我以普賢行願力故，一一佛所，皆現不可說不可說佛剎極微塵數身。」而文殊菩薩也是一樣，也能在無量國土世界中現身。可見普賢、文殊等菩薩都有能力同時在十方現身。釋迦牟尼佛在《佛說大乘無量壽莊嚴清淨平等覺經》中說「彼佛（阿彌陀佛）如來，來無所來，去無所去，無生無滅」，又說：（大菩薩）「諸佛剎中，皆能示現，譬善幻師，現眾異相」。以上我們可以看到，突破空間、距離已不是神話，這完全取決於觀察者的狀態，用現代物理學的理論可以解釋。

 

Regarding time, the theory of Relativity also provides an intriguing viewpoint. A cornerstone premise in Einstein’s physics is the constancy of the speed of light. That is, light travels at precisely 299,792 km/sec (or approximately 300,000 km/sec) and this is the highest speed an object can attain. Nothing (with mass) can accelerate beyond the speed of light.

 

因此以上論述的是空間距離是假相，而至於時間也是假相，相對論中也有精闢的論證。在愛因斯坦物理學中一個關鍵的假設前提，便是光的速度是宇宙中最高速度，並且是永遠不變的。也就是說，光不管在任何情況下都是以每秒299,792公里（約30萬公里／秒）運行，這是物體可以達到的最高速度。特殊相對論是在這一假設前提下提出來的。

 

Let us first consider a simple example in our daily life. Suppose we are walking in a fast-moving train. While we might feel that we are walking slowly, an observer outside of the train would see that we were passing by very rapidly. This is because our relative speed is very low with respect to the train but is very high with respect to the external observer.

那麼，讓我們先考慮日常生活中的一個例子。假設我們現在在一輛快速行駛的火車上踱步。我們在火車裡感到自己在走得很緩慢，因為我們用火車作為我們的參照物。而一個火車外的觀察者看到我們正在快速地超過他，這是因為我們相對火車的速度慢，但相對於車外觀察者的速度很快的緣故。

 

Now suppose we occupy a spacecraft moving at extreme speeds (approaching the speed of light) away from Earth. From the spacecraft, we use a special clock device to send forth a light signal every second to an observer on Earth. In the spacecraft passengers’ eyes, the relative motion of ourselves within the spacecraft is that of standing still with respect to the spacecraft, but moving quite fast (close to the speed of light) with respect to external observers. For the rapidly moving spacecraft passengers, the clock on board seems to move normally (without any change in the length of time of asecond). The external observers receive the light signal from the clock on the fast-moving spacecraft at a much longer time interval (interval  between seconds increases). That is, for external observers on Earth, the clock on the spacecraft appears to tell time more slowly so that time “stretches out.”

現在我們再考慮一個例子。假設我們乘上一架太空飛船，這架太空飛船正在以接近光速的速度飛離地球。假設現在我們在太空飛船上用一個特定的時光儀器，每秒鐘向地球觀察人員發出一個光的訊號。在我們這些太空船員眼中，相對於地球觀察員的相對速度極快（接近於光速）。我們在太空船中看到時鐘信號儀器每秒鐘發出的光信號很正常，每秒鍾的時間長度沒有增加或減少。而對於地球觀察員來講，他們所收到的光信號比較緩慢，也就是說地球觀察員每次收到信號的間隔，比太空船上的一秒鍾要拉長。在這種情形下，地球的觀察員觀察到的每秒鍾的時間間隔拉長了,時間走的緩慢了。這種現象稱為『時間蔓延』（Time Dilation）。

 

In effect, for anyone moving at high relative speeds, time stretches out (called “time dilation”). There is no “absolute” time. Thus, time is just an “illusion.” Theoretically, you may be able to stretch time from very short intervals to extremely long intervals without making any change to yourselves and your objects. In fact, we believe that the Buddha has attained this ability. In the Infinite Life Sutra, it is said: “The Buddha possesses unfathomable wisdom. He has no obstacles. In one single instant, he can dwell in innumerable billions of kalpas (i.e., long eons), but his body and sense organs do not increase or decrease (i.e., do not age). Why is it? Because the Buddha’s concentration and wisdom are boundless and free of obstructions.” Hence, when we attain the ultimate bliss of Buddhahood, this fantastic ability comes naturally from within us.

理論上講，你可以將很短的剎那延長至極限長的時間，而你自己身體都幾乎沒有任何老化。這便容易理解《無量壽經》中講的「如來正覺，其智難量，無有障礙，能於念頃，住無量億劫，身及諸根，無有增減，所以者何？如來定慧，究暢無極，於一切法而得最勝自在故」。所以如果我們證得了如來的定慧，這種超越時間的能力便是自然而然的了。

 

Another excellent example of the time dilation effect is best illustrated by Einstein’s “Twin Paradox.” If the above-mentioned spacecraft were to return Earth after 20 years (according to the Earth calendar) of high-speed travel, the passengers on board will prove to have aged less than 20 years of Earth’s time. Suppose two twin brothers born on the same day separate in the following manner. The ground twin remains on Earth while the space twin takes a journey such as described above. The ground twin now becomes 20 years older. The space twin, upon return, appears to have aged about 3 years because time has shortened from 20 years to 3 years for the space twin and his bodily functions in aging have proceeded more slowly relative to those on Earth. To himself and any other passengers on the spacecraft, he has aged in the normal manner—although he felt that he was traveling for only three years.

To take this a step further, theoretically, the space traveler sees his return as a step into the future (from 3 years old to 20 years old). On the other hand, if time can be shortened to a negative value, the traveler can somehow move backward in time from “now” to the past.

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are able to actually enter either the infinite past or the infinite future in a single moment. As Bodhisattva Universal Worthy says in the Flower Adornment Sutra: “I can clearly behold the state of the future and combine all coming kalpas (i.e., long eons) into one instantaneous thought. I can also penetrate all the eras of the past, present, and future in an instant.”

To further illustrate this point, we want to cite an example from Buddhist literature, which is analogous to the example of Einstein’s “Twin Brother Paradox” that we just discussed. There were three brothers who practiced hard in order to be reborn into heaven and follow Bodhisattva Maitreya’s teachings there. The three promised each other that whoever went to heaven first would come back to tell the other two what was happening in heaven.

One brother went to heaven first but never returned. Then a few years later, the second brother went to heaven and returned three years later to see the third brother who was still on Earth. The third brother asked, “What took you so long?” The second brother protested, “I have been in heaven for only a moment. As soon as I paid my respect to Bodhisattva Maitreya, I returned to see you. But when I came back, three years had passed on Earth!” “What about our other brother who never returned?” The second brother answered, “He was seduced by many beautiful girls in heaven and forgot about seeing Bodhisattva Maitreya.” Upon hearing this, the third brother felt that it was too risky to attain enlightenment in heaven. He decided to be reborn in the Western Pure Land and follow the teachings of Buddha Amitabha. From this example, we see that there is a time difference between Earth and “heaven” perhaps due to different relative speeds. Here, heaven can be regarded as place of different space-time dimensions.

 

另外一個關於時間蔓延效應的著名例子，是愛因斯坦的「孿生兄弟」的例子。剛才講的太空飛船，假設離開地球高速運行二十年，當然這個二十年是按我們地球日曆來算的。假設有兩個孿生兄弟同一天出生後，便分成兩種生活方式，一個留在地球上過普通人的生活，另一個被送上這一艘高速運行的太空飛船，二十年之後再返回地球。二十年過後怎麼樣呢？我們看到地球上的兄弟變成二十歲的青年了，而從太空飛船上返回的這個孿生兄弟還很年幼，比方說可能只有三歲而已。這是因為對於太空高速飛行的孿生兄弟，二十年縮短為三年的時間，而他的身體功能的成長也相對緩慢。

再進一步來講，太空飛行員返回地球實際上是一種進入「未來」（即從三歲進入二十歲）。另一方面講，對於太空飛行員來講，如果時間可以進一步的減慢，乃至於減成一個負數，那麼這個太空飛行員便可以從「現在」回到了「過去」。

佛和菩薩有這種能力，能在同一時刻返回無限的過去和進入無限的未來。《華嚴經普賢行願品》講到「我（普賢菩薩）能深入於未來，盡一切劫為一念，三世所有一切劫，為一念際我皆入。」

 

In summary, space and time are varying and illusionary phenomena. Under some conditions, space and time can be changed completely. Indeed, the recent discovery of black holes demonstrates this concept. According to NASA space scientists, space and time can reverse themselves in a black hole. This means that space becomes time-like and time becomes space-like. What we call time does change to something with the mathematical properties we have normally associated with space, and vice versa.

綜上所述，空間與時間是可變的、錯覺的現象。在一定條件下，空間與時間可能會完全變樣。事實上，最近所發現的宇宙黑洞就證明了這個理念。根據美國NASA太空物理學家的說法，黑洞中的時間與空間可能互相替換。這意味著空間可能變成時間的樣子，時間可能變成空間的形狀。佛法稱時間與空間都是「不相應行法」，意思就是抽象概念，並非真實。舉一個生活中最容易感受的例子，比方我們乘飛機從香港20號起飛，到美國還是20號。所以諸位不要執著時間的概念，因為時間是假的，你得不到！前天正好 淨空老法師講到《華嚴經華藏世界品》一段：「無有始終，若覓始終，如空中求跡，如影中求人」（這裡「始終」是指時間），你若想求覓始終的相是求不到的！

 

2. Things can be created from nothing

Talking about this concept, let us first quote NASA astronomer Dr. Odenwald, “Nature has over the years presented us with many physical situations where our intuition about how things ‘ought’ to behave has been shown to be absolutely false: people age differently if they are moving; space can dilate; matter can be created out of pure energy; matter can be created spontaneously out of the vacuum…”

2、無中可生有

談到這個理念，讓我們先引用美國NASA太空物理學家斯丹•奧敦沃博士的一段結論：「自然界為我們揭示的物理現象往往同我們一般觀察和認知的現象有天淵之別。例如，人在運動中的老化方式完全不同；空間可以變形；物質可以從純能量中產生；物質可以在真空狀態下忽然出現。」

 

In this section, we present the idea that things can be created from nothing. Without spending too much time in explaining the mathematical formulas, we can cite Einstein’s conclusion of the Principle of Equivalence of mass and energy.  That is, under certain conditions, energy can “condense” to mass and, conversely, mass is convertible to energy. The famous conversion formula is

E = mc2      (2)

where c is the speed of light, E is energy, and m is mass. The energy is equal to mass times c2.

From this equation, one can deduce that as an object moves faster up to speeds approaching that of light, its energy will begin to increase notably. In principle then, the maximum energy a given amount of mass can release is determined by c2. This mass-energy equivalence forms the basis of recovering huge amounts of energy by “tapping” into the nuclei of atoms; the

energy released from the explosion of an atomic bomb is derived from this theoretical relationship.

在這裏，我要說明的便是，只要有足夠的能量被注入一個空間中，物質便會從此產生，所謂「無中生有」。要證明這一點，我們可以借用一下愛因斯坦的「質能守恆定律」。這個定律講，在一定條件下，能量可以凝聚成有質量的物質，物質的質量也可以分解為能量。這個守恆公式是：

E＝mc2

這裡，c 是光的速度，即每秒約三十萬公里；E是能量；m是質量。能量等於質量乘以光速的平方。

 

On the other hand, matter (mass) can be created if enough energy is applied to some volume of space. This can be seen by simply rearranging the formula:

m = E/c2         (3)

The above formula suggests that under certain conditions, we can convert energy into matter in empty space. This means that one can literally make up some-thing out of “air.” In fact, in a micro world, we see things are created from nothing all the time. This reminds us of what is said in the Infinite Life Sutra: All the things that are needed by them (people in the Pure Land) will be in abundance. All the adorned things, such as the palaces, the beautifully decorated clothing, the fragrant flowers, the banners and umbrellas will come forth just as one wishes for or needs. If a man wishes to eat, the seven precious bowls and containers, which contain hundreds of different food and drinks of different tastes, will naturally appear in front of him and be filled to the brim. When eating is finished, the food, drinks, and containers will disappear and appear again in time for lunch.”

 

反過來，質量也可以從純能量中產生。我們只要將這個公式倒裝一下，變成：  

m＝E／c2

也就是，在一定的條件下，能量可以在一無所有的真空中變現出物質。換句話說，東西可以無中生有。事實上，在量子的微觀世界中，我們常看到物質在虛空中自然出現。

 

A physical justification of this behavior in the Pure Land is that people there possess highly advanced scientific power so that they can create things out of energy when they need them, and convert them back to energy after use.

這個物理學的發現，證實了佛經裡所講的「空即是色」（「色」指物質）,令我們想起《無量壽經、受用具足品》中所講的：（極樂世界）「受用種種，一切豐足。宮殿、服飾、香花、幡蓋，莊嚴之具，隨意所需，悉皆如念。若欲食時，七寶缽器，自然在前，百味飲食，自然盈滿，…，事已化去，時至復現」。極樂世界中這種自在的生活狀況，用現代的物理學完全解釋得通。也就是說，極樂世界的人，可以隨時將能量變現出物質來用，用完之後，又將物質變為能量而化去。他們的能量從何而來？他們是從一心念佛的念力中釋放出巨大的能量，可隨心所欲地變現物質。誠如《無量壽經》上所講的「應念現前，無不具足。」

無中可生有，有也可歸於無。現代物理學認為，物質實質只是「場」而已。愛因斯坦說「物質是由場強很大的空間組成的」。又說「並非既有場又有物質，因為場才是唯一的存在」。並認為物質只是人的錯覺，所謂「色即是空」。這一點在佛教中，許多修行者都證實了。中國50年代的高僧大德 圓瑛法師曾在禪定狀態中穿過關鎖的大門而出去，這就證明了物質是人的錯覺。

 

 

3. The Origin of the Universe

In the quantum world, we see things “appearing” out of nothing. Here, a quantum is the smallest possible unit of energy. The universe may have done the same thing-- appeared out of “nothing.” Dr. Odenwald said that when physicists say “nothing,” they are being playful with the English language, because we often think of a vacuum as being “empty” or “nothing.” In fact, physicists know full well that the vacuum is far from nothing. Before the formation of the universe, there was no time or space, not even vacuum. The primor-dial state of the pre-universe period was far from being the kind of “nothingness” we might have in mind.

 

3、宇宙之起源

物理學中認為在量子世界裡，物質可以從空無中產生。這裡量子是指最小的能量單位。那麼我們的宇宙從何產生的呢？科學家告訴我們，宇宙可能也是這樣從空無中產生的。

美國NASA的奧敦沃博士說，當物理學家講到這個「空」字，他們是在搞一個文字謎，因為我們平常觀念中以為真空便是「空」，便是什麼都沒有，而實際上，物理學家很清楚，真空還不是真正意義上的「空」。而宇宙形成以前的這個狀態，既沒有時間，也沒有空間，連真空都沒有。這個狀態，並非我們一般心目當中所思量的空無狀態。

 

As Dr. Odenwald acknowledges, “We don’t have a full mathematical theory for describing this state yet, but it was probably ‘multi-dimensional’…Nothingness [that gives rise to the present universe] was not nothing, but it was not anything like the kinds of ‘something’ we know about today. We have no words to describe it and the ones we find in the Oxford English Dictionary are based on the wrong physical insight.”

奧敦沃博士承認說：「我們目前還沒有一套完整的數學理論來描述這個宇宙前的狀態，但是可以推斷它是多維次。產生現在這個大宇宙的空靈狀態並不是毫無一物，也不是我們今天所懂得的任何一物。我們用「空無」這個詞，是不得已的說法。這樣看來，《牛津大辭典》中講的「空無」，卻又是完全錯誤的一個物理概念」。

 

Buddha Shakyamuni taught that the original state of the universe, referred to as the “true self nature,” neither comes from somewhere nor goes anywhere, is neither continuous nor separate, is neither dirty nor clean, neither increases nor decreases.

This pre-universe state (or so called “nothingness”) seems obscure and incomprehensible to most of us. Let us put it aside for now and look at what happened at the moment of the formation of the universe. The widely accepted theory in physics about the formation of the universe is the so-called “Big Bang” theory. However, the theory is still being questioned both in its detail and its essential correctness. We can obtain some insights from this theory without necessarily accepting this theory in its entirety.

佛家講：宇宙本來的狀態（在佛經上用「自性」或「佛性」或「心性」來表達），並無形相，但確實存在，不得已才稱之為「空」。打個比方說就容易理解，這個「空」就好比是磁鐵的磁性，磁性是看不見、摸不著的，但你不能說它沒有，學過物理的人都知道，磁性的作用極大，發電機與電動機都因磁力而顯功用。佛家用「八不」來表達這種狀態「不生不滅，不常不斷，不一不異，不來不去。」（「不來不去，不常不斷，不垢不淨，不增不減。」）它是活的，有智慧，有德能，佛家認為這種空靈能現妙有，能現宇宙萬物之相。佛在三千年前就指出這種空靈是我們的心性。《首楞嚴經》云：「諸法所生，唯心所現，一切因果，世界微塵，因心成體。」這裡講的「心」，就是自性，就是本來面目。它的德能是見聞覺知，所以它現的物相也有見聞覺知。最近，日本東京的科學工作者 江本勝博士經過八年對水的微觀觀察，發現水的結晶體的形狀能隨著人的思想語言而變化。善心善言對水，水的結晶體形狀就很美麗。惡意惡語對水，水的結晶體形狀就很醜陋。證明水也能見聞覺知，而實際上所有的東西都能見聞覺知，這是能生萬法的自性所本具的德能。佛經上講，萬法唯心所現，唯識所變，所以我們應當常存好心，能使身體細胞乃至宇宙萬物也變得美好。佛的這個解釋比太空物理學家的解釋更具體了。

 

According to the Big Bang theory, our universe was created somewhere between 10-15 billion years ago from a cosmic explosion that threw matter in all directions. Before the explosion, there was no “space” or “time.” Such a state is far removed from anything we know. Even the laws that govern the universe become totally obscure to scientists.

The Buddha used the terms “unthinkable” and “inexpressible” to describe this state. In fact, this state is beyond our comprehension. Dr. Odenwald admits “What this means to us may never be fully understood.” But the Buddha did not imply that we should not attempt to “understand” or “observe” this state. The method we should use is “not to think,” that is, meditation or deep concentration without any wandering thought. In deep concentration, there are no obstacles. At this moment, the true nature of ourselves and the universe come forth. This level is called “the pure state of enlightenment.”

現在我們來看看科學家認為的宇宙形成的那一剎那是什麼樣子的。科學界目前廣泛所接受的是所謂「宇宙大爆炸」的形成理論。然而這個理論仍然有許多值得懷疑的地方，我們不必討論這個理論是否完全正確無誤，而著重在從理論中得到一些領悟。

根據大爆炸的理論，我們的宇宙是在大約100至150億年以前在一個宇宙大爆炸中產生的。大爆炸以前，沒有空間，也沒有時間。那一種狀態不是我們可以想像出來的。就連許多宇宙的定律在當時也不適用。佛用「不可思議」來描述這種狀態，而科學家也承認這種狀態我們可能永遠不能用思維去理解。佛告訴我們的意思，不是說我們不能理解或觀察這種狀態，然而，佛教我們用「不思不議」的禪定方法，在精神意志深度集中時，所有的念頭都放下，這時一切障礙我們瞭解真相的東西都去除了，那麼宇宙的本來面目便完全顯現，這種境界稱為「明心見性」，《楞嚴經》上講的「淨極光通達」。

 

So how big was our universe when it was born? According to scientists’ calculation, the size of the universe at that moment was equal to 10-33 centimeters. That is, 0.000.0001 (33 zeros) centimeters! Such a number is so small that it is merely a mathematical concept and can never be grasped by our common thought.

Consider this analogy. Suppose the thinnest body hair has a diameter of 0.01 millimeters. If this pre-universe particle can somehow be stored in a thin hair, how many particles can you store across the hair’s diameter? You can store one million trillion trillions of particles across the diameter of your single hair! It is amazing that our infinite universe once contained the same information as that tiny particle did. This information includes everything in the universe in the past, present, and future, including you and me! It is more amazing that a hair can potentially accommodate that many universes! No wonder Buddha Shakyamuni told us: “There is no difference between the infinite and the infinitesimal. Incalculable number of universes can emerge from a single pore!”

那麼我們的宇宙在出生之前有多大呢？根據科學家的計算，宇宙的大小當時只有10-33厘米。即0.00…001（33個0）厘米。這一個極微小的數字無法用我們常規思維去想像。打個比方來說，如果我們頭上一根頭髮直徑是0.01毫米，切取這根頭髮的直徑平面，將這個宇宙原點放入我們的這個頭髮中,可以在這根頭髮的直徑距離上平行放置多少個這樣的原點呢？（注意：是毛髮的直徑距離上，而非長短距離上。）通過計算，我們可以放置一百萬億億億個這樣的宇宙原點！

要知道，我們目前廣袤的宇宙所蘊藏的全部資訊原本存在於這樣小的微粒之中！這些信息包括宇宙中所有的時空，所有的星系，包括過去、現在、未來，也包括你跟我！令人瞠目結舌的是，我們身上的一根毛髮竟能包容這麼多億億億個宇宙！難怪佛給我們講，「大小不二，大小平等」，《華嚴經》中講的「一多相容」。原來，無限大和無限小是沒有差別的。佛常講，不可計數的世界國土可以從一個人的汗毛孔中現出來。我們也可以從身邊的例子中理解「大小不二」，例如：澳洲淨宗學院圖書館所藏的一套大藏經有八十多冊。我們知道，現在有大藏經的CD，僅兩片而已。八十多冊的大藏經體積很大，兩片CD的體積很小，然而它們所容納的信息卻完全相同，這便是「大小不二」。

 

Another amazing phenomenon relates to the speed of the expansion from this tiny particle to a huge universe. Space scientists told us that the particle expanded at an increditably high speed: 1059 times bigger in every second. That means, within less than one thousandth of a second, the particle had grown to a size bigger than our present solar system! The formation of our universe takes only an instant! This scientific finding verifies what the Buddha had stated in the Sutra: the formation and extinction of universes takes only an instant.

另一個不可思議的現象是，從這個小微粒擴張成大宇宙，所需的時間極其的短促。太空物理學家告訴我們，在10-33秒內，這個微粒擴張了1026倍。按這樣的擴張速度來講，在千分之一秒內，這個極小的微粒已擴張成比目前我們的太陽系還要大！我們平時看電影，電影機的底片每1／24秒換一張，我們已無法覺察畫面的分斷了。千分之一秒比1／24秒更短好多倍，我們何以能覺察呢？

宇宙的產生原來是瞬間完成的！釋迦牟尼佛也在經上曾講大千世界「一時頓現」。那麼，「一時頓現」是什麼時候呢？正是當下！一時頓現宇宙全體，頓現之後，馬上又頓時消失。舉個生活中的例子容易理解，在黑暗的大廳裡一開燈，廳內全景一時頓現,一關燈，全景頓消。《首楞嚴經》云：「當處出生，隨處滅盡」，此之謂也。

 

In short, according to modern cosmology, the genesis of our entire universe is as follows. In the beginning there was “nothing.” Then, suddenly a tiny particle appeared. This tiny particle took an unimaginably short instant to form our entire universe. Currently, scientists do not have a meaningful explanation of this tiny particle and only have a subtle mathematical description. Buddha Shakyamuni told us that this tiny particle is actually one’s smallest wandering thought rising from the pure mind. In an instant, this wandering thought forms the entire universe.

所以，現代科學講的宇宙起源可歸結如下：宇宙原本是「空」，在「空」中忽然產生了一個微粒，微粒在瞬間形成了宇宙，而從此便開始不斷的向無限推展。由宇宙原點變成大千世界。對於這個原點，現代科學只有一個數學的描述，並不知道它到底是什麼。而佛明白的告訴我們，這個微粒是一種無明妄動的幻相。本來是清淨無有一物的，忽然起了妄想，產生幻相，從而由細的幻相進入粗的幻相，世界宇宙隨之展開。正如馬鳴菩薩在《大乘起信論》中開示的「無明不覺生三細，境界為緣長六粗。」而整個宇宙是本來無所有，實際不可得，當下畢竟空。

 

Finally, when asked about other universes, Dr. Odenwald answered that according to General Relativity, our universe represents everything, including all space, time, and galaxies. Other universes are of totally different space and time completely outside our own. Those universes do not now, or ever will in the future, have any “physical” contact with our universe. From our perspective, these other universes are literally on the other side of eternity and infinity from our perspective. Buddha Shakyamuni also said that incalculable universes exist in numerous different dimensions but we human beings are unable to see them because our wandering thoughts, differentiation, and attachments block our vision. When we let go of our

wandering thoughts, differentiation, and attachments, we will be able to clearly observe all the universes.

 

最後，有人問到我們宇宙以外的其它的宇宙時，美國NASA太空物理學家這樣回答「根據廣義的相對論，我們的宇宙代表了一切萬事萬物，包括了時間空間，包括了所有的星系乃至我們尚未發現的太空。其他的宇宙代表了完全不同維次的時空。那些其它的宇宙現在或將來都無法與我們有物理性的交流。它們簡直就是在無限與永恆的另一邊，無法用我們的觀察而達到的。」

釋迦牟尼佛在《華嚴經》裡為我們介紹說，宇宙與宇宙是重重無盡的，而我們之所以不能看到其它宇宙，是由於我們的妄想執著擋住了我們的視野。如果我們能將妄想執著通通放下，我們便能清楚地看到所有的宇宙，因為它們都是真心自性變現的現象。佛就是具有這種能力的人。在不起心不動念，不分別不執著的時候，心地極真誠清淨平等慈悲，「淨極光通達」，便是「此方即極樂世界，極樂世界即此方」。

 

Summary

Let us summarize the points we have discussed here.

First, distance and time are illusions of human beings. Under some conditions, space and time can vanish. You can appear in many places at the same time and you can observe the past, present, and future at the same instant.

Second, things can be created from nothing. Objects can appear from vacuum. Pure energy can be converted to mass and vice versa.

Third, the origin of the universe is an extremely tiny particle. It takes an extremely short instant for this tiny particle to expand into the huge universe.

Despite the significant progress in modern cosmology research, the universe still remains extremely profound to human beings. The more phenomena that scientists discover the more they realize how little they know about the universe. Three thousand years ago, Buddha Shakyamuni not only explained the true phenomenon of this entire universe but also showed us ways to attain the ultimate wisdom that will enable us to see it all very clearly. It is unfortunate that our scientists have not studied Buddhism. Otherwise, modern science would have even more advanced achievements. We strongly believe that as science advances, more facts taught by Buddha Shakyamuni will be proven.

現在來總結一下以上討論的幾個要點：

第一，空間與時間僅僅是人的錯覺。在某種條件下，空間與時間都可以消失。你可以從不同地方同時出現，而過去現在未來可以在當下同時見到。

第二，無中可生有。物質可以從空無中變現出來。純能量可以轉換成物質，物質也可以轉換成能量。

第三，宇宙是從一個極微小的原點，在瞬間變現出來的。物理學家推證宇宙的產生，是頓現的。而要見到這個事實真相，必須真正放下妄想、分別、執著。

雖然，目前太空物理學的研究已相當深入，但是浩瀚的太空對科學家來說仍是一個很大的謎。科學家發現的愈多，愈感到對宇宙的認識微不足道。而三千年以前，釋迦牟尼佛不但為我們揭示了宇宙的真相，而且為我們指出了證悟宇宙真相的方法。

誠如 淨空老法師所感嘆的，可惜現代的科學家沒有學習佛法，否則科學將會有更突破性的進步。我們深深相信和殷切盼望，隨著科學的發展，佛所說的許多宇宙人生的真相會逐步被證實。

 

We conclude our paper with a quote made by Albert Einstein, the “Father of Modern Science.”

“The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal god and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual and a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism.”

-- Albert Einstein

 

最後讓我引用現代科學之父的 阿爾伯特•愛因斯坦的一段話，作為總結：

「未來的宗教將是宇宙的宗教，他應當超越個人化的神，避免教條和神學,涵蓋自然和精神兩方面。它的根基，應建立在某種宗教意識上，這種宗教意識來源於宇宙萬物合而為一的體驗。佛教正是以上所描述的那種宗教。若問哪種宗教可以應付現代科學進展的需求，那麼這個宗教便是佛教。」

-- 阿爾伯特 · 愛因斯坦

 

今天再次感激 淨空老法師讓末學有這個機會向大家報告。也感謝現代物理學家研究的成果，幫助我們進一步瞭解宇宙的真相。由於末學對於太空物理學和佛法的認識都十分粗淺，報告中難免有錯漏不妥之處，敬請各位朋友們批評指正。也希望此報告能拋磚引玉，令十方大德人士參與研討。謝謝！

 

 

References

1. Acezel, Amir, 1999, God’s Equation: Einstein, Relativity, and the Expanding Universe, Dell Publishing.

2. Buddha Shakyamuni, The Buddha’s Teaching On The Sutra of Awakening To The Equanimity Pure Adornment of The Immeasurable Lifespan of the Great Vehicle.

3. Buddha Shakyamuni, Flower Adornment Sutra.

4. Clark, Ronald W., 1971, Einstein: The Life and Times by, published, Avon Books.

5. National Aeronautics and Space Administration online literature: http://www.nasa.gov

 

Brief Profiles of Authors

Dr. Maosen Zhong

Dr. Maosen Zhong is currently a Senior Lecturer of Finance at The University of Queensland Business School. Dr. Zhong obtained his doctoral degree in Finance from Louisiana Tech University (U.S.A.) in 1999. Prior to joining UQ, he was the Assistant Professor of Finance at Kansas State University and The University of Texas-Brownsville in the United States. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate finance courses. He has published 12 articles in international academic journals and made presentations at academic conferences world wide. Two of his papers were awarded “Best Paper Award” by professional associations in the U.S.A. He has studied Buddhism under Venerable Master Chin Kung for many years.

 

附：主講者簡介

鍾茂森博士，1973年出生於中國廣州市，1995年畢業於中國廣州中山大學嶺南學院經濟系，1997年獲美國路易斯安娜理工大學工商管理碩士（MBA），1999年獲金融博士學位。他曾在美國德州大學布朗斯威爾分校和肯薩斯州州立大學任金融助理教授，目前已經在美國和世界的金融、經濟學雜誌上發表了12篇學術論文，在美國和世界金融學術會議上發表了20篇論文，並兩次榮獲美國金融學術會議最佳論文獎，現任澳洲昆士蘭大學（The University of Queensland）商學院高級講師。他業餘時間喜歡修學佛法，在 淨空老法師門下學習多年。此文乃其於2003年7月4日，代表澳洲淨宗學院於昆士蘭省格裏菲斯大學出席「澳洲全國宗教研究會議」所發表。

 

 

編輯說明： 以上中文文字部分，會集自 「澳洲淨宗學會簡介 (中文版pdf檔)」（澳洲淨宗學會：http://www.amtb-aus.org/media/index.htm ）及 大方廣網站   http://www.dfg.hk/big5/index.htm 之會議文字紀錄。