Comparing the scientific method, with its premise of objectivity, to the process of spiritual inquiry, examining our consciousness, is a bit analogous to comparing a gold coin and virtual crypto currency. Scientists themselves also raise questions with regard to “consciousness” within nature and creation itself. But really, might these processes be two sides of the same coin? How could scientific discoveries and the history of science not be compatible with spiritual inquiry? In the end the key may lie within the two sided coin itself. This is not so much a philosophical talk about reality, nor does it delve far into metaphysics, but if one wants to go down that wormhole, check out the Wiki article on Reality as time and interest permit.
This talk is inspired by the reading of two very different texts. The first was written in 2021 by the well-know physicist Michio Kaku and is called the The God Equation. The second book is a Buddhist sutra, which was already in written form around 500 AD, translated by Red Pine (2012), called the Lankavatara Sutra.
Kaku’s book is largely a summary of major discoveries in physics, from pre-Newton to Einstein’s work, Quantum theory, cosmology and a plug for the as yet unproven String Theory or its cousin, M-Theory. It is also about the fundamental forces. He systematically describes historical discoveries and the hypothesis-proofs and emphasizes that the various scientific breakthroughs have technological counterparts, namely devices and systems that have improved or benefited humanity. Physicists speak a special language, one of mathematics. Kaku notes that all fundamental equations can be placed on one page. Those equations are an expression of the very fabric of what humans have discovered about the physical world. The book’s final chapter is entitled Finding Meaning in the Universe. Kaku’s quest, like Einstein’s, Hawking’s and others has been about a theory of everything. One final equation to connect all the other equations — “one ring to rule them all.” Unfortunately this has not yet been achieved, perhaps due to not having the physical tools to test the theories.
Kaku implies that this potential theory of everything equation might be called the God Equation, but also says that the meaning of the Universe includes the quest. He suggests an intelligence in the universe based on the brevity, symmetry and beauty of the currently completed basic equations. He writes: “The Universe is a remarkably beautiful, ordered, and simple place [!]. I find it utterly staggering that all the known laws of the physical universe can be summarized on a single sheet of paper. Given the utter brevity of this sheet of paper, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that this was all planned in advance, that is elegant design shows the hand of a cosmic designer. To me this is the strongest argument for the existence of God.“
Hawking, who did not believe in a God, described a possible perpetual “creation” in his “space-time-foam” model where there is a foam of tiny bubble universes continually popping up and disappearing back into the vacuum. Each bubble is much tinier than an atom, but once in a while, one of these bubble does not disappear back into the vacuum but continues to expand, until it inflates and creates an entire universe. For myself, while this could be a mechanism for “creating” universes , it does not sound appealing or complete. Kaku asks, “If all physical laws could be explained by the theory of everything, then where did that equation come from?” This is where we turn to the Lankavatara Sutra.
Buddhist Sutras are said to represent the teachings of Buddha. The basic premise of Buddhist teachings is that words can only point the way and that the essence of the teachings is ineffable. Words are then used skillfully to point the way.
I have to remind myself, again and again, that enlightened beings don’t fall into the category of the kind of consciousness most of us live in. It is easy to read sutras and then immediately place the information into “our box,” our limited way of seeing the Universe, rather than allowing the words to point toward an as-of-yet barely known place.
The Lankavatara Sutra’s primary teaching is that the external world may be viewed as nothing other than a projection of our minds, leading to perceptions and concepts, creating a separate self that either clings to or is repulsed by these projections and fabrications. The bottom line in the sutra is that the external world neither exists or not exists. This sounds a lot like Quantum theory where quantum particles pop in and out of existence. Maybe the gap between the two worlds has narrowed just a little bit as theories such as quantum mechanics are proven, and the box where we place things gets a bit clearer.
But what is the skillful teaching of the Lankavatara Sutra for one with a way seeking mind? In previous blogs I have talked about the the brain as a model and one can easily conclude that what a human being perceives is truly mind stuff, a model, a simulation of stuff that seems to be “out there.” This stuff is mysterious but science slowly is making sense out if it, albeit through the limited consciousness of human beings. This interesting piece on noumenon argues that despite the mind stuff aspect of reality, science works. In my opinion there seems to be a lot of hype that Buddhism and Zen, particularly, negate existence of an “external world,” at least within everyday life. Keep in mind that the Lankavatara Sutra was written largely “pre-science.” The “progress” of humanity, including science and technology, are nothing but part of the overall process of evolution. We can see a much more than in 500 AD.
So, Science has to objectify the world (and leave the mind stuff aspects of consciousness largely to others) and there are real results, breakthroughs and applications. But the Lankavatara Sutra says that nothing exists outside of Mind and for that matter nothing does not exist either. Back in the Buddha’s time he broke down “physical” things to four elements, namely earth, air, water and fire. He never denied that these things “were.” It is obvious that different states of consciousness exist as in the chant, “fire heats, wind moves, water wets and earth is solid.” But the skill of the Lankavatara Sutra lies in explaining that the essence of beings (we humans in this case) is non-physical. Then again tell a doctor performing surgery on you! Two sides of the same coin? And the real problem lies in that we think, as we live our lives on this planet, that we are a separate and permanent self (aspects of space and time); thus we continue to grasp and cling at this physical stuff which we can’t wrap our heads around and that so often slip through our fingers, causing us grief and sadness.
The ancient Chinese Zen Master, Huangbo said : “That Nature [absolute truth or Thusness] and your perception of it are one. You cannot use it to see something over and above itself. That Nature and your hearing of it are one. You cannot use it to hear something over and above itself. If you form a concept of the true nature of anything as being visible or audible, you allow a dharma of distinction to arise. Let me repeat that the perceived cannot perceive. Can there, I ask you, be a head attached to the crown of your head?”
Thus, we live in a place where science co-exists with the absolute. The two sides of the coin seem to be quite different, yet even Zen masters eat rice. Attempts to resolve the absolute into equations leads to discoveries and it is a slow, step by step process. That is the world we live in, or shall I say, that is the world we simulate and manipulate through our minds. It is really both, since there is empirical evidence of the forces of nature all around us, yet it is only through our minds that it becomes truly alive. The Zen teaching of form and emptiness being interchangeable may be applied here by substituting the word Mind for emptiness. By Mind with a capital M I refer to what the Buddha and Zen masters call the big Mind. It is the other side of the coin and in that place there is no existence nor no non-existence. Meanwhile we continue to live with our little minds and once in a while, through mindfulness, meditation, interactions with like-minded people, “good” and “bad” life events, and just everyday life, catch glimpses of Mind. Mind is the ineffable non-physical “suchness” that is the well-head for such things as love, poetry, kindness, evil and the source for a unifying equation representing the theory of everything, that perhaps someday humans will prove. I think that this equation will reflect the expansive flux of the Universe, the incredible fluid flow of change, and the ineffable beauty that accompanies this emptiness. It will be music. The equation will be our true Selves.
Little Known Mystic 