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One of the reason so many people support Buddhism is because rather than require its adherents to rely purely on faith, much of the Buddha's teachings and statements about life and the universe, which were radical ideas in his time, have been proven to be science fact today, and even more could be proven in the future as we learn to see our universe in ever more clear ways. Below are a few examples:
Einstein and Buddha on Time
Einstein was one of the smartest person that ever lived. To say his theory of relativity literally changed the world is not a hyperbole, as many of our notions of time matter and space were upended. However, as groundbreaking as Einstein's theories and research, they were not the first time such ideas were proposed. Although, not backed with scientific research, the Buddha made many of the same proclamations 2500 years before Einstein.
One example is Einstein's discovery that time is not absolute, but relative. Einstein proved that time can travel differently for different people under the right circumstances, for example, if someone is traveling at higher speeds time would move slower for them. Time also differs based on gravity, so a person with less gravity would experience time faster than a person with higher gravity. These theories prove that time rather than being a straight line is actually a product of spacetime, which we all experience differently based on our location in that spacetime. The Buddha made similar proclamations 2500 years ago when he described beings in the universe that have age spans literally thousands and millions of years long. Such things seem impossible, but when understood through the lens of spacetime, it is not only possible, but likely considering all the different environments in the universe.
Now some might say that Buddha was not speaking scientifically at the time, but was merely telling stories. That might be true, if not for the fact that all of his proclamations that were considered impossible before have all been proven possible under our modern science. And it must be remembered that although the Buddha had supreme wisdom on all things, he never intended to satisfy people's curiosities by describing the inner workings of the universe, his only concern was the salvation of sentient beings. So when he described what he knew about the universe it was through a religious lens not scientific. It is only today, that we can compare the two and marvel at the similarities.
Another element of spacetime is that it opens up the possibility of time travel. Einstein proved that moving at the speed of light, one can experience what we consider time travel. The Buddha made many declarations of time travel in his discourses, stating that there actually was no true distinction between past, present and future. The Buddha himself can travel throughout spacetime and see all past, present and future simultaneously. Thus, the Buddha was able to proclaim that Maireya Bodhisattva would become the next Buddha for our world billions of years later.
Quantum Entanglement
Quantum entanglement is a theory that goes against conventional wisdom and understanding of how things work. Simply stated, quantum entanglement proves that on a quantum scale small particles can interact with one another across large distances instantaneously. Currently, quantum entanglement was shown when an experiment was conducted separating a tiny particle into smaller particles going in separate directions. When separated, the smaller particles have no defined identity. What was astonishing was that once one particle was identified the other was similarly instantaneously identified, but before the identification, the particles contained no identity. What entanglement proves is that particles are connected by something unseen, and that something that happens to one particle can have an instantaneous affect on the other. Einstein referred to quantum entanglement as "spooky action at a distance." Today quantum mechanics is at the forefront of many new technologies and will likely be the future of computing.
For me, as a Buddhist, I feel something like quantum entanglement is one way that science can one day explain things like karma. If a particle can affect each other across vast distances, and we are all composed of particles, then why can't what we do affect others or ourselves across vast distances. And if we combine the science of quantum entanglement with the science of spacetime, then why can't what we do affect others and ourselves across time or lifetimes? If we are all composed of particles, and we absorb and disperse particles constantly, that can be how our karma can change. And as we are genetic results of our parents. that can explain how karma can pass down along generations in a family, as is believed in many cultures.
Tiny Science
Whether it's the science of small organisms or small molecules and atoms, the Buddha made many proclamations about the world that no one was able to see until 2500 years later with modern technology. One time the Buddha told a disciple that in a drop of water lived countless little "worms" what we would consider bacteria today. Other times the Buddha would tell disciples that it was possible to fit uncountable "worlds" on the tip of a hair. In the Avantamsaka Sutra it was written:
They encounter concentration on one atom
And accomplish concentration on all atoms,
And yet that particle doesn't increase;
In one are manifest inconceivable lands.
Of the many lands in one atom,
Some have Buddhas, some do not;
Some are polluted, some are pure;
some are large, some are small;
Some are forming, some are disintegrating;
Some are upright, some are sideways;
Some are like heat mirages on a vast plane;
Some are like Indra's net in the heavens.
What in one atom is manifest
Is also manifest in all atoms.
Today, should one who looks at an atom under a microscope would see something that resembled a miniature solar system, with a nucleus and electrons orbiting around it. And the Buddha often would compare the makeup of the smallest atom to that of the universe. And as science gets ever more advanced, mankind is able to keep breaking down matter into smaller and smaller units, just like how scientists keep discovering further and further reaches of the universe. At a time, when other religious leaders and scientists were sure that the earth was the center of the universe, the Buddha was talking about an unimaginable number of worlds large and small.
Additionally, in the Avatamsaka Sutra, the following quote appears: "What is the enlightening beings partial giving? They are benevolent and kind by nature and are very generous. If they receive food, they don't take it for themselves, they want to share it with others, and only then will they eat. The same applies to everything they ay receive. When they eat, they think- 'There are countless microorganisms in my body whose life depends on me. If my body is satisfied, so are they. If my body is hungry or in pain, so are they."
Newton's Third law: Action-Reaction
One of the basic principles of Buddhism is the idea of cause and effect or karma, that every action has an equal reaction. Although karma cannot be clearly seen in our daily lives, there is actually evidence of karma all around us. In the past humans believed that the present physical traits of a parent passes down to that of a child. However, that could not explain why a father who lost an arm in war could father children with two arms. It was not until the scientist Gregor Mendel, while experimenting with pea plants, that people first discovered the role of genes in inheritance. Today we know that our genes determine much of appearance and abilities, however, genes too cannot explain all our traits. Take for example the case of identical twins who share identical genes, but who are nevertheless different in appearance, personality and skill, despite sharing same circumstances. What then explains the characteristics we possess that are not determined by genes. Also take for example the case of child prodigies, people whose genius defies all explanations of genes and upbringing. William James Sidis was born in New York on April 1, 1898. He taught himself 8 languages by the age of 8 (Latin, Greek, French, Russian, German, Hebrew, Turkish and Armenian), in all he would learn 25 languages. He was the youngest person ever to enroll at Harvard at the age of 9. He would go to write numerous books on math and physics, including postulating on the existence of dark matter. Or take the case of Km Ung-Yong, born in Seoul, in March 8 1962. He once had the highest IQ ever recorded at 210. At one year old he learned Korean and Chinese. By the age of three he was solving calculus and publishing books and attending university! Today, he is a professor and researcher.
As we have seen that genes and upbringing cannot explain all the variations we see in people, so how can such genius be explained? Some might say they were divine gifts, others may same random luck. But a Buddhist would say that something that determines much of our existence in this life is the karma we carried over from a prior existence. The child geniuses are geniuses because they have built up an enormous storehouse of positive learning karma in past lives that have manifested in this one, in defiance of all proven scientific reasoning. How else can the likes of Mozart, who composed over 600 works before his death at the age of 35, other than them having some innate talents and knowledge that did not need to be taught, just "remembered." Perhaps in the future we will be able to trace ones past lives. As much as that seems outlandish today, imagine explaining the idea of genes to people 2500 years ago, and how people share 98.8% of the same DNA with chimpanzees, 90% with mice, 84% with dogs, and 65% with birds!
Astrophysics and Astronomy
It is easy today to see some of the ideas expounded by Buddha and say well that is a scientific fact, tell me something I don't know. But you need to look at things in context of his time which was more than 2500 years ago. In the Avatamsaka Sutra* written thousand of years ago the Buddha made the following statement when asked about the universe: "Children of Buddha, the oceans of worlds have various different forms and characteristics. That is to say, some are round, some square, some neither round or square. There are infinite distinctions. Some are shaped like whirlpools, some like mountains of flames, some like trees, some like flowers, some like palaces, some like living creatures, some like Buddhas. There are as many forms such as these as atoms in the ocean of worlds." Today, we know there are countless galaxies each containing countless worlds in our universe, of all different shapes and sizes, with our own milky way galaxy shaped like a whirlpool.
In addition to discussing the vast expanse of space Buddha also described the very smallest elements. In the same Avantamsaka Sutra, the Buddha said "In each atom of the lands of the cosmos rest the vast oceans of the world; Clouds of Buddhas equally cover them all, filling every place. Like the free action in one atom so it is in all atoms." Although there can be different interpretations of the quote, one interpretation is that the Buddha was describing the characteristics of the atom which we know today to be the small building blocks of matter, but yet even atom has vast spaces in them, and different things are made up of similar atoms. Further, atoms themselves are made up of ever smaller components which we are discovering every day. How this line of thinking plays in the ideas of Buddhism is up to the individual to decide, but I tend to take it as Buddha trying to explain to people that if we look vastly abroad into infinite space, or if we look into the smallest elements of matter, we see the same things, vast oceans of worlds, and everything we need to reach nirvana is within us.
*Cleary, Thomas The Flower Ornament Scripture a translation of The Avantamsaka Sutra (1993)
Holographic Universe
"A holographic universe, an idea first suggested in the 1990s, is one where all the information, which makes up our 3D ‘reality’ (plus time) is contained in a 2D surface on its boundaries Professor Kostas Skenderis of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Southhampton explains: Imagine that everything you see, feel and hear in three dimensions (and your perception of time) in fact emanates from a flat two-dimensional field. The idea is similar to that of ordinary holograms where a three-dimensional image is encoded in a two-dimensional surface, such as in the hologram on a credit card. However, this time, the entire universe is encoded!”*
Not being an astrophysicist, I have very little basis for stating whether such a theory is true, false, strong or baseless. But what is interesting to me as a Buddhist is that what these learned scientists are proposing sounds similar to the Buddha's claims that ourselves, our world, our universe, and in fact all things are in fact an illusion, a false facade hiding the real truth. Now the possibility that we are all made up of coded information on a 2D surface sounds insane to us, but so would saying we are made up of tiny atoms (hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and carbon) similar to those found in all sorts non living things, but today we know that in fact 99% of the body are made of those atoms. As the holographic universe is merely a theory at this point, I would not say it is confirmation of any Buddhist beliefs, but it is included as an thought-provoking note for those interested on the frontiers of modern physics.
*"Study Reveals Substantial Evidence of the Holographic Universe" University of Southhampton News. 31 Jan 2017
Einstein and Buddha on Time
Einstein was one of the smartest person that ever lived. To say his theory of relativity literally changed the world is not a hyperbole, as many of our notions of time matter and space were upended. However, as groundbreaking as Einstein's theories and research, they were not the first time such ideas were proposed. Although, not backed with scientific research, the Buddha made many of the same proclamations 2500 years before Einstein.
One example is Einstein's discovery that time is not absolute, but relative. Einstein proved that time can travel differently for different people under the right circumstances, for example, if someone is traveling at higher speeds time would move slower for them. Time also differs based on gravity, so a person with less gravity would experience time faster than a person with higher gravity. These theories prove that time rather than being a straight line is actually a product of spacetime, which we all experience differently based on our location in that spacetime. The Buddha made similar proclamations 2500 years ago when he described beings in the universe that have age spans literally thousands and millions of years long. Such things seem impossible, but when understood through the lens of spacetime, it is not only possible, but likely considering all the different environments in the universe.
Now some might say that Buddha was not speaking scientifically at the time, but was merely telling stories. That might be true, if not for the fact that all of his proclamations that were considered impossible before have all been proven possible under our modern science. And it must be remembered that although the Buddha had supreme wisdom on all things, he never intended to satisfy people's curiosities by describing the inner workings of the universe, his only concern was the salvation of sentient beings. So when he described what he knew about the universe it was through a religious lens not scientific. It is only today, that we can compare the two and marvel at the similarities.
Another element of spacetime is that it opens up the possibility of time travel. Einstein proved that moving at the speed of light, one can experience what we consider time travel. The Buddha made many declarations of time travel in his discourses, stating that there actually was no true distinction between past, present and future. The Buddha himself can travel throughout spacetime and see all past, present and future simultaneously. Thus, the Buddha was able to proclaim that Maireya Bodhisattva would become the next Buddha for our world billions of years later.
Quantum Entanglement
Quantum entanglement is a theory that goes against conventional wisdom and understanding of how things work. Simply stated, quantum entanglement proves that on a quantum scale small particles can interact with one another across large distances instantaneously. Currently, quantum entanglement was shown when an experiment was conducted separating a tiny particle into smaller particles going in separate directions. When separated, the smaller particles have no defined identity. What was astonishing was that once one particle was identified the other was similarly instantaneously identified, but before the identification, the particles contained no identity. What entanglement proves is that particles are connected by something unseen, and that something that happens to one particle can have an instantaneous affect on the other. Einstein referred to quantum entanglement as "spooky action at a distance." Today quantum mechanics is at the forefront of many new technologies and will likely be the future of computing.
For me, as a Buddhist, I feel something like quantum entanglement is one way that science can one day explain things like karma. If a particle can affect each other across vast distances, and we are all composed of particles, then why can't what we do affect others or ourselves across vast distances. And if we combine the science of quantum entanglement with the science of spacetime, then why can't what we do affect others and ourselves across time or lifetimes? If we are all composed of particles, and we absorb and disperse particles constantly, that can be how our karma can change. And as we are genetic results of our parents. that can explain how karma can pass down along generations in a family, as is believed in many cultures.
Tiny Science
Whether it's the science of small organisms or small molecules and atoms, the Buddha made many proclamations about the world that no one was able to see until 2500 years later with modern technology. One time the Buddha told a disciple that in a drop of water lived countless little "worms" what we would consider bacteria today. Other times the Buddha would tell disciples that it was possible to fit uncountable "worlds" on the tip of a hair. In the Avantamsaka Sutra it was written:
They encounter concentration on one atom
And accomplish concentration on all atoms,
And yet that particle doesn't increase;
In one are manifest inconceivable lands.
Of the many lands in one atom,
Some have Buddhas, some do not;
Some are polluted, some are pure;
some are large, some are small;
Some are forming, some are disintegrating;
Some are upright, some are sideways;
Some are like heat mirages on a vast plane;
Some are like Indra's net in the heavens.
What in one atom is manifest
Is also manifest in all atoms.
Today, should one who looks at an atom under a microscope would see something that resembled a miniature solar system, with a nucleus and electrons orbiting around it. And the Buddha often would compare the makeup of the smallest atom to that of the universe. And as science gets ever more advanced, mankind is able to keep breaking down matter into smaller and smaller units, just like how scientists keep discovering further and further reaches of the universe. At a time, when other religious leaders and scientists were sure that the earth was the center of the universe, the Buddha was talking about an unimaginable number of worlds large and small.
Additionally, in the Avatamsaka Sutra, the following quote appears: "What is the enlightening beings partial giving? They are benevolent and kind by nature and are very generous. If they receive food, they don't take it for themselves, they want to share it with others, and only then will they eat. The same applies to everything they ay receive. When they eat, they think- 'There are countless microorganisms in my body whose life depends on me. If my body is satisfied, so are they. If my body is hungry or in pain, so are they."
Newton's Third law: Action-Reaction
One of the basic principles of Buddhism is the idea of cause and effect or karma, that every action has an equal reaction. Although karma cannot be clearly seen in our daily lives, there is actually evidence of karma all around us. In the past humans believed that the present physical traits of a parent passes down to that of a child. However, that could not explain why a father who lost an arm in war could father children with two arms. It was not until the scientist Gregor Mendel, while experimenting with pea plants, that people first discovered the role of genes in inheritance. Today we know that our genes determine much of appearance and abilities, however, genes too cannot explain all our traits. Take for example the case of identical twins who share identical genes, but who are nevertheless different in appearance, personality and skill, despite sharing same circumstances. What then explains the characteristics we possess that are not determined by genes. Also take for example the case of child prodigies, people whose genius defies all explanations of genes and upbringing. William James Sidis was born in New York on April 1, 1898. He taught himself 8 languages by the age of 8 (Latin, Greek, French, Russian, German, Hebrew, Turkish and Armenian), in all he would learn 25 languages. He was the youngest person ever to enroll at Harvard at the age of 9. He would go to write numerous books on math and physics, including postulating on the existence of dark matter. Or take the case of Km Ung-Yong, born in Seoul, in March 8 1962. He once had the highest IQ ever recorded at 210. At one year old he learned Korean and Chinese. By the age of three he was solving calculus and publishing books and attending university! Today, he is a professor and researcher.
As we have seen that genes and upbringing cannot explain all the variations we see in people, so how can such genius be explained? Some might say they were divine gifts, others may same random luck. But a Buddhist would say that something that determines much of our existence in this life is the karma we carried over from a prior existence. The child geniuses are geniuses because they have built up an enormous storehouse of positive learning karma in past lives that have manifested in this one, in defiance of all proven scientific reasoning. How else can the likes of Mozart, who composed over 600 works before his death at the age of 35, other than them having some innate talents and knowledge that did not need to be taught, just "remembered." Perhaps in the future we will be able to trace ones past lives. As much as that seems outlandish today, imagine explaining the idea of genes to people 2500 years ago, and how people share 98.8% of the same DNA with chimpanzees, 90% with mice, 84% with dogs, and 65% with birds!
Astrophysics and Astronomy
It is easy today to see some of the ideas expounded by Buddha and say well that is a scientific fact, tell me something I don't know. But you need to look at things in context of his time which was more than 2500 years ago. In the Avatamsaka Sutra* written thousand of years ago the Buddha made the following statement when asked about the universe: "Children of Buddha, the oceans of worlds have various different forms and characteristics. That is to say, some are round, some square, some neither round or square. There are infinite distinctions. Some are shaped like whirlpools, some like mountains of flames, some like trees, some like flowers, some like palaces, some like living creatures, some like Buddhas. There are as many forms such as these as atoms in the ocean of worlds." Today, we know there are countless galaxies each containing countless worlds in our universe, of all different shapes and sizes, with our own milky way galaxy shaped like a whirlpool.
In addition to discussing the vast expanse of space Buddha also described the very smallest elements. In the same Avantamsaka Sutra, the Buddha said "In each atom of the lands of the cosmos rest the vast oceans of the world; Clouds of Buddhas equally cover them all, filling every place. Like the free action in one atom so it is in all atoms." Although there can be different interpretations of the quote, one interpretation is that the Buddha was describing the characteristics of the atom which we know today to be the small building blocks of matter, but yet even atom has vast spaces in them, and different things are made up of similar atoms. Further, atoms themselves are made up of ever smaller components which we are discovering every day. How this line of thinking plays in the ideas of Buddhism is up to the individual to decide, but I tend to take it as Buddha trying to explain to people that if we look vastly abroad into infinite space, or if we look into the smallest elements of matter, we see the same things, vast oceans of worlds, and everything we need to reach nirvana is within us.
*Cleary, Thomas The Flower Ornament Scripture a translation of The Avantamsaka Sutra (1993)
Holographic Universe
"A holographic universe, an idea first suggested in the 1990s, is one where all the information, which makes up our 3D ‘reality’ (plus time) is contained in a 2D surface on its boundaries Professor Kostas Skenderis of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Southhampton explains: Imagine that everything you see, feel and hear in three dimensions (and your perception of time) in fact emanates from a flat two-dimensional field. The idea is similar to that of ordinary holograms where a three-dimensional image is encoded in a two-dimensional surface, such as in the hologram on a credit card. However, this time, the entire universe is encoded!”*
Not being an astrophysicist, I have very little basis for stating whether such a theory is true, false, strong or baseless. But what is interesting to me as a Buddhist is that what these learned scientists are proposing sounds similar to the Buddha's claims that ourselves, our world, our universe, and in fact all things are in fact an illusion, a false facade hiding the real truth. Now the possibility that we are all made up of coded information on a 2D surface sounds insane to us, but so would saying we are made up of tiny atoms (hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and carbon) similar to those found in all sorts non living things, but today we know that in fact 99% of the body are made of those atoms. As the holographic universe is merely a theory at this point, I would not say it is confirmation of any Buddhist beliefs, but it is included as an thought-provoking note for those interested on the frontiers of modern physics.
*"Study Reveals Substantial Evidence of the Holographic Universe" University of Southhampton News. 31 Jan 2017