After reading the novel "Journey to the West", everyone knows that there is a saying that "one day in the sky, one year on the earth". The concept of time passage in many different time and space mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures first emphasizes that Buddhism does not have the saying that "one day in heaven and one year on earth", the four kings at the bottom of the twenty-eight days (the residence of the four heavenly kings) are all one day in heaven is equal to fifty years in the world, and the one day of the emperor (equivalent to the Taoist Jade Emperor) is equal to one hundred years in the world, and this view of time and space has a wonderful fit with the theory of relativity in modern physics. This paper will start from the Buddhist view of time and space, combined with Einstein's theory of relativity, and reveal the similarities and differences between the two in the understanding of time and space.
The Heavenly Palace of Buddhism
The Buddhist view of time and space
Buddhism believes that there are countless worlds in the universe, each with its own unique way of passing time. According to the Buddhist scripture Aham, a day in the heavenly realm may be equivalent to hundreds or even thousands of years on earth. For example, a day in the Heavenly Emperor of Taoism is equivalent to a hundred years on earth. This concept of time and space not only reflects the Buddhist understanding of the diversity of the universe, but also expresses the early Buddhist understanding of the relativity of time.
The division of the world in Buddhism is extremely complex, from the human world to the heavenly realm to the Pure Land, and each level has a different rate of time passing. Each level of sentient beings feels the same amount of time; In the Celestial Realm, on the other hand, the Celestial Beings perceive the passage of time relatively quickly. Buddhism believes that time is just an illusion set by people, and it is illusory. It has now been scientifically proven that time travels slower than on Earth on a high-speed spaceship.
The Buddhist view of time and space
The relativistic view of space-time
Einstein's theory of relativity was proposed at the beginning of the 20th century, providing a completely new concept of space-time for modern physics. The theory of relativity is divided into special relativity and general relativity, both of which involve the relativity of time and space.
Special relativity mainly discusses the phenomenon of time dilation in high-speed motion. According to the special theory of relativity, when an object moves at a speed close to the speed of light, its internal time-lapse slows down significantly, and the moving clock travels more slowly than a stationary observer. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in particle physics experiments, such as the significant extension of the lifetime of fast-moving particles in high-energy accelerators.
The general theory of relativity introduces the effect of gravity on time. According to the general theory of relativity, a strong gravitational field causes time dilation, i.e., in a strong gravitational field, time passes at a slower rate. For example, near the event horizon of a black hole, time almost stops. This theory is widely used in cosmology, such as explaining space-time phenomena near black holes and massive objects.
Einstein's theory of relativity
The Buddhist view of time and space bears striking similarities with the theory of relativity in some respects, although the starting points and backgrounds of the two are very different. Here are some comparisons between the two in terms of time and space:
Temporal relativity
Buddhism believes that time passes at different speeds in different worlds, which is similar to the relativity of time in the theory of relativity. One day of Tritian is equal to one hundred years on earth, similar to time dilation in high-speed motion or slowing down in a strong gravitational field. Although the Buddhist concept of temporal relativity is not quantitatively described in physical terms, it has something in common with the theory of relativity at a qualitative level.
Multi-dimensional spatial concept
Multi-dimensional worldview
Buddhism refers to worlds in countless spatial dimensions, each with a different way of time passing. The theory of relativity and modern cosmology also support the multiverse theory, which states that the universe may be made up of an infinite number of parallel universes, each with its own laws of physics and the way time passes. This concept of many worlds is embodied in both Buddhism and modern physics.
The strong gravitational pull slows down time
Gravitational force and time
The general theory of relativity states that gravity affects the speed at which time passes. In Buddhism, time passes at different rates in the human and celestial realms. "One day in heaven, a hundred years on earth." In scientific theory, the place where the celestial beings are located is either a planet moving at high speed, or a planet with a much larger mass than the earth, so that time is particularly slow compared to the earth, because gravity slows down time.
Differences with philosophical reflections
Despite the similarities, the Buddhist view of time and space is also significantly different from the theory of relativity. The theory of relativity, based on rigorous mathematical and experimental verification, is a fundamental theory in physics; The Buddhist view of time and space is more the result of philosophical and religious thinking, and lacks the scientific empirical basis of physics. Buddhism is concerned with the cycle of life and karma, while the theory of relativity is a description of the basic laws of the material world. The starting point and purpose of the two are different, but in terms of describing the relativity of time, it shows the deep thinking of human beings about the nature of time and space.
The Buddhist view of time and space
conclusion
By comparing the Buddhist view of time and space with Einstein's theory of relativity, we can see that although one is a traditional religion and the other is a modern physical science, they have similar views on the understanding of the relativity of time. This similarity demonstrates a certain resonance between religion and science in the exploration of the nature of the universe. Buddhism revealed the diversity of the universe and the relativity of time through philosophical and religious reflections, while the theory of relativity revealed the essential properties of time and space through scientific experiments and mathematical derivation, laying the foundation for the development of modern physics. The combination of the two not only enriches our view of the universe, but also stimulates us to further explore and think about the mysteries of time and space.