Time Dilation And Tao

[scameter]

In light of the current book by the Dalai Lama I am reading, The Universe in a Single Atom, and in light of what I have personally thought on Taoism, Buddhism, the New Physics, and philosophy, I would like to address here my personal thoughts on the correlation between Taoism, specifically the Tao, and relativity.

In reading the Lama's book, and in recently reading Thomas's post on this site on relativity and time dilation, I have begun to consider the relation between Taoism and relativity. In Taoism, the Yin and the Yang represent the opposites of existence, yet they exist also in smaller quantities within one another, forming a circle of continuous opposition between the two entities, forming a sort of circular harmony. In relativity, Einstein has attempted, as he said, to teach us the connection between the different descriptions of one and the same reality." This is easily synonymous to the Buddhist view expressed in the Lama's book, that there is indeed no individuality, that everything in existence is subjective and correlated in a sort of quilt with the entirety of existence and it's various aspects, the things we see being essential culminations of subatomic and particle compounds in various systems. The similarity I see here is in that the Tao expresses the ultimate interconnectedness and relation of all things, and as in quantum mechanics, there is an opposite to everything; if one thing is something, that it has a polar opposite definitely. I found this relation striking, in that in both Buddhism and, recently discovered for me, in Taoism there exist a very distinct relation to the New Physics, oddly reminiscient of the philosophers of the East's immense wisdom and perceptability. :)

[Thomas Knierim]

Yes, the parallels between 20th century physics and certain Eastern philosophical systems are undeniable. You might be interested in reading Dr. Fritjof Capra's The Tao Of Physics, which is an investigation of exactly that. The book was first published in 1975 and soon became a "classic". I remember having been quite taken by this text when I read it in the 1980s. It belongs to the influences that inspired this website. Unfortunately, the topic has been discovered lately by the new age movement. This resulted in a broad trivialisation during the past few years. The topic has been expatiated in the most shallow way, which is quite counterproductive.

Cheers, Thomas

[scameter]

Yes that is rather unfortunate, and I have been reccomended that book before, if I had the money I would most certainly acquire it; it sounds most interesting. :) Do you think Hinduism holds any parallels with modern science, or is it too religious?

[The Great Death]

it seems to me that mankind have always had a bit of an "unsaid knowledge" about the world we are in. (which isn't surprising since we ARE apart of it). this knowledge has definately "leaked" out through all religions in someway. science is just the practice of articulating this unsaid knowledge. observing the mechanics of reality. unfortunately, science will always only explain "how" and not "why". thats where theology comes in.

[scameter]

Wow, absolutely. We are most definitely apart of this world, and thus are attuned to it, but unfortunately over time we've lost some of that naturality in our attempt to produce more than is necessary physically, and ignoring the articulation of our mental capacities. Welcome to thebigview.com my friend. :)