Meaning of life

 

Question : (Unedited)

What is the basis of happiness? and our place in the universe? what are we here for?

 

My comment:

 Hi A,

If you are very new to Buddhism, you will not be very happy with my answers, for we are used to the "heavenly" promises from other religions. Buddhist interpretations of existence and the universe are totally different from other religions.

What is the basis of happiness?  In common term, the basis of happiness is the presence of specific factors which make us happy.  The most classic example will be having lots of money.  Once this condition is present, the person will immediately feel a sense of happiness.  After a certain period, this condition of just having money is no longer the main factor for his happiness.  He will have to seek new factors to experience new happiness, like having a new house,  new cars, and other things.  Once these are fulfilled, the law of diminishing returns sets in.  These conditions which previously generate lots of happiness are now stale.  If no new conditions are satisfied, then the person will no longer experience the happiness again.  In short, "happiness" is a "conditioned" experience.  Without the prerequisite condition, happiness will not appear.  The Buddha warned that all conditioned things are transient, they cannot last forever.  Anyone who seeks or chases after happiness will be very disappointed in the end. However, this does not mean that a person should not be happy when conditions are right.  The warning is that at any time these happy conditions may change.  To an uninitiated person the absence of such happy conditions or the presence of negative conditions will trigger a state of unhappiness.  The wise Buddhist approach to life is to be contented with the things we have, be happy when conditions are right, and be careful when conditions are not right.  We have to ride through the waves of living conditions, the ups and the downs.  In so doing, we live a guarded contented life.

Our place in the universe is just like a minute speck of dust existing for just a fraction of a blink of the eyes.  If you go through a brief description on astronomy, you will know that the vastness of the universe is unimaginable; and the time frame is also beyond our reckoning.  We are here because of the phenomenon of attachment.  Just like a magnet, because of our ignorance to the real nature of our existence, we are bound by our desire to be attached to existence.  This existence actually has no real benefit.  The cycle of births and deaths keeps on repeating itself.

The cycle of existence

Question : (Unedited)

do buddhists believe in evolutionism or creationism ?.... im guessing evolutionism because the orgin of the world that buddha tought is that life evolved from simple to complex organisms over millions of years?

My comment:

Hi T,

Our present existence is but a cycle of "creation, evolution, and destruction". 　In astronomy, scientists could observe this "phenomenon" of creation, evolution and destruction of planets and stars. 　There is no beginning and end. 　It is a perpetual cycle. 　It has been like this in time immemorial and will be likewise forever, ad infinitum.

Within one cycle, there is the "creation" of world systems. 　Life appears from other planes of existence and evolves. 　The cycle will again go through the stages of "creation, evolution, dissolution, and destruction".

At this point in time, countless world systems go through the different phases of this cycle of existence. 　Ask any astro scientist and he will confirm this truth. 　The Buddha, with his mind power (omniscience) could see through all these phenomena.

The cycle of existence

Question :(Unedited)
do buddhists believe in evolutionism or creationism ?.... im guessing evolutionism because the orgin of the world that buddha tought is that life evolved from simple to complex organisms over millions of years?

My comment:

Our present existence is but a cycle of "creation, evolution, and destruction". 　In astronomy, scientists could observe this "phenomenon" of creation, evolution and destruction of planets and stars. 　There is no beginning and end. 　It is a perpetual cycle. 　It has been like this in time immemorial and will be likewise forever, ad infinitum.

Within one cycle, there is the "creation" of world systems. 　Life appears from other planes of existence and evolves. 　The cycle will again go through the stages of "creation, evolution, dissolution, and destruction".

At this point in time, countless world systems go through the different phases of this cycle of existence. 　Ask any astro scientist and he will confirm this truth. 　The Buddha, with his mind power (omniscience) could see through all these phenomena.

Agganna Sutta

Question : (Unedited)

Dear justinchoo,

    hello,its me again,I have just read the agganna sutta

and personally I don't think it shouid be taken literally.I

would like to know what is the orthodox view regarding the sutta.thanks!

Hi P...,

Actually, the different tenses used have baffled me.  This sutta is usually quoted to explain the evolution of the world and how beings first appeared and evolved through a very very long period of time.  The orthodox view, I suppose, is to interpret it in a broader perspective while retaining the evolution thesis.  (This is my personal opinion.)

I always have difficulties in reading and understanding the suttas.  The continual repetitions and difficult terms make it a very tedious exercise.  Personally, I make it very simple by just practising the Buddha's simple advice, that is, avoid doing evil, do good, and purify the mind.  Very simple instruction in very simple English.

Smile from justinchoo :-)

Intelligent Design?

Question:(Unedited)

I'm doing a paper for school about Intelligent Design and part of my research is to ask different religions what they think about evolution. I wanted to ask

What do buddhists believe about evolution?
If you had a child that asked you how old the universe was, how would you respond?

Thanks

My comment:

Hi,

Thank you for asking me.

What is "Intelligent Design" in the first place? Buddhists do not "believe" in anything. The Buddha advised his followers not to believe in anything without investigation and analyzes. In other words, we do not believe blindly, just because some "gurus", "saints", "holy books" or anyone for that matter said so. The Buddha's explanation of the universe 2500 years ago can be verified by modern scientific knowledge today. Please remember when the Buddha explained during his time, modern science did not yet exist. His knowledge was based on his supreme cultivation of his mind power; being able to penetrate into the "unknown" through the power of his mind; not by using the limited 5 sense faculties.

His first explanation of the universe was that it was ever-changing and not permanent. The universe is in perpetual motion and perpetual change. Nothing in this world is static and permanent. The universe is also subject to this evolution. There are 4 stages in the evolution of the universe. The state of formation, the state of evolution, the state of degeneration, and the state of destruction. Following the state of destruction, the state of formation begins again. Thus goes the cycle of creation, evolution, degeneration and destruction. This goes on ad infinitum.

The beginning and end of this process cannot be known, as there is no beginning and no end. This is the natural phenomenon of existence. The vastness of the universe has no limit, and the number of universes cannot be known. Science today has proven the Buddha's explanation of the universe.

"If you had a child that asked you how old the universe was, how would you respond?"
If you mean "child" as a very young person, then my answer would be "very very old".
If he is an intelligent adult, then based on the Buddha's explanation and modern science, he will realize that the question is very naive.

Time : Follow-up question

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simpologist/16734948/

Question: (unedited)
What you told me is true. I just want to know how does buddhist philosophy explain the sensation of time? Since nothing is changing, that would mean that time could be described as a 4 dimensional static space and for each moment there would be a totaly different consciousness for each creature . But if you were to travel through infinite space you could also find a "past you"(since there are infinitely many things in infinite space) , so there would be no reason for time, that is, if space could hold all possible moments. So, infinite time and infinite space form a paradox. How is my consciousness structured so that it gives the illusion of time (and space) as it is perceived ?

My comment:
Hi,

There is a slight confusion here. I must have accidentally clicked the wrong button, a few moments ago. Also you should have received my message 24 hours earlier if not for the power failure at my place which completely wiped out my data. By the time power was restored, it was too late to reply. All right, let's get down to work.

I thought you told me that you were a simple man seeking simple answers. Now you are asking extremely difficult questions which I don't think I could find direct answers from the Buddhist scriptures. Just the same, I shall try my best to comment on your queries. But be forewarned; you might get more confused in the end; for sure I would.

Your first comment: " I just want to know how does buddhist philosophy explain the sensation of time? Since nothing is changing, that would mean that time could be described as a 4 dimensional static space and for each moment there would be a totaly different consciousness for each creature."

In fact everything IS changing. Only "change" is not changing. This is the first of the Buddhist trilogy of the phenomena of the world. Everything is changing such that nothing is permanent. Because of this impermanence, the whole nature of things cannot last forever. The only permanent thing is impermanence itself. Our consciousness is not a permanent unchanging entity. You have a good point in identifying that "for each moment there would be a totally different consciousness for each creature". The Buddha revealed that this consciousness is a process. It is not static; that is why we do not subscribe to the idea of a permanent soul. This consciousness is in a state of flux; each moment is a different entity in itself, and yet there is this continuity.

The Buddha described this continuing process as "neither totally different nor exactly the same". Our lives are actually a process of momemt-to-moment consciousness.

Your second comment: "But if you were to travel through infinite space you could also find a "past you"(since there are infinitely many things in infinite space) , so there would be no reason for time, that is, if space could hold all possible moments."

An astrophysicist explains the nature of time in relation to space, which I quote, "The light coming from distant objects in space is made up of a tremendous number of tiny particles called 'photons'. This light from our reference point, has travelled for millions and even billions of years. But from the standpoint of these photons travelling at light speed, TIME is zero. From the viewpoint of these photons, they just departed from the source less than an instant ago! Because time slows down the faster you go, and at lightspeed, time becomes zero. So no time passes for those photons....they just left the source as far as from their viewpoint is concerned. Because they travel at lightspeed, a magical clock onboard a photon, it would show no time has elapsed since its creation, no matter how long it seems to us!"

So, coming to your last comment, infinite time and infinite space form a paradox, seems to be quite true from the above scientific explaination. As the Buddha pointed out there is no beginning and there is no end....there is NO time!

Your last question: "How is my consciousness structured so that it gives the illusion of time (and space) as it is perceived?"

Precisely what the Buddha was trying to teach us. Our deluded mind through ignorance is being deceived to think that there is substance in us and the objects that we see. In the final analysis, the Buddha revealed the truth of this world, this life, and this universe.....They are all empty processes.

Time

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikvanhannen/537167308/

Question:(unedited)

Please tell me why is there no accurate explanation for time in buddhist philosophy ? The world is nicely explained as manifestation of mind, but i couldn't find any explanation for time except "continuous flow". I hope you can give a simple answer, for a simple man. thank you for your time

My comment:
Thank you for asking me.

By the way, I am also a simple man, just like you. I shall try to give a simple answer. In fact if you care to read my answers in the "previously asked question" page, you will find that all my answers were simple and down-to-earth.

Time is a concept "invented" by man to indicate a point in time. It was also natural that since time immemorial, man could see the sun rose and set, seasons changed. With the identification of those physical changes, the concept of time naturally occured. Now if we were to explore space, we would notice that there is no end to our journey. And if were to trace back to the origin of "creation" we would find that a beginning cannot be established. If there is no beginning and no end, how can we have TIME?

Please come back if you need to, happy thinking.

Rebirth and Population Increase

NGC 4414, a typical spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, is about 17,000 parsecs in diameter and approximately 20 million parsecs distant. Credit:Hubble Space TelescopeNASA/ESA.

Today's question was submitted by one of my blogosphere's friends with a "nick" called A True Malaysian. He has requested me to post it here.

Question: (unedited)

I am a believer of reincarnation, rebirth. Someone has posed me a question that if reincarnation, rebirth has any truth, why human population in the world keep increasing? By right, if every everyone of us is subject to this cycle of life, total population in this world supposed to be a constant. Of course, you may argue that other living beings like animal and insect can be reborn into a human and vice-versa, where the % of insect / animal reborn into human is greater than human reborn into insect / animal due to good karma that these living being accumulated from their past life. Still, I am still blur on this.

My comment:

"A True Malaysian",

Surprise, surprise!! You have visited my blog, now you are in my room!! Very good.You have partly answered the question yourself. Other life forms can be reborn as humans. There are another two areas. The first one is that you must realize that the universe is so huge, beyond human reckoning. There are life forms in other world systems as well. In the context of space travel, time and distance are non-events, meaning, they cease to exist.

The other sphere where lives exist are in a different dimension. The Buddha revealed that there are 31 planes of existence. Humans and animals are two of the 31 planes. There are heaven and hell planes in different dimensions which we can't see.

Having answered that, you may like to pose a counter question to your friend, "What then do you think would be the answer?"

Hope this helps.(You are welcome to ask as many questions as you like and as often as you want. I am here specifically for this purpose...answering questions on Buddhism.)

Take care.

Extraterrestrials

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markusram/1378075715/

Question: (unedited):
How do Buddhists view extraterrestrials? The possibility of life elsewhere in the universe? Thank you very much!

My comment:
The Buddha’s explanation of the universe was what the present scientists found out to be. He divided the process of "creation" (for lack of better word) into four stages...formation, existence, degeneration, and destruction. Upon destruction, all the material elements returned to their original base elements, and after a long long time, they began to group together and the process of formation would start again. So you can understand, that the whole process is a cycle, and has no beginning or ending. These forces of "formation, existence, degeneration and destruction" are universal throughout the entire cosmic space which has no ending. Time is a non factor, it has no meaning in this cosmic display of life cycle. Space is also a non entity; it is just void.

At any point in time there is this incessant cycle of creation, existence, degeneration and destruction of stars, planets, and even galaxies! Space has no ending, which can be better described as void. The Buddha called our galaxy, Cakkavala. Cakka meaning wheel or spiral. Our galaxy is spiral in shape. The whole universe, the Buddha called it Loka Dhatu, meaning, world of elements. In this endless void, there exists countless galaxies. The size and distance of these galaxies are beyond our human imagination and understanding! Our earth world is just an insignificant speck of dust in this whole unimaginable universe of cosmic existence! As a law of probability alone, if such an insignificant speck of dust can support life, what about the others in this gigantic display of cosmic drama! The answer to both your questions is that Buddhists know that there exists extraterrestrials; but very very very far away.

In many of the Buddha's discourses there was always the mention of beings from 10,000 world systems gathered to listen to him. The Buddha also revealed that in our world alone there were 31 planes of existence (life forms). Humans and animals are 2 planes that we can see. The others, such as ghosts and higher plane beings, we cannot see with our limited vision. All are subject to this universal cycle of formation, existence, degeneration, and ultimate destruction; and the cycle repeats itself ad infinitum.

Beginning of the world (Comment)

There cannot be a beginning or an end. It is a cycle of "forming, existing, dissolving, and disappearing". My comment as below:

You would be surprised to know that what the Buddha had revealed about the nature of the universe, the scientists have just discovered to be true! Astro scientists have discovered that the whole universe is ever expanding and always in motion. There is also this incessant cycle of creation of stars, existence of stars, degeneration of stars, and the ultimate death of stars. And the cycle continues ad infinitum. You can get a clearer understanding of the nature of the universe in the "astronomy" sites. This was exactly what the Buddha revealed over 2500 years ago, without the aid of any telescope.

In essence, the Buddha revealed that there is no beginning and no end. There is also no time frame in the true nature of things. Ask any astro scientist and he will confirm this for you. The Buddha at times refused to answer this type of question because there were many (and still are) who could not understand this concept of "no beginning and no end". The Buddha not only revealed the creation of this world, but also revealed the cosmic creation of the whole universe. He also revealed the beginning of life forms as well as humans. He divided the process of "creation" (for lack of better word) into four stages...formation, existence, degeneration, and destruction. Upon destruction, all the material elements return to their original base elements, and after a long long time, they begin to group together and the process of formation starts again, and the cycle continues.

So you can understand, that the whole process is a cycle, and has no beginning or ending. These forces of "formation, existence, degeneration and destruction" are universal phenomena throughout the entire cosmic space which has no ending. Time is a non factor, it has no meaning in this cosmic display of life cycle in enormous scale.

Beginning of the world (Question)

A lot of Buddhists still do not know the Buddha's explanation of the beginning and end of the world. This person wanted to know as well:(unedited)

[Some people believe in the Big Bang theory, others in Creation as described in Genesis in the Bible. What is the Buddhist belief on the creation of the world?]

Do you think there is a beginning of this world and an end to this world? My comment to-morrow.