Vajrayana cosmology 10 dimensions and string theory 10 dimensions?

thumbnail
Jano Pavuk, modified 5 Years ago at 12/8/18 2:14 PM
Created 5 Years ago at 12/8/18 2:14 PM

Vajrayana cosmology 10 dimensions and string theory 10 dimensions?

Posts: 53 Join Date: 11/6/17 Recent Posts
Hi all

it's is my understanding that Vajrayana "cosmology" talks about "the Buddhas (being) of "3 times and 10 dimensions". It is formulated this way also in one western Lama's English translation of 1st prelimanary exercise ("prostrations").

On the other hand, a very reasonable primer on string theory I watched recently, talks about string theory mathematics needing 10 dimensions in order to explain our ordinary reality of 4 dimensions (3 + time). 

Is there an essey or a paper by a scientist somewhere out there which would think about relationship between these 2 concepts?

Thank you and best wishes..
thumbnail
jonjohn, modified 5 Years ago at 12/9/18 9:41 AM
Created 5 Years ago at 12/9/18 9:41 AM

RE: Vajrayana cosmology 10 dimensions and string theory 10 dimensions? (Answer)

Posts: 91 Join Date: 3/24/17 Recent Posts
There is no relationship between these 2 concepts. It is just a meaningless appearence of the number 10 in two unrelated matters. In general, meditation does not provide knowledge about the physics or cosmology of the objective world (this is science's job) so be causious about accepting such relations. 
thumbnail
Chris M, modified 5 Years ago at 12/9/18 10:49 AM
Created 5 Years ago at 12/9/18 10:28 AM

RE: Vajrayana cosmology 10 dimensions and string theory 10 dimensions? (Answer)

Posts: 5117 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
In general, meditation does not provide knowledge about the physics or cosmology of the objective world (this is science's job) so be causious about accepting such relations. 

Well..... yes and no. First, I agree that there is no relationship between the 10 dimensions posited by string theory and Vajrayana cosmology.

However, meditation practice can reveal aspects of our experience that are in some ways related to how our habitual ways of perceiving aren't necessarily accurate. For example, we believe there are subjects and objects, things that are inside of us as opposed to being outside of us. We believe that there are coordinates, physical position and distance. We believe that there is a past, a present, and a future. We believe that there are permanent, unchanging things. Our meditation practice eventually shows us that these things aren't what we thought they were.

These are insights that relate solely to our subjective experience but they do bear some relationship to what physics, neurobiology and the other sciences are discovering about the universe and how we relate to it.
thumbnail
jonjohn, modified 5 Years ago at 12/9/18 3:20 PM
Created 5 Years ago at 12/9/18 3:14 PM

RE: Vajrayana cosmology 10 dimensions and string theory 10 dimensions?

Posts: 91 Join Date: 3/24/17 Recent Posts
"Our meditation practice eventually shows us that these things..."

Meditation shows us things about experiencial time, not the time of the physicists, and the same goes for the others (coordinates, distance, inside-out).  I agree that it reveals some objective truths (thats why i said "generally") about neurobiology and other things, but nothing close to a knowledge about the elementary particles or the nature of spacetime. I think that these are basic truths, nothing special.  
thumbnail
U Ba Fin, modified 5 Years ago at 12/9/18 10:33 PM
Created 5 Years ago at 12/9/18 7:26 PM

RE: Vajrayana cosmology 10 dimensions and string theory 10 dimensions?

Posts: 25 Join Date: 1/10/18 Recent Posts
Both ideas are facinating & I love a good philosophical theory. 

In comparing these two concepts please consider:
The theory of a 10 dimensional universe comes out of String Theory, from the field of physics, relating to the universe at a subatomic level (i.e. the universe of particles the size of a single atom or smaller).
 
Once we begin discussing physics of the universe at a level of larger than a single atom, the laws of Newtonian physics kick in & the laws of String Theory, quantum theory etc. are not relevant to that model for the universe. Just as Newtonian physics isn't relevant as a model when we discuss/study the universe at the level of quantum particles.
 
Consciousness is barely understood by science & there has never been any evidence of a particle relating to consciousness (at least not yet).
 
So to link these 2 ideas together science would have to first locate a particle relating to consciousness - which it might never do, because there may not be one. There is no evidence currently that conciousness has a fundamental particle. 
 
So at this stage I can't see how these two ideas could be linked.
 
But I love these kind of ponderings!

Breadcrumb