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| Monday, 16 February 2004 |
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Space exploration - a Buddhist view: What the ancients knew about planet Mars by A.G.S. Kariyawasam In Buddhist literature the Pali and the Sanskrit term loka implies the limitless cosmos in its entirety as a cosmographic concept, which comprises innumerable solar-systems or loka-dhaatus or chakkavaalas, a unit of which is explained in the Anguttara Nikaya in extension as "the area covered by the movement of a sun and a moon" (A.I. 227 PTS). Buddhist cosmography also accepts these solar-systems, to designate which the term lokadhaatu is used, to be innumerable as components of the infinite cosmos or loka. Ascending order In enumerating and expressing these endless solar-systems the Buddha has adopted a system by grouping them into a three-fold division in an ascending order of magnitude with vast round numbers of them comprising a single collection. Accordingly, a collection of one-thousand solar-systems is regarded as the first grouping under the designation "the thousand-fold lesser world-system" (sahassi-chuulanika-lokadhaatu). As the initial grouping it is comparatively small (chuulanika) with only one-thousand solar-systems comprising it. The second grouping is bigger than the first as the middling group with one-thousand units of this first group under the name "the second thousand-fold middling world-system" (dvi-sahassi-majjhimaka lokadhaatu). The third and the final grouping comprises a thousand units of this second group and is known as "the third thousand-fold mighty world-system" (ti-sahassi-mahaasahassi-lokathaatu). Infinite space World-systems comprising these three-fold groups continue extending ad infinitum into the infinite space. It is quite noteworthy that this system of expression utilized by the Buddha in explaining the infinite cosmos corresponds exactly to the modern concepts of galaxies and the Milky Way. It becomes obvious that the Buddha had quite a clear understanding of them and has expressed them in a clear-cut methodical manner.
However, it should be noted that the Buddha, after putting forth this comprehensive and clear picture regarding the cosmological world concept, stopped his speculations at this point because it would be quite a futile exercise to continue searching any further in their investigation as the story will be one of endless repetition of what is already known. Now the account so far given is as far as the physical worlds are concerned in the spatial sense. A question can arise as to the type of people inhabiting them. Briefly stated, the explanation here would be that each solar system has an inhabited planet within its area of influence and such planets can be in varying degrees of civilization, some more and some less advanced than ours. Among them there may be worlds in which Buddhas are alive presently too or some may be technologically for ahead than us. Such possibilities are immense. With this much of knowledge the Buddha put a fullstop to the chase after knowledge pertaining to extra-terrestrial world systems, as earlier mentioned. Discouraging others also going further in these matters, the Buddha maintains that man's main concern should be to solve the problem of suffering involved in sansaric life. Here there is a relevant story regarding a person named Rohitassa, a devaputta or a demi-god. He once visited the Buddha at Jetavana and asked if one could reach the end of this world by travelling where human suffering would be absent. He also confessed that in a previous life he had great psychic power and was able to take vast strides extending from the western to the southern ocean. With such strides he continuously travelled for one-hundred years, but failed to reach the world's end free from suffering and fell dead in the process. The Buddha admitted his failure saying that as it is impossible to reach the world's end by travelling spatially, it is also impossible to release oneself from suffering without reaching the world's end. Immensity of the world As a solution to this enigma he explained that in this fathom-long human body itself is found the world its origin and its cessation too, if only one follows his teaching (S.T. 61). As it is impossible to grasp the immensity of the world even by speculation let alone by travelling across it, the Buddha calls it an unthinkable concept (achintaniya: S. iv, 93) and one continuing to speculate on it would end up by becoming mad (A.II, 8). Man's insatiate thirst for knowledge, specially of the physical scientist, may prompt him to continue investigating these endless alien world-systems and gather more and more information out of curiosity, but from the Buddha's point of view such an effort is like a man wounded by an arrow keeps on inquiring about the type of the arrow and its shooter without pulling it out and freeing oneself from the pain and treating the wound. In an idiomatic use in English the term 'moon' refers to something hard to be attained. But this became belied with the man stepping into the moon. But today, man is trying to promise even more difficult Mars by invading it from a pre-prepared launching pad in the moon. The heading of human beings into different locations in the infinite cosmos as planned by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) headquarters in America is something unimagined in the past. Cosmological concepts In the cosmological background so far summed up above, what is intended presently is to put across to the reader the knowledge the ancients have displayed about these cosmological concepts in addition to what was earlier said here regarding the Buddha's understanding of these matters. Such details are still more interesting because they only confirm what the today's scientist discovers with his state-of-the-art technological instruments. The scientist's latest passion being Mars it is quite interesting to see how his modern knowledge is almost identical with that of the ancient Indian seer. It is only obvious that these seers had a full understanding about all the moments in detail in addition to what was said earlier as per the Buddha's knowledge. Let us confine ourselves to Mars as it is the point at issue presently. To begin with the ancients also call it the "red planet" by a number of Sanskrit epithets like "dressed in red" (raktaambara), "red-complexioned" (raktavapu), "blood-red" (lohitaanga or rohita), "of red charcoal" (angaaraka, from which term the Sinhala angaharu is derived). Sanskrit epithets Today's scientists believe that Mars could be a breakaway part from the earth, but they are not quite certain. But these seers knew this fact for certain without a shadow of a doubt because they have five Sanskrit epithets giving this sense: bhuumiputra, bhauma, kuja, dharanisuta and dharaasuta - all meaning "son of the earth". Also, in keeping with the modern view that the temperature of Mars "is often chill enough to freeze blood", the ancients gave it an epithet with this exact meaning when they called it heman, "the snowy one". In keeping with the major nature of this planet in many respects in relation to the other planets, they have called it "king of the planets", graharaaja. Another major divergence between the ancient and the modern is that the former knew for certain that the sun and the planets were all supportive of life on earth and as such none of them is inhabited. But the latter are still searching for life in them. Yet another difference is that the ancients were both astronomers and astrologers combined whereas the modern scientists who make these explorations are astronomers only. Heavenly bodies Thus the ancients basing themselves on their accepted premise that heavenly bodies are only supportive of life on earth, discovered how every heavenly body had some influence on earth-bound man. This is the origin of the science of astrology in its genuine scientific form. Confining ourselves to the influence of Mars on us it is quite noteworthy that the ancients have initially designated Mars as 'the auspicious one' most probably euphemistically because this planet is connected with war and violence as well, when badly positioned. Similarly they call it also as varaanga respectfully, meaning head', the most important of man's organs. When well-placed in a horoscope Mars gives strength to its possessor and hence he is called "bearer of strength" (shaktidhara), the "army man" (bhuja) or the "four armed one" (chaturbhuja). Similarly such a person's ageing is not apparent "remaining ever-young" (Kumaara): Mars makes him wealthy (dhanaprada) or when badly placed makes him poor (dhanahruth): well-placed Mars also gives good health (roganaashaka) and gives eye-sight as well (drushtikartaa): he makes such a person intelligent enough to gauge any situation (sarvakarmaavabodhaka) Planet Mars All the foregoing characteristics are part and parcel of our traditional lore according to which a well-placed Mars in a horoscope makes its possessor a fearless man of both mental and physical strength. Thus the Sri Lankan god of war, Skandha or the Kataragama deviyo, has as his allotted deity planet Mars in the scheme of allotting deities to planets. Even in the Western tradition Mars is the Roman god of war. Just mark the parallelism. The foregoing facts should provide a sound basis to make acceptable the traditional love built around the planet Mars, which of course is applicable to all the other planets as well. The purpose of this article is to show that what the modern scientists are presently discovering as "new knowledge" is not quite new as the ancient seers of India seem to have known better. As a yet another significant instance for this can be cited the case of the presence or the absence of water in this planet. The straightforward reply of the seer is a firm negative one, whereas the modern scientist is still "trying to ascertain". In conclusion the observation may be made that "Indian mythology can be called the mother of Western science". Sri Maha Bodhi Temple : Now a World Heritage Site by Upali Rupasinghe in New Delhi The Sri Maha Bodhi Temple at Buddha Gaya erected in the very place where Prince Siddharta attained Enlightenment or Buddhahood will be dedicated as a World Heritage Site on the 19th of February at an official ceremony attended by around 2,000 Buddhist delegates from all over the world. At the ceremony, there will be a special mention about Venerable Anagarika Dharmapala who resuscitated Sri Maha Bodhi Temple at Buddha Gaya and made it once more a hallowed place of worship for the World Buddhist Community. The heritage wing of the UNESCO listed the Sri Maha Bodhi Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in India as a World Heritage site in June, 2002. It was done after a five year survey on the importance of the temple.
Known in history as Maha Bodhi Maha Vihara, the monument is one of the 84,000 temples, stupas and other structures built by Emperor Asoka about 218 years after the Maha Parinirvana of the Buddha. One of the world's sandstone wonders, the temple's grandeur faded as time and nature to their toll and cracks appeared at several points on the walls. In 1935 earthquake worsened the plight. After UNESCO's declaration and dedication as a World Heritage Site, repairs and maintenance are all set to be handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India. In 1891, Anagarika Dharmapala visited Buddha Gaya Temple and after seeing the deplorable condition of the Most Sacred Place to Buddhism with absolute dedication resolved to start his great mission for the restoration of it. For the very purpose he established the Maha Bodhi Society and making it the front vehicle, he fought a legal battle which is now known as the famous Buddhagaya case. As a result of his struggle the Government of India handed over the management of the Temple to a committee comprising members from both Hindu and Buddhist religions. |
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