August 23, 2024 at 9:28 pm
#51595
Keymaster
Taryal wrote: “I wonder why we haven’t and if we will ever encounter highly advanced humans from other solar systems.”
- The nearest cakkavāla (star with planets) is about four light-years away. That means a spacecraft traveling at the speed of light will take four years to get there.
- It is unlikely that even one-hundredth of the speed of light can be achieved for a spacecraft. So it will take 400 years to get to the nearest planetary system!
- I don’t understand why intelligent scientists keep asking why we have not heard from “aliens.” How do they expect any aliens to get here?
Taryal wrote: “The usage of the word “chakkavāla” by Buddha is quite interesting too. Correct me if I’m wrong but “chakka” has to do with something spinning or circular. Planets revolve around sun in circular/elliptical orbits. It seems intentional.”
- It is intentional.
- Everything in this world is in motion. Any object, no matter how large, is in constant motion. Earth and other planets orbit the Sun. All “star systems” in our galaxy are in motion around the galactic center. All galaxies are in motion, too.
- Each object has two modes of motion: For example, Earth spins around its axis (giving rise to day and night) and rotates around the Sun (it takes a year to complete a trip).
- The smallest unit of matter, a suddhāṭṭhaka, does not stay still. Depending on its rotation or spin (bramana) and its rotation around something else (paribbramana), other “modes of energy” and “types of rupa” arise.
- See #7 of “31 Realms Associated with the Earth.”
Taryal wrote: “I don’t remember the sutta but I think I’ve read that the light from a sun can only light up one chakkavāla but a Tathagata can light up the entire “dasa sahassi loka dhatu“.
- I don’t think the translation is correct. Each chakkavāla has its own “Sun”, i.e., a star.