[stacy]

On Samsāric Time Scale, Buddhist Cosmology, and the Big Bang Theory:

For fun, I estimated the mass of the material that needs to be removed by the silk cloth each time (this happens every 100 years). Using a 7-mile cube of stone with a density of 2515 kg per cubic meter, I calculate the mass of the mountain to be 3.5 x 10 ^6 kg.

• Assuming our Solar system’s lifetime is 10 billion years, I calculate the mass removed by each stroke is about 36 grams or about 1.2 ounces. That appears to be a reasonable number!

I think there is an error in this calculation. Since we’re working with a 7-mile cube of stone, which is:

• 7 miles=11,265.4 meters

• Volume = (11,265.4)^3 ≈ 1.43×10^12 m^3

• Density = 2515 kg/m³

• So mass M ≈ 1.43×10^12 × 2515 ≈ 3.59×10^15 kg

The quoted mass of 3.5×106kg seems too small by about 9 orders of magnitude. But using that number the result is 3.59×10^7kg per stroke which way more than 36 grams.

I actually tried calculating the time it would take to remove the entire mountain if 36 grams is worn out every 100 years and the result was in the scale of 10^19 years which is unfathomably long. I don’t know how realistic this is but jeez.

[Lal]

Yes, I seem to have missed an enormous factor, 9 orders of magnitude! Thank you!

• However, we can also look at it the other way, i.e., if the time taken is 10 billion years, then the mass removed by each stroke is about 36 × 10^^-9 grams. The correct numbers could be somewhere in between.
• So, I need to think about how to correct it. Either way, it shows the magnitude of the time scale. 

[stacy]

Yes, the other point is that the “time” experienced in higher realms would feel much shorter than the one in the human one, right? During the void and the formation phase, beings are essentially brahmas. So more than likely, it’s an analogy used to describe the sheer length that is difficult to calculate. From Science, we know that astronomical phenomena span billions of years but Einstein’s relativity makes things more challenging.

[Christian]

I will try to explain from my experience, but it is very hard as it goes beyond what the human mind can imagine. Time in Brahmas is neither slow nor fast nor kinda both. In relative to humans, yes – it is fast in that relation, but Brahma itself feels neither how fast it is nor slow, the time kinda stops there. I would say it moves so fast that it feels like it stopped.

[stacy]

It sounds like you’ve got ample experience attaining such states of mind. Please consider sharing more by elaborating your experience. I specifically want to know how you’re convinced that your experience is not a hallucination or an altered brain state.

[Christian]

Jhanas change your existence, it does not work like hallucination or as just a simple state of mind. You can not pass experience in words (especially arupa jhanas); one needs to experience it and know by experience. For me, it’s like asking if you take something under a microscope and say, “How do you convince that you are not seeing a hallucination?”. It’s good to be skeptical, especially if you lack your own insight/experience, so nobody will cheat you, but I have no way of proving it to anybody. What I can say hallucinations do not bring wisdom and insight on that level. Hallucinations make you weird and more stupid in general; you just bubble words nobody understands and act weird.

It can not be an altered state of the brain, if you put MRI on me when in arupa jhanas it should show nothing, while in experience, you will feel extreme bliss that is beyond anything you can physically experience, which would prove it’s non-physical. I generally don’t like to talk about it simply because there aren’t people who can relate to it.

[stacy]

I see, so in that state, are you able to do any supernormal acts like recalling your past lives? I’ve read that a gandhabba gets access to nama loka directly. I’m not a big fan of testimonies but observing the consistencies is useful. I hope to get to that level in the future.

[Christian]

I felt I could do that, but didn’t want it because I felt complete and content in that state and didn’t want or need to do anything.

[Author]

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