The Living Universe - Duane Elgin [30]
From the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama has written, “At the heart of Buddhist cosmology is not only the idea that there are multiple world systems . . . but also the idea that they are in a constant state of coming into being and passing away.”23 The Tibetan teacher, scholar, and artist Lama Govinda writes, “The world is in a continuous state of creation, of becoming, and therefore in a continuous state of destruction of all that has been created.”24 He also writes, “This apparently solid and substantial world [is] . . . a whirling nebulous mass of insubstantial, eternally rotating elements of continually arising and disintegrating forms.”25 Namkhai Norbu, another esteemed teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, states, “All phenomena . . . no matter how solid they may seem, are in fact essentially void, impermanent, only temporarily existing.”26
Because the world around us is being continuously regenerated—arising freshly in its totality at each moment so absolutely nothing endures—it makes sense that the Buddha would describe existence as a “flash of lightning in a summer cloud,” a “flickering lamp,” an “apparition,” and a “phantom.” The world flashes into existence as a unified whole at one moment—presenting itself in all its vividness—only to disappear completely and be replaced an instant later with a new representation of itself. In learning the skills of meditation, the Buddha said we can become centered in the flow of natural time and experience directly the co-arising of the cosmos.
Turning from the Buddhism of Tibet to that practiced in Japan, we again find this insight of the moment-to-moment arising of the universe. The respected Zen scholar and teacher, D. T. Suzuki, has Written, “My solemn proclamation is that a new universe is created every moment.”27 Elsewhere he writes, “All things come out of an unknown abyss of mystery, and through every one of them we can have a peep into the abyss.”28 Also from the Zen tradition we have this unequivocal statement from Alan Watts: “The beginning of the universe is now, for all things are at this moment being created, and the end of the universe is now, for all things are at this moment passing away.”29 Others in the Zen tradition describe the continuous arising of the universe. Robert Linssen describes the world seen through the eyes of a skilled meditator: “A tree, a stone, an animal cease to be seen as solid and durable bodies . . . in their place the practiced disciple discerns a continual succession of sudden manifestations only lasting as long as a flash of lightning. . . .”30
At the foundation of Buddhism, then, is the view that the entire universe is arising freshly as a unified whole at each moment. Because everything arises or emerges along with everything else, this means that the condition of anything depends upon the condition of everything to which it is connected—and that is the totality of the universe.
Taoist and Confucian Views
Taoism and Confucianism represent the spiritual beliefs of about 6 percent of the world’s population. They are the foundational religions of China that have also influenced Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
The origins of Taoism are generally traced to the third or fourth century B.C.E.and Lao Tzu, a mythical figure whose existence is still debated. Legend has it that as the “old master” prepared to ride oft” and disappear into the vast China desert, he was asked by a customs official to write down his philosophy. In response, he wrote the Tao Te Ching—roughly translated as “The Book of the Way and Its Virtue.” This book is the only written record of Lao Tzu’s philosophy.
At the heart of Taoism is the understanding that the Tao is the sustaining life force and the mother