Other World Systems
他方世界
In the light of modern, scientific discoveries, we can appreciate the limitations of the human world and the hypothesis that other world systems might exist in other parts of the universe.
根據現代科學的發現，我們了解人類世界的局限性，同時也重視宇宙還有其他世界的說法。
On certain occasions, the Buddha has commented on the nature and composition of the universe. According to the Buddha, there are some other forms of life existing in other parts of the universe. The Buddha has mentioned that there are thirty-one planes of existence within the universes. They are:
有一回，佛陀論及宇宙的本質與構成，佛陀說：總共有叁十一種不同形態的生命生活在這宇宙間。
4 States of unhappiness or sub human realms: (life in hells, animal life, ghost-worlds and demon-worlds)
較人類世界爲低的有四類衆生。它們是阿蘇羅(asura)、畜生、餓鬼和地獄。
1 Human world.
人世有一類衆生──人類。
6 Develokas or heavenly realms.
欲界天有六類衆生。
16 Rupalokas or Realms of Fine-Material Forms.
色界天有十六類衆生。
4 Arupalokas or Formless Realms.
無色界天有四類衆生。
The existence of these other-world systems is yet to be confirmed by modern science. However, modern scientists are now working with the hypothesis that there is a possibility of other forms of life existing on other planets. As a result of today”s rapid scientific progress, we may soon find some living beings on other planets in the remotest parts of the galaxy system. Perhaps, we will find them subject to the same laws as ourselves. They might be physically quite different in both appearance, elements and chemical composition and exist in different dimensions. They might be far superior to us or they might be far inferior.
這些人類世界以外的生界，並沒有被科學所接受和認可。然而，現代的科學家們致力于探索其它星球生命形式存在的可能性。按照科學發展的速度，他們將很快的在銀河系裏發現其他的衆生。到時，我們或許會發現到他們也和我們一樣，受限製于某些生存法則。他們或許在外表、生理與我們不同，組成的物質和生活也和我們不同，他們或許超越我們，或許遠不如我們。
Why should the planet earth be the only planet to contain life forms
Earth is a tiny speck in a huge universe. Sir James Jeans, the distinguished astrophysicist, estimates the whole universe to be about one thousand million times as big as the area of space that is visible through the telescope. In his book, The Mysterious Universe,he states that the total number of universes is probably something like the total number of grains of sand on all the sea shores of the world. In such a universe, the planet Earth is only from the sun which takes a seventh of a second to reach the earth, takes probably something like 100,000 million years to travel across the universe! Such is the vastness of the cosmos. When we consider the vastness of the many universes making up what is popularly known as ”outer space”, the hypothesis that other-world systems might exist is scientifically feasible.
爲什麼一定要認爲地球才有生命的存在呢？地球在浩瀚的宇宙裏只有一顆微塵。按照著名的天文學家詹姆斯.金士爵士的估計，整個宇宙大約是十億倍現代天文望遠鏡所能看到的空間。在他的著作《奇異的空間》裏說到，宇宙的樹木可能比海灘的沙粒還要多，在宇宙中，地球只是一顆沙粒的百萬分之一。他又說，光速在七分之一秒的時間裏可以環繞地球一周，要環繞宇宙一周，可能要花一千億年。這就是「大宇宙」，就是我們所認識的無窮無盡的宇宙，也就是一般所說的「外太空」。從科學的角度推測他方世界的存在，是完全可能的。
In the light of modern scientific discoveries, we can appreciate the limitations of the human world. Today, science has demonstrated that our human world exists within the limitations of the vibrational frequencies that can be received by our sense organs. And science has also shown us that there are other vibrational frequencies which are above or below our range of reception. With the discovery of radio waves, X-rays, TV waves, and micro waves, we can appreciate the extremely limited vision that is imposed on us by our sense organs. We peep out at the universe through the ”crack” allowed by our sense organs, just as a little child peeps out through the crack in the door. This awareness of our limited perception demonstrates to us the possibility that other world systems may exist that are separate from ours or that interpenetrate with ours.
按照科學的發現，我們了解到人類世界的局限性。科學界已經證明，人類的世界是存在于我們感官所能接受的頻率範圍。科學家證實了在人類能接受的頻率範圍外…
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