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.
根据现代科学的发现，我们了解人类世界的局限性，同时也重视宇宙还有其他世界的说法。
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，佛陀论及宇宙的本质与构成，佛陀说：总共有三十一种不同形态的生命生活在这宇宙间。
4 States of unhappiness or sub human realms: (life in hells, animal life, ghost-worlds and demon-worlds)
较人类世界为低的有四类众生。它们是阿苏罗(asura)、畜生、饿鬼和地狱。
1 Human world.
人世有一类众生──人类。
6 Develokas or heavenly realms.
欲界天有六类众生。
16 Rupalokas or Realms of Fine-Material Forms.
色界天有十六类众生。
4 Arupalokas or Formless Realms.
无色界天有四类众生。
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.
这些人类世界以外的生界，并没有被科学所接受和认可。然而，现代的科学家们致力于探索其它星球生命形式存在的可能性。按照科学发展的速度，他们将很快的在银河系里发现其他的众生。到时，我们或许会发现到他们也和我们一样，受限制于某些生存法则。他们或许在外表、生理与我们不同，组成的物质和生活也和我们不同，他们或许超越我们，或许远不如我们。
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.
为什么一定要认为地球才有生命的存在呢？地球在浩瀚的宇宙里只有一颗微尘。按照著名的天文学家詹姆斯.金士爵士的估计，整个宇宙大约是十亿倍现代天文望远镜所能看到的空间。在他的着作《奇异的空间》里说到，宇宙的树木可能比海滩的沙粒还要多，在宇宙中，地球只是一颗沙粒的百万分之一。他又说，光速在七分之一秒的时间里可以环绕地球一周，要环绕宇宙一周，可能要花一千亿年。这就是「大宇宙」，就是我们所认识的无穷无尽的宇宙，也就是一般所说的「外太空」。从科学的角度推测他方世界的存在，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.
按照科学的发现，我们了解到人类世界的局限性。科学界已经证明，人类的世界是存在于我们感官所能接受的频率范围。科学家证实了在人类能接受的频率范围外…
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