Expanding Into What?

Follow the link below and read the information concerning the history of humanity’s developing theories on the origins, properties and ultimate direction of the universe.

http://skyserver.sdss.org/dr1/en/astro/universe/universe.asp

The opening lines of the above link pose several questions regarding the origins and structure of the universe, “Does the universe go on forever, or does it have an edge somewhere? Has it always existed, or did it come to ‘being’ some time in the past?”

At present science can offer some extremely compelling theories to prove that the universe is expanding, and has been from a single point (the Big Bang), for around 15 Billion years. It can also determine the original basic elements as being helium and hydrogen, and reveals that all the other essential elements were generated in the formation and collapse of stars, during the initial and continuing expansion of the universe. From the realisation that “the expanding universe is finite in both time and space,” scientists were then able to focus upon the questions surrounding the specific form of the universe and thus its ultimate “fate.”

The questions which aren’t posed in the above article are, “What is the universe expanding into / issuing out of?” and, “What is the force or phenomena which drives the engine (gravity) of the universe to continue its expansion?”

Science doesn’t have any real solid answers or theories to respond to these questions because, as some scientists point out, humanity is not able to reach the outer limits of space in order to be able to see both its shape and its size. Follow this link to read one explanation of this idea and the resulting answers:

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=274

As you can see, without being able to view the entire universe, one can only guess at where its limits / boundaries lie, therefore, the answer to the question “What is the universe expanding into,” can never be answered scientifically. As Dave Rothstein says, “because we are, by definition, stuck within the space that makes up our universe and have no way to observe anything outside of it, this ceases to be a question that can be answered scientifically.”

You will notice that this astronomer chooses to lean on semantics in order to prop up his theories, seeking to substitute the term “Expansion” for “Stretching,” which in my opinion is a trifle pedantic because both terms involve the universe’s movement to be “within” or “into” something else “outside of it.” The term Rothstein uses to define this phenomena potentially “outside” the universe is, “Hyperspace,” or, “Another dimension.”

The name used to describe this “Hyperspace” or “other dimension,” by the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (Circa 4th century BC), is the Tao.

It is here that I am willing to acknowledge a transition between science and philosophy has taken place; however, I would like to emphasize the two and a half thousand year difference between the philosophical conjecture of Lao Tzu, and the scientific theory of Rothstein Et al. Lao Tzu’s philosophical concepts may not, at first, appear to be based on any measurable scientific process, thus one might argue any analogy between the two disciplines is worthless; nevertheless one could argue that, the ideas and assertions of master Lao are not too dissimilar to a modern scientific theorist engaged in the development of new, raw conceptions, or strands, of an idea based on observation and an amount of informed intuition. The technological ability to physically measure the potential accuracy of a modern astronomer’s theory is obviously far greater now than in Lao Tzu's day, however, in dealing with the concept of the Tao (hyperspace), there is a shift to a more level playing field as both schools of thought become inextricably linked in terms of the amount of “factual” and "mathematically provable" evidence they have to support them. In both cases - None.

In chapters 7, 25 and 32 of the Tao Te Ching, Master Lao characterizes the Tao like so:

7

The Tao is infinite, eternal.
Why is it eternal?
It was never born;
Thus it can never die.
Why is it infinite?
It has no desire for itself;
Thus it is present for all beings.

The Master says behind;
That is why she is ahead.
She is detached from all things;
That is why she is one with them.
Because she has let go of herself,
She is perfectly fulfilled.

And again in chapter 25,

25
There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.

It flows through all things,
Inside and outside, and returns
to the origins of all things.

The Tao is great.
The universe is great.
Earth is great.
Man is great.
These are the four great powers.

Man follows earth.
Earth follows the universe.
The universe follows the Tao.
The Tao follows only itself.

And again in 32;

32

The Tao can’t be perceived.
Smaller than the tiniest particle,
It contains uncountable galaxies.

If powerful men and women
Could remain centred in the Tao,
All things would be in harmony.
The world would become a paradise.
All people would be at peace,
And the law would be written in their hearts.

When you have names and forms,
Know they are provisional.
When you have institutions,
Know where their functions should end.
Knowing when to stop,
You can avoid any danger.

All things end in the Tao
As rivers flow into the sea.


In the reading of these three chapters we are able to deduce that Lao Tzu and his contemporaries (as well as the contemporaneous ancient Greeks mentioned in the skyserver.sdss.org web page), understood the earth’s position within a greater universe. The Taoists’ also seemed aware that the universe had been randomly formed by, and was contained within or issued from, an even greater phenomena outside which could not be measured or seen. To the ancient masters of the Tao, the presence of a god was inconsequential to the creation and direction (or Fate) of all things, as the driving force behind everything was seen to be the Tao. Furthermore, it also appears that they believed the universe had begun as a result of a single incident in time akin to that of the “Big Bang” (a Birth) and that prior to the “Big Bang” there existed a state of ‘formlessness’ and ‘emptiness.’

4

The Tao is like a well:
Used but never used up.
It is like the eternal void:
Filled with infinite possibilities.

It is hidden but always present.
I don’t know who gave birth to it.
It is older than God.

In Taoist philosophy, the Tao is unconscious of its existence, without purpose or desire it is constantly issuing and absorbing the various forms of matter and states of existence, hence, it is in a permanent state of flux and random change. It not only encompasses that which is physical and tangible, but it is also connected with and goes to form that which is insubstantial and incorporeal.

34

The great Tao flows everywhere.
All things are born from it,
Yet it doesn’t create them.
It pours itself into its work,
Yet it makes no claim.
It nourishes infinite worlds,
Yet it doesn’t hold on to them.
Since it is merged with all things
and hidden in their hearts,
it can be called humble.
Since all things vanish into it
And it alone endures,
It can be called great.
It isn’t aware of its greatness;
Thus it is truly great.

Both science and philosophical Taoism agree that the universe is finite in terms of its size within ‘hyperspace’ (or the Tao) at any one time. They also agree that matter is not destroyed, but is constantly reused in the process of the formation and reformation of the universe. They also agree that the universe is constantly evolving or “expanding” or “stretching” and new matter is constantly being generated. Hence, it could be argued that because the universe is contained within, and a product of, the Tao, the combination of both ‘hyperspace’ (Tao) and universe can be deemed as being infinite in size, shape and distance. Not to mention possibility. Science is also becoming aware of other phenomena such as “Dark Matter,” and a strong likelihood of there being a myriad alternative dimensions. All, once again, encompassed in the notion of an all pervading force which runs through the fabric of our existence and takes on unlimited amount of forms, constantly shaping and transforming it’s self.

It would be foolish to believe that humanity will ever gain such insight into the entire workings of hyperspace or truly ever come to know the Tao. Thus, we will only ever be able to rely on the speculations and conjectures of scientists and philosophers with regards to this matter. The important notion I have been attempting to convey throughout has not been to prove the existence of the Tao, but to reveal the potential relevance of the writings within the “Tao Te Ching,” in its intuitive approach to understanding the “human condition” and our relationship with what is both interior and exterior to us.

The message, that man is one of the “Four Great Powers” and is required to maintain the balance and harmony of the earth, without interfering in its natural processes, can not be more relevant today with regards to the impending doom of “global warming.” Humanity / Civilisation is on the verge of collapse or extinction, but people are beginning to wake up to the consequences of their existence and their impact on their environment so it may not be too late for us.

What I hope for the world, is that every being should come to know “the book of the way,” taking what they want from it or not, but accepting their responsibilities; coming to know the potential they have to make a difference through adopting their three greatest treasures of simplicity; patience; and compassion. Learning about their true selves away from the illusions of ritual and religion and the solicitations of wealth and fame; free from the propaganda and the oppression of single-minded, unbalanced dictatorial governance; understanding the freedom of the individual as being key to the freedom of humanity; accepting this life as being the one and only chance they have to make a difference; accepting death without fear, in the knowledge their consciousness will be gone forever, but their substance will be returned to the root of all things and their legacies will live on; coming to learn how to use the Tao for the benefit of all mankind.