I dedicate this book to
Ali Akbar Khan
Carlos Castaneda
Geoffrey Chew
John Coltrane
Werner Heisenberg
Krishnamurti
Liu Hsiu Ch’i
Phiroz Mehta
Jerry Shesko
8obby Smith
Maria Teuff enbach
Alan Watts
for helping me to find my path
and to Jacqueline
who has travelled with me
on this path
most of the time.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission
to reproduce copyright illustrations on the following pages:
pp. 14-15: Fermi National Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois;
p. 38: Foto Gary Elliott Burke;
pp. 52-53,79, 234, 236: CERN, Geneva, Switzerland;
pp. 82-83: reprinted from Zazen by E. M. Hooykaas and B.
Schierbeck, Omen Press, Tucson, Arizona;
pp. 84,148: Estate of Eliot Elisofon;
p. 91: Gunvor Moitessier;
p. 92: reprinted from The Evolution of the Buddha Image by
Benjamin Rowland Jr., The Asia Society, New York;
pp. 100,112,188: Gulbenkian Museum of Oriental Art;
pp. 120, 258: r eprinted from Zen and lapanese Culture by
D. T Suzuki, Bollingen Series LXIV, by permission of Princeton
University Press;
p.134: reprinted from Physics in the Twentieth Century by
Victor Weisskopf, M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts;
p. 144: Nordisk Pressefoto, Copenhagen, Denmark;
p. 195: Hale Observatories, Pasadena, California;
pp. 202, 206, 224, 233, 237, 267: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory,
Berkeley, California;
pp. 230, 232: Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois;
p. 243: reprinted from The Arts of India by Ajit Mookerjee,
Thames and Hudson, London.
p. 284: Clinton S. Bond/BBM.
CONTENTS
Preface
I THE WAY OF PHYSICS
1 Modern Physics-A Path with a Heart? 17
2 Knowing and Seeing 26
3 Beyond Language 45
4 The New Physics 52
II THE WAY OF EASTERN MYSTICISM
5 Hinduism 85
6 Buddhism 93
7 Chinese Thought 101
8 Taoism 113
9 Z e n 121
III THE PARALLELS
10 The Unity of All Things 130
11 Beyond the World of Opposites 145
12 Space-Time 161
13 The Dynamic Universe 189
1 4 Emptiness and Form 207
15 The Cosmic Dance 225
16 Quark Symmetries-A New Koan! 247
17 Patterns of Change 261
18 Interpenetration 285
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index
It is probably true quite generally that in the history of human
thinking the most fruitful developments frequently take place
at those points where two different lines of thought meet.
These lines may have their roots in quite different parts of
human culture, in different times or different cultural environments
or different religious traditions: hence if they actually
meet, that is, if they are at least so much related to each other
that a real interaction can take place, then one may hope that
new and interesting developments may follow.
Werner Heisenberg
comparable progression in the understanding of Eastern
mysticism may not occur. This seems unavoidable, as mysticism
is, above all, an experience that cannot be learned from books.
A deeper understanding of any mystical tradition can only be
felt when one decides to become actively involved in it. All I
can hope to do is to generate the feeling that such an involvement
would be highly rewarding.
During the writing of this book, my own understanding of
Eastern thought has deepened considerably. For this I am
indebted to two men who come from the East. I am profoundly
grateful to Phiroz Mehta for opening my eyes to many aspects
of Indian mysticism, and to my T’ai Chi master Liu Hsiu Ch’i for
introducing me to living Taoism.
It is impossible to mention the names of everyone-scientists,
artists, students, and friends-who have helped me formulate
my ideas in stimulating discussions. I feel, however, that I owe
special thanks to Graham Alexander, Jonathan Ashmore,
Stratford Caldecott, Lyn Gambles, Sonia Newby, Ray Rivers,
Joel Scherk, George Sudarshan, and-last but not least-Ryan
Thomas.
Finally, I am indebted to Mrs Pauly Bauer-Ynnhof of Vienna
for her generous financial support at a time when it was
needed most.
London, Fritjof Capar
December 1974
13
Preface
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