God particles and Arsenic

July 26, 2012, 7:48 pm , the island

When I read Prof. Nalin de Silva’s (NdeS) reply to Prof. Carlo Fonseka’s (CF) piece on God Particles, an average person may go haywire, although I value ND’s great ideas, sometimes.

NdeS concludes his reply by saying "Buddhist do not accept the existence of even those ‘objects’ including particles that are observed directly or indirectly". By this statement he must be referring to what Buddha has said about mundane things as Sammuthis. Buddha said all these ‘sammuthis’ are made up of ‘pancha maha bhuthyo’ means solids, liquids, gases, heat and space. But as I understand, he never meant to say ‘sammuthis’ are non-existing ‘things’ or mere illusions but man is deluded by these things and craving for possessing these worthless things, eventually extending the samsaara.

Referring to this idea, If NdeS says Buddhists do not accept the existence of particles or objects, and then all what Buddha has preached on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ becomes null and void. Because, for example, a man can easily dismiss the concept of sisterhood as an illusion and ignore all ethics in that regard! 

I am not a Physicist, Math-man or a Medic but a person who has gained a little knowledge on the first two and has some capability of collecting relevant facts (if not understanding) in popular sciences by being an interested reader.

NdeS challenges CF’s knowledge on many things in physics and mathematics including Newtonian theory on gravitation. I am not sure whether CF is in a position to argue on these matters as he is neither a mathematician nor a physicist but for sure a great rationalist like Richard Dawkins and a medic. Science is all about mundane things perceived by the five senses. The things contributed by science is immense for the benefit of man and no scholar like NdeS can live or express any idea with regard to science or math or arsenic without the help of Western sciences, whether its approach is linear or circular.

Upali Gamakumara