Chapter 1: The Nature of Reality

An ancient philosopher’s perspective reveals that the world isn't as it seems—yet this can be illustrated through a scientific experiment.

In 1952, scientist Donald A. Glaser introduced a groundbreaking device known as the Bubble Chamber, designed to measure the velocity of subatomic particles. These minuscule entities are the fundamental building blocks of matter on Earth—comprising protons, neutrons, and electrons. To grasp the material universe, one must understand how these tiny energy components function.

The Bubble Chamber gained its name from the resemblance of its bubbles to the fleeting existence of subatomic particles. This machine astonishingly recorded that each particle zips through space at speeds exceeding a thousand billion times per second. Remarkably, this aligns with the insights of the Buddha, who, through meditation, discerned that before one could snap a finger or blink, these particles oscillate trillions of times. Their rapid motion creates the illusion that life is static.

Though their approaches differed, both the Buddha and Glaser arrived at a similar conclusion: existence is in perpetual motion, always evolving, and never at rest. This principle applies as much to our own cells as it does to natural landscapes such as mountains, oceans, rivers, and forests.

Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, eloquently captured this idea with his famous assertion:

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

The continuous emergence and dissolution of subatomic particles mean that our bodies are in a state of constant transformation. Consequently, the body that once swam in the river moments ago is not the same as the one that now emerges.

This incessant cycle of cellular birth and death occurs so swiftly that the physical world appears substantial and unyielding. However, if all matter consists of tiny, dynamic energy particles, then this perception of solidity is merely an illusion.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin insightfully remarked:

“Matter is spirit moving slowly enough to be seen.”

This might explain why Heraclitus succinctly stated:

“The only thing that is constant is change.”