Description
The book deals with expounding the nature of Reality as it is understood in contemporary times in Quantum Physics. It also explains the classical Indian theory of Śūnya in its diverse facets. Thereafter it undertakes comparison between the two which is an area of great topical interest. It is a cross-disciplinary study by erudite Indian and western scholars between traditional Indian knowledge system and contemporary researches in Physical sciences. It points out how the theory of ‘Śūnyatā has many seminal ideas and theories in common with contemporary Quantum Physics. The learned authors have tried to dissolve the “mysteries” of Quantum Physics and resolved its “weird paradoxes” with the help of theory of Śūnyatā. The issue of non-separability or entanglement has been approached with the help of the Buddhist theory of Pratītyasamutpāda. The paradoxical situation of “wave-particle duality” has been explained with the help of Upaniṣadic theory of complementarity of the two opposites. The measurement problem represented by “Schrodinger’s cat” has been dealt with by resorting to two forms of the calculation of probabilities. Some writers have argued for Śūnyatā-like non-essentialist position to understand quantum reality. To make sense of quantum theory some papers provide a happy symbiosis of technical understanding and personal meditative experience by drawing multifarious parallels. This book will be of interest to philosophically inclined physicists and philosophers with interest in quantum mechanics.
Table of Contents
Part I Theory of Quantum Reality.- 1. Quantum Reality, Spiritual concepts and Modern Optics Experiments Devulapali V. Rao & Lalitha D Rao.- 2. Beyond Materiality: Quantum Mechanics and the Problem of the Observer Subhash Kak.- 3. Can a quantum field theory ontology help resolve the problem of consciousness? Anand Rangarajan.- 4. Emergent Reality in Quantum to Classical Transition Tabish Qureshi.- Part II Concept of Śūnya.- 5. Śūnya and Pūrṇa S.S. Rama Rao Pappu.- 6. Quantum Reality and the theory of Śūnya Amalkumar Mukhopadhyay.- Part III Comparative Analysis of nature of Quantum Reality and Theory of Śūnya.- 7. Two aspects of Sūnyatā in quantum physics: relativity of properties and quantum non-separability Michel Bitbol.- 8. Śūnya, Śūnyatā and Reality in Modern Physics Herbert Bernstein.- 9. Quantum Reality and the Concepts of Infinity, Infinitesimal and Zero in Mathematical and Vedic Sciences Radhey Shayam Kaushal.- 10. Concepts of Reality, Śūnya and Śūnyatā from the perspective of a physicist Kashyap Vasavada.- 11. Intrinsic property, Quantum vacuum and Śūnyatā Sisir Roy.- 12. Beyond Vedānta: Speculations of a Quantum Realist Rajendra Bajpai.- 13. Quantum Vacuum and Beyond: An Exegesis in the Light of the concept of Śūnya Rajeshwer Mukherjee.- 14. How to approach Śūnyatā as the Quantum Reality through Biological consciousness Bal Ram Singh.- 15. Quantum Physics, Consciousness and Śūnya S. Rammohan.- 16. The concept of Reality in Quantum Mechanics and Śūnyavāda from the perspective of Yoga Geo Lyong Lee.- 17. Quantum Mechanics shows the limit of Naïve Realism Bhakti Vijnana Muni.- 18. Subjective Evolution of Consciousness in modern Science and Vedāntic Philosophy: Particulate concept to quantum mechanics in modern science and Śūnyavāda to Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva in Vedānta Bhakti Niskama Shanta.- 19. Is Nāgārjuna’s Śūnyavāda Complimentary to Quantum Field Theory Sreekala Nair.- 20. Quantum Reality and Concept of Śūnya: Need for an Integrative Approach Surendra Singh Pokharna.- 21. The Concept of Śūnya with Reference to the pañcasakhās, the Mahimā and Modern Quantum Reality Bijayananda Kar.- 22. Quantum Reality and Śūnya Jayant Burde.- 23. Ontological Reality: Quantum theory and Emptiness in Buddhist Philosophy Geshe Damdul.- 24. Logical Interface between Quantum Physics and Śūnyatā with special reference to Theravāda and Mādhyamika Philosophy Rana Purushottam.- 25. How the Pañcakośa Model of experience fits the understanding of Śūnya and how it help Explain Quantum Reality R.M. Shetkar, Alex Hankey and H.R.Nagendra.- 26. How Physics would look like if based on the metaphysical guidelines of Śūnyavada? Debajyoti Gangopadhyay.
