Science Experiment Explains Emptiness Concept

Referring to this news which appeain the internet lately, refer to this link http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/quietest-place-earth-mutes-sounds-messes-head-212556719.html  (and there are many others in the internet) , I thought of the Buddhist concept of emptiness and thought that how true it is and that non-Buddhists may not be aware of this wonder already thought in the Buddhist Sutras thousands of years ago. In the Heart Sutra, it says, "... Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form..." and it goes on to describe how it is empty and what it means and the consequences of that "emptiness". As sound is another aspect of form, the same verse is also true for sound (i.e. Form) and silence (i.e. emptiness). So, the verse would have sounded as such "Sound is silence, silence is sound....". You can see from that news, when there is total silence, sounds start to be created from that silence. It was interesting the scientists acknowledged that people (i.e. the brain) is halucinating the sounds. As in it is not real. Applying the same concept, we can understand better the concept of emptiness in our tangible world where the Buddha has also said this entire world we live in is also emptiness. But just as the case of the halucinated sound, the objects that we see everyday are also halucinated. Just as the astronauts in the chamber did indeed hear those halucinated sounds, so also we do perceive the objects of this halucinated world. It does not mean this world is not real. Rather it means it is not inherently existing. Deep concept, isn't it? I think that news is really timely because I can understand the concept of Emptiness better. Again it proves the reality and truth of the Buddha Dharma. That place may just be the best place to rest the mind in meditation and Enlightenment may just be within reach. Who knows?!   

I would like to end this post with a verse from "Prayer that All Thoughts be Self-Liberated" by Guru Rinpoche (or Guru Padmasambhava) (note: pay attention of the second verse concerning sound which is what we just discussed above):

All these forms that appear to eyes that see,
All things on the outside and the inside,
The environment and its inhabitants
Appear, but let them rest where no self's found;
Perceiver and perceived when purified
Are the body of the deity, clear emptiness
To the guru for whom desire frees itself,
To Orgyen Pema Jungnay I supplicate.

All these sounds that appear for ears that hear,
Taken as agreeable or not,
Let them rest in the realm of sound and emptiness
Past all thought, beyond imagination;
Sounds are empty, unarisen and unceasing,
These are what make up the Victor's teaching
To the teachings of the Victor, sound and emptiness,
To Orgyen Pema Jungnay I supplicate.

All these movements of mind towards its objects,
These thoughts that make five poisons and afflictions,
Leave thinking mind to rest without contrivances,
Do not review the past nor guess the future;
If you let such movement rest in its own place,
It liberates into the dharmakaya
To the guru for whom awareness frees itself,
To Orgyen Pema Jungnay I supplicate.

Grant your blessing that purifies appearance
Of objects perceived as being outside;
Grant your blessing that liberates perceiving mind,
The mental operation seeming inside;
Grant your blessing that between the two of these
Clear light will come to recognize its own face;
In your compassion, sugatas of all three times,
Please bless me that a mind like mine be freed.

Reference: http://www.ktgrinpoche.org/guru_rinpoche.html