Episode 95 — 佛經上最小的物質稱被科學家找到了

看到一切法不生不滅，那我們怎麼會有這麼一個概念？我們是看科學報告，科學家發現的。近代有一些科學家專門在研究物質，物質是什麼。物質，用的方法跟佛所說的完全相同，就是把物質分開，看看到底是什麼。佛經上把最小的物質稱為塵，微塵，這最小的物質。微塵還可以分，佛經上講的七分之一，這麼分法。

How did we have this idea of neither arising nor ceasing? We saw the scientists’ findings in their reports. There are some modern scientists who specialize in the study of matter to find out what it is. They used exactly the same method mentioned by the Buddha, which is dividing the matter to see what it is. The Buddhist sutras call the smallest matter ‘dust.’ According to the sutras, dust can still be divided into one-seventh part.

從什麼樣的微塵開始？從牛毛塵。牛毛比較粗，尖端上，這個牛毛尖端上有一粒微塵，好像是黏在那裡，它有吸力，它不會掉下來，有一粒塵。把這個塵分成七分，七分之一，羊毛塵，羊毛細了。羊毛塵再分為七分，七分之一叫兔毛塵，兔毛更細了。兔毛塵分成七分之一叫水塵，那是我們肉眼看不到了。

What kind of dust should we start to divide? We should start from the dust on cow’s hair which is thicker. There is a dust which seems to be stuck on the tip of this cow’s hair. It will not drop because it has suction power. When this dust is divided into one-seventh part, it becomes the wool dust. Wool is very fine. Wool dust is further divided into seven parts, and the one-seventh part is called ‘rabbit-fur dust.’ Rabbit’s fur is even finer. When its dust is divided into one-seventh part, it is called ‘water dust’ which we can no longer see with our naked eyes.

放在水裡頭，水有空隙，這現在我們都知道，在顯微鏡下觀察，水有空隙，這粒微塵在水裡面空隙裡走來走去沒障礙。水塵再把它分成七分，七分之一叫金塵。金是金屬，金銀銅鐵，這個密度比較大，比水大，還是有空隙，這一粒塵很輕易通過，沒障礙，這麼小的一個物質現象。金塵再把它分成七分之一，佛經上叫微塵。

When we put this dust in the water and observe it under the microscope, we will see this fine dust moving around unhinderedly in the gaps of the water. Water dust is further divided into seven parts, and this one-seventh part is called ‘metal dust.’ Metal is denser than water. Since there are still gaps in the metal, this dust can pass through the gaps very easily without obstructions. It is such a small physical phenomenon! When this metal dust is divided into one-seventh part, the Buddhist sutras call it ‘micro dust.’

這個東西還能分，再把它分成七分，七分之一叫色聚極微，大概就是現在所講的基本粒子。它還能分，再分成七分之一叫極微之微。這再不能分了，再分怎麼？沒有了，物質現象不見了，就空了。所以它也叫鄰虛塵，它跟虛空是隔壁，再一分就是虛空了，這個東西被科學家找到了。

This dust can still be divided into seven parts and this one-seventh part is called ‘micro-material’ (it is probably the elementary particle scientists are talking about now). When this micro-material is divided into one-seventh part, it is called ‘ultra-micro-material (neutrino)’ which cannot be divided anymore. What will happen if we divide it? If we further divide it, the physical phenomena will disappear. That’s why it is also called ‘neighbour-to-space dust’ because it is next door to the void. It is the empty space once it is divided. Scientists had found this smallest matter.