Compatibility between Tiandi Jiao's Concept of 'Incubating the Physical by the Non-Physical' and the Mystical Concept of 'Cosmic Man'

談天帝教的“無形運化有形”與神祕主義傳統中“宇宙人”觀念的呼應

梅丹理(Denis Mair)

《宗教哲學》 78期 (2016/12) Pp. 27-51

https://doi.org/10.6309/JORP.2016.12.78.27

摘要

In the language of Western science, we can say that the emergence of life on earth was made possible by what Edmund Wilson calls a ＂consilience＂ (a seamless consonance) among laws in many domains. According to the biologist Michael Denton, whatever aspect of the material substrate we examine on planet earth, we find fundamental conditions favorable for life. These conditions range from the properties of water (viscosity, surface tension, freezing point, specific heat) to the wavelengths of sunlight; from the chemical properties of common elements (yielding emergent properties of geometrical variability, energy conversion and information storage) to the geological distribution of trace elements needed for life. The evolution of life on earth indeed depended on consonance of a great many laws and conditions. Clearly the origin of life on earth goes deeper than any fortuitous combination of building blocks in real time. The deeper origin clearly lies in a system of harmonious relations among laws governing many domains. How was such harmony arrived at? What kind of cause could possibly lead to the mutual adjustment of laws? The human mind reaches for a cause that transcends matter. In A New Realm, Lee Yu-chieh discusses the idea that the physical universe is incubated by the non-physical universe. This statement is closely related to the doctrine that spirit-entities called hezi are part of matter. Thus a divine potency is always at work within and around the process of material evolution. In the words of Lee Yu-chieh, ＂The non-physical realm encompasses the physical; the non-physical realm incubates the physical; the non-physical realm creates the physical.＂ In view of such doctrines, this writer is motivated to ask what kind of challenges spirit-entities face--what role do they play--in the evolution of earthly life. How can we, as finite sentient beings, understand and resonate with the inner dimension of becoming that is experienced by spirit-entities. Western science points to the mutual accommodation of natural laws as a precondition for life. This writer believes that such harmony among laws is compatible with the idea that the nonphysical realm incubates the physical. This writer further believes that incubation of the physical realm by the non-physical is compatible with the idea of ＂cosmic man＂ in the Western mystical tradition. These ideas represent a relatively broadminded religious vision, because they do not view the emergence of life from an angle of theism-versus-atheism. Instead, they envision a potency at work in the cosmos which incubates consciousness and personhood.

並列摘要

用西方科學的語言，可以說生命之所以能出現在這個地球上，是因為多種領域的規律都能呈現一種天衣無縫的協調性，即生物學家埃德蒙．威爾遜所論述的“共躍性”（即動態中的協調性）。案生物學家邁克爾．丹頓的說法，無論我們切入生命物質基礎的任何方面，都會發現有利於生命的條件。這些條件包括水的性質（黏性、表面張力、結冰溫度），還有太陽光的波長，除此以外還包括普通元素的化學特性（其組合體具備多種功能，包括多樣幾何建構、能量轉換、信息儲存等），以及微量元素在地幔中的分布。因此可以斷定，生命在地球上的進化，確實有賴於各種基本規律之間的高度調和性。可見，生命在地球上的起源，不是物質成分的任何一次偶然組合所能解釋得清楚。更深的起源一定在於多種規律所組成的和諧體系。但是這種和諧性到底是怎麼達成的？甚麼樣的因緣才能導致規律之間的調適性？尋求真理的人心免不了要追溯到一種超越物質的前因。在《新境界》的附錄中，李玉階先生提出了“無形運化有形”的論述。在李玉階的思想體系中，這個觀念跟“和子論”息息相關，也就是說，精神（即性靈和子）是物質的組成部分。因此在進化的過程中，無論在生命體內外，都有一種神性的力量或性能不停地在運作。按李玉階的說法，“無形涵蓋有形，無形運化有形，無形創造有形”。受這種信念的啟發與感動，本文作者提出一系列問題，比方說，在孕育人間生命的過程中，性靈要面對甚麼樣的考驗？要扮演甚麼樣的角色？作為精神生命，祂體驗的是什麼樣的內景歷程？要如何跨越各種時間、空間、狹隘個體上的隔閡？我們作為有限的生命體，要如何了解祂，如何跟祂起共鳴？通過西方科學，我們知道各種自然規律的高度協調性是孕育生命的必備條件。作者認為這種規律性的和諧體系完全符合“無形運化有形”，也是“無形運化有形”的一種重要體現，因此也應該是某一種性靈所運化的結果。作者還認為“無形運化有形”完全符合西方神秘主義傳統的“宇宙人”觀念 （就是說大宇宙一直在醞釀一種人格，一直為一種高尚人格的登場而做準備）。這些觀念可以體現一種比較圓融的宗教觀，能跳開有神論與無神論的爭端，也能跳開精神與物質的二分法，直接去體認宇宙間那種孕育意識、孕育人格的力量。

並列關鍵字

無形運化有形 ； 神秘主義 ； 宇宙人 ； 精神生命