user-1: Are Therevada's cosmology and the Mahanaya's sutras physically, rather than only psychologically, plasusible?
I read about the former in the abhidharmakosabhasyam, about all the hells and heavens that await us. And the Mahayana sutras often include reference to e.g. celestial bodhisattvas.
I'm skeptical that these things have physical, rather than psychological, truth, empirical (we've this heaven) or otherwise (we have evidence that these heavens exist). As with with classical georgraphy, and history. My specific question is:

do we have good reason to believe that physics will end up allowing a Buddhist timeline of events?


user7309: Relational quantum mechanics is the mathematical description of co-dependent origination in my opinion, really neat too. It doesn't prove the cosmology but does seem to point to the accuracy or the main insights of the Buddha.
If you are talking about the cosmology word for word (like Digha Nikaya 27) then it would be a stretch - a lot of conceptual construction. The inflation/deflation Universe is cool though, and sounds like https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bounce.. 
The Multiverse interpretation of QM (somewhat essentialist), gives for an interesting take on transmigration, in that the 'copies' can't be said to be either the same or different to each other.. Seems like a plausible image of transmigration to me. 

user8157: The question: "Are Therevada's cosmology and the Mahanaya's sutras physically plasusible?" is impossible to answer & outside of the scope of Buddha-Dhamma, which is described as:

This Dhamma is to be seen here & now, immediate, inviting inspection, pertinent, to be realized/verified by the observant for themselves. MN
  38

SN 35.23 states: 

The eye & forms, ear & sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & tactile sensations, mind & mind objects. This, monks, is called the
  All. Anyone who would say, 'Repudiating this All, I will describe
  another,' if questioned on what exactly might be the grounds for his
  statement, would be unable to explain and would be put
  to grief. Why? Because it lies beyond range.

The various realms in the Pali suttas include psychological examples therefore obviously this is all that can be known. For example:

It is just within this fathom-long body, with its perception & intellect, that I declare that there is the world, the origination of
  the world, the cessation of the world and the path of practice leading
  to the cessation of the world. AN 4.45

And what is the origination of the world? Dependent on the eye & forms there arises eye-consciousness. The meeting of the three is
  contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From
  feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a
  requisite condition comes clinging. From clinging as a requisite
  condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes
  birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death,
  sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. This is
  the origination of the world. SN 12.44

Follow not the vulgar way; live not in heedlessness; hold not false views; linger not long in worldly existence. Blind is the world; here
  only a few possess insight. Only a few, like birds escaping from the
  net, go to realms of bliss. Lokavagga

Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, & intellect. And what is the cause by which kamma comes
  into play? Sense contact is the cause by which kamma comes into play. And
  what is the diversity in kamma? There is kamma to be experienced in
  hell (niraya), kamma to be experienced in the realm of animals (
  tiracchānayoni), kamma to be experienced in the realm of the hungry
  shades (pettivisaya), kamma to be experienced in the human world
  (manussaloka), kamma to be experienced in the world of the devas
  (devaloka). This is called the diversity in kamma. AN 6.63

I have seen, bhikkhus, the hell named ‘Contact’s Sixfold Base.’ There whatever form one sees with the eye is undesirable, never desirable;
  unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable. Whatever sound
  one hears with the ear … Whatever odour one smells with the nose …
  Whatever taste one savours with the tongue … Whatever tactile object
  one feels with the body … Whatever mental phenomenon one cognizes with
  the mind is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely;
  disagreeable, never agreeable. SN 35.135

Here, Udayi, the bhikkhu secluded from sensual desires and thoughts of demerit abides in the first jhana: Overcoming thoughts and thought
  processes and the mind in one point internally appeased, without
  thoughts and thought processes abides in the second jhana. Again with
  equanimity to joy and detachment, feeling pleasant with the body too,
  abides in the third jhana. To this the noble ones say abiding in
  pleasantness with equanimity. Udayi, this is the course of actions,
  for realising the world of only pleasant feelings (ekantasukhassa
  lokassa).MN 79

Bhikkhus, there are three kinds of persons found existing in the world. What three? (1) “Here, bhikkhus, some person generates
  afflictive bodily activities, afflictive verbal activities, and
  afflictive mental activities. In consequence, he reappears
  (upapajjati) in an afflictive world. When he reappears in an
  afflictive world, afflictive contacts touch him. Being touched by
  afflictive contacts, he feels afflictive feelings, exclusively
  painful, as in the case of hell-beings. (2) “Someone else generates
  unafflictive bodily activities, unafflictive verbal activities, and
  unafflictive mental activities. In consequence, he reappears in an
  unafflictive world. When he reappears in an unafflictive world,
  unafflictive contacts touch him. Being touched by unafflictive
  contacts, he feels unafflictive feelings, exclusively pleasant, as in
  the case of the gods of refulgent glory. (3) “Still another generates
  bodily activities that are both afflictive and unafflictive, verbal
  activities that are both afflictive and unafflictive, and mental
  activities that are both afflictive and unafflictive. In consequence,
  he reappears in a world that is both afflictive and unafflictive. When
  he reappears in a world that is both afflictive and unafflictive, both
  afflictive and unafflictive contacts touch him. Being touched by both
  afflictive and unafflictive contacts, he feels both afflictive and
  unafflictive feelings, mingled pleasure and pain, as in the case of
  human beings, some devas, and some beings in the lower worlds. These,
  bhikkhus, are the three kinds of persons found existing in the world.
  AN 3.23

Sensual desire… ill-will (anger)… sloth & drowsiness… restlessness & anxiety… uncertainty is an obstacle, a hindrance that overwhelms the
  mind and weakens wisdom… when a monk has not abandoned these five
  obstacles… for him to understand what is for his own benefit, to
  understand what is for the benefit of others, to understand what is
  for the benefit of both, to realize a superior human (manussa) state
  (dhammā), a truly noble distinction in knowledge & vision: that is
  impossible. AN 5.51

Sooner, I say, would that blind turtle, coming to the surface once every hundred years, insert its neck into that yoke with a single hole
  than the fool who has gone once to the nether world would regain the
  human state. For what reason? Because here, bhikkhus, there is no
  conduct guided by the Dhamma, no righteous conduct, no wholesome
  activity, no meritorious activity. Here there prevails mutual
  devouring, the devouring of the weak. For what reason? Because,
  bhikkhus, they have not seen the Four Noble Truths. What four? The
  noble truth of suffering … the noble truth of the way leading to the
  cessation of suffering. SN 56.47

Bhikkhus, a god, a human or any other good state would not be evident from actions born of greed, hate and delusion. Yet, bhikkhus, from
  actions born of greed, hate and delusion a hellish being, an animal
  birth a ghostly birth or some other bad state would be evident. AN
  6.39

Bhikkhus, these two bright principles protect the world. What are the two? Shame and fear of wrongdoing. If, bhikkhus, these two bright
  principles did not protect the world, there would not be discerned
  respect for mother or maternal aunt or maternal uncle’s wife or a
  teacher’s wife or the wives of other honored persons, and the world
  would have fallen into promiscuity, as with goats, sheep, chickens,
  pigs, dogs, and jackals. But as these two bright principles protect
  the world, there is discerned respect for mother… and the wives of
  other honored persons. AN 2.9

Now on that occasion the wanderers of other persuasions had come together in a gathering and were sitting, discussing many kinds of
  bestial (animal) topics, making a great noise and racket. AN 10.93

Beings (sattā) are few who, when they pass away from the animal realm (tiracchā­na­yoniyā) are reborn (paccājāyanti) among humans
  (manussesu)… those beings are more numerous are reborn in hell…. For
  what reason? They have not realised the Four Noble Truths. SN 56.102
  to 131

There are these four kinds of generation. What are the four? Egg-born generation, womb-born generation, moisture-born generation and
  spontaneous generation. What is egg-born generation? There are these
  beings born by breaking out of the shell of an egg; this is called
  egg-born generation. What is womb-born generation? There are these
  beings born by breaking out from the caul; this is called womb-born
  generation. What is moisture-born generation? There are these beings
  born in a rotten fish, in a rotten corpse, in rotten dough, in a
  cesspit, or in a sewer; this is called moisture-born generation. What
  is spontaneous generation? There are gods (devā) and denizens of hell
  (nerayikā) and certain (ekacce ca) human beings (manussā) and some
  (ekacce ca) destined to suffer (vinipāta); this is called spontaneous
  generation. MN 12


user295: Buddhism is a definite, and it is the same Dhamma preached by all Buddhas. Popular science is always changing with new theory replacing old ones. But having said this some similar theories have emerged:

Parallel universe - Multiverse
Multiple worlds - Planetary habitability
Cyclical universe - Cyclic model, One Big Bang, or were there many?, Multiple Big Bang theory could bring 'Copernican revolution' says Astronomer Royal

Also might be of interest:

Loka: The Buddha’s Formulation of the Universe by Richard R. Crutcher
Parallel universes by Piya Tan


user4888: There are two ways in which physics could disallow a Buddhist form of cosmology:

A law of nature which creates measurable predictions in our universe (the human realm of existence) is discovered, and this law contradicts a prediction of Theravadin cosmology.
We gain the ability to measure new phenomena such as interactions with another realm or measuring a beings' mindstream. With these new measurements we can test a prediction of Theravadin cosmology and find that the prediction is false.

For the first point, Theravadin cosmology doesn't contradict any known laws (e.g. conservation of energy or non-decreasing entropy). Does Theravadin cosmology make any further predictions about things which we can measure but don't yet have a complete theory of? If so then there's a chance we could develop our theory and find Theravadin cosmology to be impossible. If not then we can't use this approach to question Theravadin cosmology.
For the second point, we really have to speculate about what we might or might not be able to measure in the future. Because this is based on speculation I don't think this counts as a good reason to believe that physics will end up allowing a Buddhist timeline of events.

-1: <p>Are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cosmology_of_the_Theravada_school" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Therevada's cosmology</a> and the Mahanaya's sutras physically, rather than only psychologically, plasusible?</p>

<p>I read about the former in the abhidharmakosabhasyam, about all the hells and heavens that await us. And the Mahayana sutras often include reference to e.g. celestial bodhisattvas.</p>

<p>I'm skeptical that these things have physical, rather than psychological, truth, empirical (we've this heaven) or otherwise (we have evidence that these heavens exist). As with with classical georgraphy, and history. My specific question is:</p>

<ul>
<li>do we have good reason to believe that physics will end up allowing a Buddhist timeline of events?</li>
</ul>
 7309: <p>Relational quantum mechanics is the mathematical description of co-dependent origination in my opinion, really neat too. It doesn't prove the cosmology but does seem to point to the accuracy or the main insights of the Buddha.</p>

<p>If you are talking about the cosmology word for word (like Digha Nikaya 27) then it would be a stretch - a lot of conceptual construction. The inflation/deflation Universe is cool though, and sounds like <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bounce" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bounce</a>.. </p>

<p>The Multiverse interpretation of QM (somewhat essentialist), gives for an interesting take on transmigration, in that the 'copies' can't be said to be either the same or different to each other.. Seems like a plausible image of transmigration to me. </p>
 8157: <p>The question: "<em>Are Therevada's cosmology and the Mahanaya's sutras physically plasusible?</em>" is impossible to answer &amp; outside of the scope of Buddha-Dhamma, which is described as:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>This Dhamma is to be seen here &amp; now, immediate, inviting inspection, pertinent, to be realized/verified by the observant for themselves. MN
  38</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>SN 35.23 states: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>The eye &amp; forms, ear &amp; sounds, nose &amp; aromas, tongue &amp; flavors, body &amp; tactile sensations, mind &amp; mind objects. This, monks, is called the
  All. Anyone who would say, 'Repudiating this All, I will describe
  another,' if questioned on what exactly might be the grounds for his
  statement, would be unable to explain and would be put
  to grief. Why? Because it lies beyond range.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>The various realms in the Pali suttas include psychological examples therefore obviously this is all that can be known. For example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>It is just within this fathom-long body, with its perception &amp; intellect, that I declare that there is the world, the origination of
  <strong>the world</strong>, the cessation of the world and the path of practice leading
  to the cessation of the world. AN 4.45</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>And what is the origination of the world? Dependent on the eye &amp; forms there arises eye-consciousness. The meeting of the three is
  contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From
  feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a
  requisite condition comes clinging. From clinging as a requisite
  condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes
  birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging &amp; death,
  sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &amp; despair come into play. This is
  the origination of the world. SN 12.44</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Follow not the vulgar way; live not in heedlessness; hold not false views; linger not long in worldly existence. Blind is the world; here
  only a few possess insight. Only a few, like birds escaping from the
  net, go to realms of bliss. Lokavagga</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, &amp; intellect. And what is the cause by which kamma comes
  into play? <strong>Sense contact</strong> is the cause by which kamma comes into play. And
  what is the diversity in kamma? There is kamma to be experienced in
  hell (niraya), kamma to be experienced in the realm of animals (
  tiracchānayoni), kamma to be experienced in the realm of the hungry
  shades (pettivisaya), kamma to be experienced in the human world
  (manussaloka), kamma to be experienced in the world of the devas
  (devaloka). This is called the diversity in kamma. AN 6.63</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>I have seen, bhikkhus, the <strong>hell</strong> named ‘Contact’s Sixfold Base.’ There whatever form one sees with the eye is undesirable, never desirable;
  unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable. Whatever sound
  one hears with the ear … Whatever odour one smells with the nose …
  Whatever taste one savours with the tongue … Whatever tactile object
  one feels with the body … Whatever mental phenomenon one cognizes with
  the mind is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely;
  disagreeable, never agreeable. SN 35.135</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Here, Udayi, the bhikkhu secluded from sensual desires and thoughts of demerit abides in the first jhana: Overcoming thoughts and thought
  processes and the mind in one point internally appeased, without
  thoughts and thought processes abides in the second jhana. Again with
  equanimity to joy and detachment, feeling pleasant with the body too,
  abides in the third jhana. To this the noble ones say abiding in
  pleasantness with equanimity. Udayi, this is the course of actions,
  for realising <strong>the world of only pleasant feelings</strong> (ekantasukhassa
  lokassa).MN 79</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Bhikkhus, there are three kinds of persons found existing in the world. What three? (1) “Here, bhikkhus, some person generates
  afflictive bodily activities, afflictive verbal activities, and
  afflictive mental activities. In consequence, he reappears
  (upapajjati) in an afflictive world. When he reappears in an
  afflictive world, afflictive contacts touch him. Being touched by
  afflictive contacts, he feels afflictive feelings, exclusively
  painful, as in the case of <strong>hell-beings</strong>. (2) “Someone else generates
  unafflictive bodily activities, unafflictive verbal activities, and
  unafflictive mental activities. In consequence, he reappears in an
  unafflictive world. When he reappears in an unafflictive world,
  unafflictive contacts touch him. Being touched by unafflictive
  contacts, he feels unafflictive feelings, exclusively pleasant, as in
  the case of the <strong>gods of refulgent glory</strong>. (3) “Still another generates
  bodily activities that are both afflictive and unafflictive, verbal
  activities that are both afflictive and unafflictive, and mental
  activities that are both afflictive and unafflictive. In consequence,
  he reappears in a world that is both afflictive and unafflictive. When
  he reappears in a world that is both afflictive and unafflictive, both
  afflictive and unafflictive contacts touch him. Being touched by both
  afflictive and unafflictive contacts, he feels both afflictive and
  unafflictive feelings, mingled pleasure and pain, as in the case of
  <strong>human beings</strong>, some <strong>devas</strong>, and some beings in the lower worlds. These,
  bhikkhus, are the three kinds of persons found existing in the world.
  AN 3.23</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Sensual desire… ill-will (anger)… sloth &amp; drowsiness… restlessness &amp; anxiety… uncertainty is an obstacle, a hindrance that overwhelms the
  mind and weakens wisdom… when a monk has not abandoned these five
  obstacles… for him to understand what is for his own benefit, to
  understand what is for the benefit of others, to understand what is
  for the benefit of both, to realize a superior <strong>human</strong> (manussa) state
  (dhammā), a truly noble distinction in knowledge &amp; vision: that is
  impossible. AN 5.51</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Sooner, I say, would that blind turtle, coming to the surface once every hundred years, insert its neck into that yoke with a single hole
  than the fool who has gone once to the nether world would regain the
  <strong>human</strong> state. For what reason? Because here, bhikkhus, there is no
  conduct guided by the Dhamma, no righteous conduct, no wholesome
  activity, no meritorious activity. Here there prevails mutual
  devouring, the devouring of the weak. For what reason? Because,
  bhikkhus, they have not seen the Four Noble Truths. What four? The
  noble truth of suffering … the noble truth of the way leading to the
  cessation of suffering. SN 56.47</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Bhikkhus, a <strong>god</strong>, a <strong>human</strong> or any other good state would not be evident from actions born of greed, hate and delusion. Yet, bhikkhus, from
  actions born of greed, hate and delusion a <strong>hellish</strong> being, an <strong>animal</strong>
  birth a <strong>ghostly</strong> birth or some other bad state would be evident. AN
  6.39</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Bhikkhus, these two bright principles protect the world. What are the two? Shame and fear of wrongdoing. If, bhikkhus, these two bright
  principles did not protect the world, there would not be discerned
  respect for mother or maternal aunt or maternal uncle’s wife or a
  teacher’s wife or the wives of other honored persons, and the world
  would have fallen into promiscuity, as with <strong>goats, sheep, chickens,
  pigs, dogs, and jackals</strong>. But as these two bright principles protect
  the world, there is discerned respect for mother… and the wives of
  other honored persons. AN 2.9</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Now on that occasion the wanderers of other persuasions had come together in a gathering and were sitting, discussing many kinds of
  <strong>bestial (animal)</strong> topics, making a great noise and racket. AN 10.93</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>Beings (sattā) are few who, when they pass away from the <strong>animal</strong> realm (tiracchā­na­yoniyā) are reborn (paccājāyanti) among <strong>humans</strong>
  (manussesu)… those beings are more numerous are reborn in hell…. For
  what reason? They have not realised the Four Noble Truths. SN 56.102
  to 131</em></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>There are these four kinds of generation. What are the four? Egg-born generation, womb-born generation, moisture-born generation and
  spontaneous generation. What is egg-born generation? There are these
  beings born by breaking out of the shell of an egg; this is called
  egg-born generation. What is womb-born generation? There are these
  beings born by breaking out from the caul; this is called womb-born
  generation. What is moisture-born generation? There are these beings
  born in a rotten fish, in a rotten corpse, in rotten dough, in a
  cesspit, or in a sewer; this is called moisture-born generation. What
  is spontaneous generation? There are gods (devā) and denizens of hell
  (nerayikā) and certain (ekacce ca) human beings (manussā) and some
  (ekacce ca) destined to suffer (vinipāta); this is called spontaneous
  generation. MN 12</em></p>
</blockquote>
 295: <p>Buddhism is a definite, and it is the same Dhamma preached by all Buddhas. Popular science is always changing with new theory replacing old ones. But having said this some similar theories have emerged:</p>

<ul>
<li>Parallel universe - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Multiverse</a></li>
<li>Multiple worlds - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_habitability" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Planetary habitability</a></li>
<li>Cyclical universe - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclic_model" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cyclic model</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2006/may/05/spaceexploration.universe" rel="nofollow noreferrer">One Big Bang, or were there many?</a>, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/05/31/multiple-big-bang-theory-could-bring-copernican-revolution-says/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Multiple Big Bang theory could bring 'Copernican revolution' says Astronomer Royal</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Also might be of interest:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://host.pariyatti.org/articles/Loka-The_Buddha&#39;s_Formulation_of_the_Universe.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Loka: The Buddha’s Formulation of the Universe</a> by Richard R. Crutcher</li>
<li><a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/R450-160524-Parallel-universes-RB150.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Parallel universes</a> by Piya Tan</li>
</ul>
 4888: <p>There are two ways in which physics could disallow a Buddhist form of cosmology:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>A law of nature which creates measurable predictions in our universe (the human realm of existence) is discovered, and this law contradicts a prediction of Theravadin cosmology.</p></li>
<li><p>We gain the ability to measure new phenomena such as interactions with another realm or measuring a beings' mindstream. With these new measurements we can test a prediction of Theravadin cosmology and find that the prediction is false.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>For the first point, Theravadin cosmology doesn't contradict any known laws (e.g. conservation of energy or non-decreasing entropy). Does Theravadin cosmology make any further predictions about things which we can measure but don't yet have a complete theory of? If so then there's a chance we could develop our theory and find Theravadin cosmology to be impossible. If not then we can't use this approach to question Theravadin cosmology.</p>

<p>For the second point, we really have to speculate about what we might or might not be able to measure in the future. Because this is based on speculation I don't think this counts as a good reason to believe that physics will end up allowing a Buddhist timeline of events.</p>
