The Metaphysical Foundation of Buddhism and Modern Science

throughout the utmost recesses of space and time. Of course, it is
natural, and for certain purposes entirely proper, to speak of the focal
region, thus modified, as the thing itself situated there. But difficulties
arise if we press this way of thought to far. For physics, the thing itself
is what is does, and what it does is this divergent stream of influence.
Again the focal region cannot be separated from the external stream. It
obstinately refuses to be conceived as an instantaneous fact. It is a
state of agitation, only differing from the so-called external stream by
its superior dominance within the focal region. Also we are puzzled how
to express exactly the existence of these physical things at any definite
moment of time. For at every instantaneous point-event, within or
without the focal region, the modification to be ascribed to this thing is
antecedent to, or successive to, the corresponding modification
introduced by that thing at another point-event. Thus if we endeavor to
conceive a complete instance of existence of the physical thing in
question, we cannot confine ourselves to one part of space or to one
moment of time. The physical thing is a certain coordination of spaces
and times and conditions in those spaces at times, this coordination
illustrating one exemplification of a certain general rule, expressible in
terms of mathematical relations. Here we have returned to a
fundamental Platonic doctrine.
Again, with the denial of simple location we must admit that within any
region of space-time the innumerable multitude of these physical things
are in a sense superposed. Thus the physical fact at each region of