In the teachings of Maitreya/Asanga it is said that among the three Natures (Three Svabhava) what ordinary beings see is the Parikalpita, or the Imaginary nature, this includes the six realms and their beings; Bodhisattvas on the first seven bhumis and the eight kinds of noble persons of the Sravaka path see the Paratantra, or the Dependent nature; Bodhisattvas on the pure bhumis ( 8., 9., and 10. bhumi) and Buddhas see the Parinishpanna, or the Truly existent nature.PadmaVonSamba wrote:
If we are asking whether Amitabha's Pure Realm can be mapped by NASA, the answer is probably no, but this is not because it doesn't exist. It just doesn't exist in the same way. If this is hard to understand, then consider the fact that while a brain exists in space, thoughts only exist in time. So, even though thinking is connected with brain activity, if you cut open a brain, you will not see any thoughts or memories. So, just as the physical brain and thoughts exist in different ways, Amitabha's Pure Land exists, but not in a way that NASA can gather data on it.
Thus it depends on what kind of people there are in the NASA, if their consciousness is on the level of hell realms, or the level of pretas, or animals, etc... then they will find an according level of beings and realms in Space.
Theoretically it is not impossible to find deva realms and pure buddha fields by scientific means, although at present it seems a possibility that it is very far and distant.