The tree falling in the forest is not a great metaphysical question, it is simple physics. What we interpret as 'sound', in our mind, are the vibrations of our eardrums.

What causes our eardrums to vibrate? It is certainly not 'sound', as all 'sound' exists solely on 'our side' of our eardrums!

When a tree falls, it produces a 'shock-wave' (standing pressure wave) in the air (hence, air, or another medium, being necessary to carry what appears as 'sound', the 'waves'...). This 'pressure wave' is absolutely silent. It is merely a 'vibration' in the air (caused by the tree falling, vocal chords vibrating, etc...). For 'sound' to exist, these silent 'waves' must impact a membrane in an ear and cause it to appropriately vibrate. The vibrations of the eardrum are then carried to the brain, the 'bio-computer' in your head, to be 'translated' and 'conceptualized' (and stored, and incorporated as a part of your 'world-view') as 'sound'.

The true nature of existence is that there is absolute silence everywhere but inside your mind!

The same holds true for 'light'.
Photons are absolutely dark. Shine a light in an open window, across a clean room, and out the far window. If there is nothing reflecting the photons toward your eyes, such as dust, a wall, incoherence, etc... you cannot 'see' the light. The photons must interact with an eye (receptor) and, after transmission to the brain, are interpreted and conceived as 'light', 'color', etc... In front of your nose, the universes are in absolute darkness. 'Light', like 'sound', has it's sole existence within the mind of the 'observer'.

I can also show you how the same is true of the 'evidence' of all of your senses! But not here, we are passing the original topic too quickly.

Other than in your mind, there is no 'light', no 'colors', no 'sound', no 'odors', no 'texture', no 'tastes', no 'motion'.. there is nothing 'out there', there is not even an 'out there' that can be found, 'out there'! It is all in the mind, all your universes a mental concept/construct!

Your senses present 'illusions' to you. Don't 'believe' them to be accurate reflections of any 'external' (as if there were an 'external') existence. That 'belief' would be 'delusional'. 'Delusion' is the 'belief' that illusion is 'reality'.

So, in conclusion, for now, if a tree falls and there are no eardrums to register and brain to interpret, there is no 'sound'. And before you start to argue (egoically defending your 'beliefs') about a tape-recorder 'hearing' the sound, don't; the tape is merely an intermediate step between the falling tree and your brain. At some point, YOU must 'hear' the tape (which is a way to store and transmit the 'shockwaves') and interpret the 'sounds'. Ultimately, an ear and brain are necessary for 'sound' to exist.

Now, go meditate on the implications of this teaching for awhile!
But not under a 'falling tree'!
*_-

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