_Kon._: What is meant by "the heaven and the earth: mount up to heaven,
be worthy of heaven"?
_Cu Su._: 'Tis but stupidity, there is no heaven; each planet is
surrounded by its atmosphere, and rolls in space around its sun. Each
sun is the centre of several planets which travel continually around it.
There is no up nor down, ascension nor descent. You perceive that if the
inhabitants of the moon said that some one ascended to the earth, that
one must render himself worthy of earth, he would talk nonsense. We do
so likewise when we say we must be worthy of heaven; it is as if we said
we must be worthy of air, worthy of the constellation of the Dragon,
worthy of space.--_Catechisme chinois._