Dongguk Summer School Buddhism and Science

Background: The Western Spiritual Crisis Spiritual crisis as science (geology, biology, astronomy) challenges the authority of religion: Copernican Revolution, Galileo Darwin and Evolution Freud, religion an ‘illusion’ Karl Marx (‘the opium of the people’) Nietzsche (‘God is dead’)

The Discovery of Buddhism Buddhism seemed unlike Western religion ‘Between Buddhism and modern science there exists a close intellectual bond’ (Sir Edwin Arnold, The Light of Asia, 1879) Can Buddhism heal the split between Religion and Science? 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religion, Chicago Paul Carus, Open Court Press invites Buddhist missionaries to the USA Anagarika Dharmapala Swami Vivekananda Soyen Shaku D.T. Suzuki

‘Scientific’ Buddhism ScienceReligion Modern reformers presented Buddhism as in harmony with science and free of superstition and dogma Does not depend on the existence of God No faith, dogma, or revelation Dharma = Natural Law, similar to scientific laws Karma compatible with evolution as the cyclical unfolding of events governed by the law of cause and effect Anagarika Dharmapala: “the theory of evolution was one of the ancient teachings of the Buddha” A religion of self-help, no faith required High moral ideals and ethical teachings Moderate and pacifist Parallels between Buddha and Jesus Buddha like Luther Different rivers leading to the same sea

Changing views of science Two World Wars involving weapons of mass destruction Kurt Vonnegut ‘We took scientific truth and dropped it on the people of Hiroshima’ D.T. Suzuki (Japanese) changed his view of Buddhism and science: "I now think that a religion based solely on science is not enough. There are certain 'mythological' elements in every one of us, which cannot be altogether lost in favor of science.“ (1959) Ven. Hsuan Hua: “Science absolutely cannot bring true and ultimate happiness to people, neither spiritually nor materially” Science + human ignorance = disaster

Science: the dark side

Science in a Postmodern World Doubts about scientific ‘truth’ and authority New physics: Heisenberg, doubts about ‘objectivity’ and the nature of time and space Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962) – ‘paradigm shifts’ Perhaps reality best comprehended through religious/spiritual/mystical modes of understanding

Quantum Physics The ‘God particle’ (Higgs Boson) Ricard, Matthieu, and Trinh Xuan Thuan, The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet (2004). Dalai Lama, The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues with the Dalai Lama (2004) Lopez, Donald S., Buddhism and Science: A Guide for the Perplexed (2008) Some schools seem to deny the reality of an external world Madhymaka Yogacara

Indra’s Digital Net? Ray Kurzweil - director of engineering at Google - claims that by 2045 humans will be able to upload their entire minds to computers and become digitally immortal - an event called ‘singularity’.

Neuroscience Indra’s Net and Neural networks? Buddhist teachings emphasize the role of the mind in shaping our reality Importance of meditation Neuroplasticity

Psychology Jon Kabat-Zinn University of Massachussets Medical School Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Stress, anxiety, pain, illness

Conclusion Science and Buddhism both share goal of ‘seeing things as they really are’ Similarities: in Psychology and Cosmology Difference: In Buddhism knowledge is grounded in ethical values Goal is an ethical vision free from greed, hatred and delusion and inspired by wisdom and compassion Buddhism and science share only superficial similarities