Scientific materialism
- I feel I should clear up some misinformation on what science is..even scientists seem to lose this distinction. Science is an investigative procedure designed to produce models of the world. A model is a description of the world that is useful for making predictions about what will happen. Buddhism too is a model of the world..the Buddha seems to have understood this by the raft metaphor and other teachings within the suttas. Models by definition are not truth- it is philosophy that tries to convert a model into truth. We human beings are model makers too. Our world views are made up of beliefs about what is so- constrained by our experience and our biology. We suffer from many errors in our processing as will be seen by a cursory study of the research. Reality is reality, beyond models- can we experience this to any degree? That seems to be the point of practice- destroying the models that get in the way of "just seeing" as best we can.
- —Guest Rich
Response
- As a Buddhist and physicist I am perplexed by a so called conflict between the two. Firstly there are some issues to clear up..Buddhism does not mention reincarnation. The Buddha sspoke of rebirth, which is fundamentally different although not unproblematic. Its also unclear whether this was metaphorical or a belief of his. If a belief of his and an acceptance he was enlightened it still doesn't mean he was necessarily right about universal reality. Luckily it doesn't matter- recall the raft teaching? All discussions on the things we don't know are views and opinions and unnecessary to the point of Buddhism which is to PRACTICE not talk too much, so that we may relieve the suffering of all beings. With that I've said enough. Best wishes to all.
- —Guest Rich
Buddhist philosophy and Quantum Physics
- Some thoughts on Buddhist philosophy and Quantum Physics: http://seanrobsville.blogspot.com/2009/11/quantum-buddhism-buddhist-particle.html
- —Guest Sean Robsville
Tourism
- This is in response to TFitz1017's post. The Dalai Lama was not wrong when he gave the answer as "Tourism". This word should not be taken in its literal sense. The Buddha taught that all things in this world (which Buddhists called it the Samsara world) are impermanent. As human beings here, we come and go (i.e. we are born and we die later). Are we not like the tourists who visit a country and later leave it after the tour? My explanation for Mr Dizon's "Science vs Reincarnation", reincarnation should not be taken to mean that a deceased human is reborn as another human being again. He could be reborn in another realm -- ie. animal, hungry-ghost, etc. Similarly, deceased from another realm, e.g. a dead animal, may be reborn in the human realm as a human being. And, the population in ALL the realms - I can only say it's countless. History has also shown that every few centuries, there had been a natural disaster which wipe out part of the world's population.
- —Zhyengjie
Buddhism is philosophy and science
- Buddhism is dealing with not only human being's world but also outside of human being's world. There are 10 darma reaims in this universe. The life form in each realm existing is based on its nature. Like human being on earth has certain range of activity physically and mentally.Human being is on the 6th level of these darma realms. Atom only exist on human being realm. Above us there are celestrial realm, Brahma,Arahat(Pratyakabuddhas), Boddhisattva and Buddha. Under us there are Asura,Animal, Hungry ghosts and hell being. Buddhism lays out the the defferent philosophy for us to understand and make a choice of which realm we may go by using the mean of Samsara(reincarnation). We are in charge of our own Samsara. Actually it's very extrem and yet very moderate in getting into Buddhism. Just like you approach the extrem large, extrem small(quantum), extrem fast and extrem slow(unmove)and keep youself as a human being eat, and sleep not to get burn or idol.
- —cthdragon
think??
- Albert Einstine had knonw well!!!!!!! He wrote about Buddhism in his mind
- —Guest kiss
Is it really?
- Buddhism is different from Judeo Christian beliefs but it is a religion nonetheless. The concept of Enlightenment, what it entails, the concept of reincarnation (which touches upon the Dalai Lama himself), prayers etc are all basic Buddhist traditions. Sometimes, Buddhists try a bit too hard to show their system is different from others and is superior! Science and religion always come into conflict and when they do not, it is because either religion agrees to change or science has not but will get to the stage of answering a certain question.
- —Guest Wago
Tourism
- " My Christian friend keeps asking me: "If buddists believe in evolution, then how is this consistent with the thought of reincarnation?" ...that is, if the earth was formed by 'Big Bang' and with minimum life to begin with, then how can it be that the world population today exceeds billions of people and animals? Does someone know the answer to this?" —MrDizon The Dalai Lama was asked a very similar question concerning reincarnation in relation to the continued rise in population. Where are these new human beings coming from? His reply? "Tourism"
- —TFitz1017
Buddhism Science
- The concept of "akaliko" timelessness is linked to nibbana (nirvana) in Buddhism Awakening (nirvana) of the Observer in Science By Amrit S. Sorli Abstract (May 27, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Who is the observer in a process of scientific experiencing of the universe? Is observer part of the mind or is observer consciousness itself. We will explore this subject here by studying the role of observer in a process of experiencing of time. Today in physics there are two fundamental approaches to time. The first and most common approach says we use clocks to measure the time component of space-time, space and time being cofounded as the basis of physical reality. However this approach has no experimental support. There is no evidence whatsoever that clocks measure one aspect of space-time, and in truth we cannot observe space-time at all. The second approach says time is cofounded with motion through space. This approach is supported by experiment and observation.
- —Guest Wilfred
Science vs Reincarnation
- My Christian friend keeps asking me: "If buddists believe in evolution, then how is this consistent with the thought of reincarnation?" ...that is, if the earth was formed by 'Big Bang' and with minimum life to begin with, then how can it be that the world population today exceeds billions of people and animals? Does someone know the answer to this?
- —MrDizon
Thumbs down on scientific materialism
- Buddhists don't agree with the materialistic interpretation of science. This isn't real science. More importantly, inner states of being (samadhi) are certainly off-limits to science as is the field of qualia, etc. I especially like what B. Alan Wallace says in his book, The Taboo of Subjectivity, that "scientific materialism is permeated with theological beliefs; this doctrine was found with ideals that were largely religious in nature; and it has traditionally bee defended on theological grounds."
- —Guest Mujaku
Buddhism and Science
- Buddhism is a religion. I think no religion can be called scientific. But unlike Christianity,Islam and Judaism Buddhism is not in conflict with the theory of evolution.Again to equate Buddhism with quantum mechanics may not be proper. No doubt it probably approximates quantum theory.Dependent origination is agreeable to a certain extent but can rebirth, incarnation, karma theory,as it is taught, be called scientific?
- —Nalinaksha
Correct...
- Nichiren said that all philosophies insofar as they are correct are in fact expressions of Buddhist truth. That said, I've always thought Buddhism was more about subjective reality than objective reality. I really can't see there being much conflict because they tend to have different areas of focus. Maybe that's just me, though. I HAVE used science to demonstrate the differenct between Buddhism and "revealed" religion, though.
- —JoeBuddha
Nope, but it's remarkable how they do!
- I often joke that I "became enlightened" while staying up all night studying undergraduate quantum physics. It's very powerful to realise that "with our thoughts we create the world," something I discovered while studying physics and eventually realised was actually Buddhism! I actually sometimes have a hard time reconciling what I "learn" at the Diamond Way Centre with what I have "realised" through the study of physics however finding those answers usually expands my mind to all sorts of wonderful discoveries about the fabulous possibilities of this amazing universe!
- —Guest Jessica
Previous16-29 of 29
