Religion & Spirituality

Readers Respond: Must Buddhism and Science Agree?

Responses: 29

Do Buddhism and science agree? Do they have to agree? What if they disagree? Most of us, I suspect, in our own heads automatically interpret and "update" the ancient texts to match our knowledge of earth science. The nature of what we are trying to understand does not depend on believing in Four Great Elements rather than atoms and molecules. Is this OK? Share Your Thoughts

The core of buddhism

I agree with nobel truth's idea. The core of buddhism is serch the truth as well as the sience with defferent method I believe, buddhism is more intellectual if sience is theoritical.A example for this is If science is like lows of Newtons lows buddhism is Einstein's Relativity theroy. We understand it's true, But cannot prove by experiments. Again I believe buddhism's core is the reason for birth of Man and there sufferings on this world because of unlimited instincts & how to get rid of this.
—Guest Omega

Science has lot of catching up to do

Question posed:Must Buddhism and Science Agree? Short Answer:No. Reason:Both began independently, standing on their own individual strengths.Therefore neither depends on the other for justification.Hoever, both are in pursuit of unrestrained truth, in order to serve & save mankind.Since there cannot be two truths for the same subject, both could separately come up with similar revelations. Indeed, this is exactly what has happened.The eception? Science uses instruments based experimentations whereas Buddha used wisdom gained over millions of re-births wherein experience, sensitveness,meditation, knowledge, insight and enlightment. Remember "mind is supreme" That's why where science is compelled to stop due to limitations, Buddha ventured forth to reveal all that beyond accurately. Indeed Buddhism is far far ahead of science. Therefore, it should read as: What Buddha has already revealed, science keeps catching up, agreeing the comparrison with Buddhism all the while.
—Guest Senaka

Revealing the truth

Every major religion attempts to clarify a all-powerful God with the intent on glorifying same. In definite contrast Buddhism clarifies life itself intent on explaining how and why it works so. There is no glorification there. Precisely for this reason Buddhism does what science do. But where science stops due to inability to show evidence, Buddhism ventures with a knowledge that surpasses science's limitations. Accordingly, there is no part or organ in human body (or even in other living creatures) and thereafter (upto what is possible for human mind to understand) about atom or proton in universe that Buddha has not explained. In simpler terms - where others claim magic Buddha showed reasons. If wonderment is needed other religions provides it, If knowledge is desired, then there is only Buddhism.
—Guest Senaka

The way this is worded:

Must Buddhism and science agree: Some people will never agree with anyone. Even some of the most open minded Dharma teachers judge based on who they have read and studied under. This isn't independent thought or critical thinking. Is Buddhism and what Siddhartha taught is about completely experiencing and not just what can be expressed in writing or speech, then we are trying to find a box to put these concepts in by having this discussion. Buddhism to me adapts to other religions and new thought, so it would agree with what is true and presently known instead of only what was known in the past. That would include scientific discovery. Critical thinking scientists agree that Buddhist principles are closer to being something they can believe in. The number of famous scholarly intelligent people people in the past who converted to one form of Buddhism or another is great. And if all vehicles lead to the same path, then none of them would be wrong.
—ArizonaMildman

buddhism and science

Buddha dhamma open your mind to seek knowledge from every thing and accept the truth not by FAITH but by experience of life.
—Guest bimal karunakar

research on meditation

There is a substantial amount of research being done these days to study the brains of monks who have spent several thousands of hours meditating using the modern equipment of science, such as MRI and EEG. The results do in fact confirm that meditation can have a dramatic impact on the brain. Also, The Buddha, long before science existed, would ask his disciples to always ask and question what he taught, to see it for themselves.
—Guest Makeswell

Buddhism Adapts

Buddhism, like the American Constitution allows for change, logic and science. One must understand that religions were ancient man's attempt to explain science and nature. We think of the in Buddhist Gods and Deities as analogies of one's life condition, therefore part of your makeup, not something outside you. If you are seeking Buddhism outside yourself you are following an impure teaching.
—Guest Arizona Mildman

Particle Wave Science

In one of the teachings in the Pali Canon, which are believed to be transcribed records of his verbal teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha described what we now know as Particle Waves in an Indian word that means the same thing. We know he talked about the fact that everything in the Universe, including every particle of dust is made of the same thing. WE did NOT know that through science, even with the advent of the electron microscope for about another 1550 years. Think about it.
—Guest Arizona Mildman

e=mc^2

yakmanok, This equation doesn't tell us something can come from nothing, in fact it tells us the opposite. It explains why it *appears* matter is sometimes created from nothing, or completely destroyed. I'm not extremely well read on all Buddhist concepts but I think e=mc^2 is still in agreement with Buddhist thought. Nothing is ever created or destroyed, things just change. You could also say e=mc^2 shows us that even in physics everything has a duality unto itself; you can say matter is energy pretending to be something else or energy is matter acting as something else... both are reasonably true.
—nightslice

e=mcsquared and buddhism

e=mcsquared implies matter can be created from energy. In other words, matter can be created from nothing. This resonates with Buddhist teaching: Form is emptiness, Emptiness is Form. Amazing!!!
—Guest yakmanok

The noble truth

It is the role of the scientist to uncover the secrets of nature and use what is discovered to improve our way of life. A wise scientist knows to keep an open mind, choosing to believe that anything is possible unless there is absolute proof to the contrary. It is the role of the Buddhist to uncover the secrets of the soul. Only then can enlightenment and perfect peace be attained. A wise Buddhist will accept what science has shown to be irrefutably true. The Scientist and the Buddhist share the same goal albeit in different realms. They are each in search of the truth. When each beholds the truth, they will be as one.
—Guest Felicity

Answer to question of science vs

reincarnation First of all namaste =), I love science and buddhism both and that question is the first thing on my mind when I made the switch to Buddhism. Let's take it on the Physics aspect of life. As we die, we lose atoms in our body that made us, well us. Reincarnation doesn't necessarily mean the act of being brought back to life and remenbering your past life. I feel like our atoms create another being dependent on our Karma, and therefore our transformation to our next phase begins. Science and Buddhism can go together if you think about it outside the box
—Guest Jorge

To Wago

"Buddhism is different from Judeo Christian beliefs but it is a religion nonetheless." -Wago Buddhism is a spiritual philosphy that follows a personal practice of ethics and meditation. Buddhism also does not have a Creator God. "There have been many Buddhas before me and will be many Buddhas in the future,All living beings have the Buddha nature and can become Buddhas." - Shakyamuni Buddha
—Guest Erin

Ba'th Buddhism

There is a sect of Buddhists known as the Ba'th sect. They do not see any conflict between Buddha's teaching and science. They simply do not believe that man can learn about life from the pages of a book and that personal experience is the only acceptable form of instruction necessary for the living. I believe that the Blessed Master taught his followers to believe nothing in which they couldn't prove themselves. It would seem that Buddha was the ultimate empiricist.
—Guest michhaelallen

Scientific materialism 2

Therefore when we pit science against spirituality- even when we conceive of these two "things" -we are like a psychotic person lost in hallucination. Perhaps this is why Buddha asked us to speak little? It is also why we are just aware of our thoughts in meditation, endeavouring not to get wrapped up in them. If we use our thoughts just for practical things- negotiating our days- we will not bring forth any conflicts, intellectual or between us and others. Again I get lost in speaking so....silence. I sincerely hope this has been useful.
—Guest Rich

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