The Buddha said:
Bhikshus and scholars should not accept my words out of reverence but only after thorough analysis and examination, just as a goldsmith would test gold by way of burning, cutting and rubbing.
Buddhism is a rich and deep religion. It is also a practical religion. The teaching of Buddhism is not just about one group of people or one country but for the well being of all the sentient beings. People of high, medium and low intelligence can practice this religion according to their respective level of intelligence.
Among modern scientists and intellectuals, some refer to Buddhism as a “science of mind”. Buddhism teaches us to seek enlightenment through reasoning and experience rather than through mere faith and belief. From this perspective, one can say that it is indeed a “science of mind”. Buddhism teaches us to investigate all internal and external phenomena. This is the reason why the modern scientist takes special interest in the Buddhist teaching. The philosophy of Buddhism can stand the test of logic and reasoning. What is more, Buddhism encourages us to test its teaching logically before accepting it.
Buddhism and science follow similar procedures to reach for the truth. Buddhism teaches us that our direct perception is the first step in trying to understand a phenomena. Based on this, we use reasoning to understand the less perceptible facts of the phenomenon. The deduction we have made in this way is put to test in practical application. This is similar to the methodology used in scientific research.
With the advent of science in the 17th century, spirituality has suffered a great setback and in that, some religious traditions have lost their followers. But Buddhism has stood the test of science. Since Buddhism is about facts and logic, it goes very well with science. As a matter of fact, discoveries made by scientists like Newton and Darwin are akin to the teaching of Buddhism. Many aspects of the laws of gravity and motion, atomic energy, the theories of evolution, etc. are similar theories propounded in the Abhidharma texts and the Sutra of Mindfulness. More particularly, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity which overthrew the concept of earlier physicists, is similar in many ways to the theory of dependent origination, expounded by the Indian Buddhist master Acharya Nagarjuna some 2,000 years ago.
There has been a series of conferences called “Mind and Life” in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh to facilitate an exchange of views between Buddhism and science. In addition there has been opportunities to meet and exchange views with foreign scientists on visiting overseas.
Scientific discipline such as astronomy, particle physics, neurology, biology, cosmology and physics share common ground with Buddhism in many ways. The quantum Theory expounded by Einstein’s principle students-Max Planck, Niels Bohr and Heisenberg-is similar to the teaching of Buddhism.
The teaching of Lord Buddha is focused on the path of uprooting negative afflictions and their roots from our minds. This teaching holds true under all circumstances. This will become plain if you study Buddhist teaching and conduct an objective investigation of its validity.
-H.H. THE XIVTH DALAI LAMA
