Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics: Volume 1: The Physical World

The Dalai Lama offers the first entry in a four-volume series on the scientific and philosophical explorations of the nature of reality in Indian Buddhist classics. The complete compendium will cover scientific, philosophical, and religious topics; this first volume tackles the physical sciences of the material universe. The Dalai Lama argues that Western and Buddhist styles of scientific thinking are not contradictory: the Buddha emphasized a reason-based empirical testing of the validity of his teachings. Like the scientific method, Buddhism asserts that the evidence of direct perception must ultimately underpin critical inquiry and applies this principle to the practice of meditation: “In Buddhism, empirical observation is not confined to the five senses alone... study and contemplation is also recognized as part of the means of investigating reality.” This first volume connects teachings from classical Buddhist schools to topics of inquiry in modern science, including quantum particles, relativity, and fetal development. The Dalai Lama’s newest offering is a dense and rich compilation of teachings spanning the massive Tibetan canon that is ultimately more relevant for specialists than a general, uninitiated audience. (Nov.)