The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. Conclusion. Science, Spirituality and Humanity
Looking back over seventy years of my life, I see that my personal acquaintance with science began in a completely pre-scientific world, where the emergence of any technology seemed like a true miracle. I would guess that my fascination with science is still based on this naive admiration for human achievements. Having thus begun, my journey into science led me to consider very complex problems, such as the impact of science on the general understanding of the world, its ability to change the lives of people and nature itself, and its consequences in the form of intractable moral problems arising from new scientific achievements. But at the same time, I also do not forget about all the amazing and wonderful opportunities that science brings to the world.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 9. Ethical problems of modern genetics
Many of those who follow the development of modern genetics are aware of the extensive public debate taking place on this topic. People are concerned about the whole range of problems associated with this – from cloning to genetic influence. There has been widespread debate around the world about the use of genetic engineering in agriculture. It is now possible to create new varieties of plants with unusually high yields and at the same time very resistant to various diseases, which makes it possible to increase food production in a world with an ever-increasing population. The benefits of this are obvious. Watermelons without seeds, apple trees with long-living trunks, pest-resistant wheat and other grains are no longer the stuff of science fiction. I read that scientists are experimenting with introducing gene structures from various species of spiders into agricultural products, such as tomatoes.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 8. Factors of consciousness
In the very construction of the methodology for studying the mind with its various states, Buddhism and modern science proceed from completely different premises. Science focuses its efforts primarily on the study of basic neurobiological structures and the biochemical properties of the brain, while Buddhism, in its study of consciousness, deals primarily with the experience of subjective experiences. Dialogue between these areas can open up new ways to study consciousness. Buddhist psychology bases its approach on a combination of meditative practices (which can be understood in this context as phenomenological research) with empirical observation of human motivations as manifested in emotions, thoughts and behaviors, and with critical philosophical analysis.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 7. Towards a science of consciousness
In order for the study of consciousness to be complete, it is necessary to develop a methodology that takes into account not only what happens at the neural and biochemical levels, but also the subjective experience of consciousness itself. Even the combination of neurophysiology and behavioral psychology does not shed sufficient light on the experience of subjective experiences, since both of these directions emphasize the objective, non-personal method of observation. Traditions based on the practice of contemplation are based on the historically established method of a subjective, personal approach to the study of the nature and functions of consciousness. It uses special training of the mind, the ability to focus on one’s internal states in various ways.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 6. The problem of the emergence of consciousness
The joy of meeting, the sadness of parting, the wealth of vivid dreams, the serene calm of a spring walk, complete immersion in a state of deep meditation – all these and similar states form the sphere of our conscious experience. Regardless of their content, no one in their right mind would doubt the reality of these experiences. All of them, from the completely ordinary to the most sublime, have a certain orderliness and at the same time are highly personal, and therefore their existence can only be discussed from a certain point of view. The experience of inner feelings is completely subjective. The paradox, however, is that, despite the undoubted reality of our subjective world and the thousand-year history of its philosophical research, complete agreement has not yet been achieved in understanding what consciousness is. Science, with its basic principle of the primacy of external objective observations, has so far made very little progress towards answering this question.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 5. Evolution, karma and the world of living beings
The answer to the question “What is life?”, no matter what tradition it is asked, poses a great difficulty for any intellectual attempt to create a consistent picture of the world. Buddhism, like modern science, starts from the basic assumption that at the most fundamental level there is no qualitative difference between the material basis of the bodies of living beings, including humans, and an inanimate object, say, a stone. The human body, just like a stone, arises as a result of the combination of material particles. In fact, the entire cosmos and all the objects contained in it are composed of the same substance, which is in a constant process of circulation; According to scientific concepts, the atoms of our body were once part of stars far removed from us in space and time.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 4. The Big Bang Theory and the Buddhist Beginningless Cosmos
Who has not experienced a feeling of amazement when looking at the depths of the sky filled with countless twinkling stars on a cloudless night? And who hasn’t wondered whether intelligent life exists there too? Who hasn’t asked himself whether our planet is the only habitable place in the Universe? In my opinion, such questions are posed by the very natural curiosity inherent in the human mind. Attempts to find answers to them have been made throughout the history of human civilization. One of the greatest achievements of modern science is that it has brought us closer than ever before to understanding the conditions and causes of the complex processes underlying the emergence of the Universe.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 3. Emptiness, relativity and quantum physics
One of the most striking results of the development of science is the change in our understanding of the structure of the world in the light of new discoveries. For example, physics is still trying to get used to the new scientific paradigm that arose at the beginning of the 20th century. as a result of the emergence of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Scientists and philosophers are now forced to constantly deal with two conflicting models of reality – the classical Newtonian model, which assumes the mechanistic and complete predictability of all events in the Universe, and the relativism of quantum mechanics, which introduces the principle of uncertainty into the understanding of the world. The application of this second model to understanding the everyday reality around us has not yet been fully clarified.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 2. My encounter with science
I was born into a simple peasant family. My parents used yaks to plow the fields, and later, when the grain was ripe, the same yaks threshed the ears with their hooves. Probably the only objects in the world of my early childhood that were related to technology were rifles, which local warlike nomads brought from British India, and perhaps even from Russia or China. At the age of six, I was enthroned as the fourteenth Dalai Lama in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and began studying all aspects of Buddhism. I had personal tutors who gave me daily lessons in reading, writing and the basics of Buddhist philosophy; under their guidance, I memorized various texts and rituals. There were also several tsenshabs always near me , which literally translates as “philosophy assistant.” Their first priority was to hold debates with me on various topics of Buddhist philosophy. In addition, I had to take part in hours-long prayer rituals and learn meditative concentration. Under the guidance of my mentors, I went on long retreats and did two-hour meditations four times a day. This is how the training of a high reincarnation lama usually takes place in the Tibetan tradition. But I did not receive any knowledge in the field of mathematics, geology, chemistry, biology or physics and did not even know about the existence of these sciences.
The Universe in One Atom: Science and Spirituality in the Service of the World. 1. Meditation
I have been thinking about the remarkable achievements of science for many years. In the short period of my life, science and technology have had a huge impact on humanity. And although my own interest in science was initially based on amazement at the advanced technological civilization that lay beyond the borders of my own country, I soon came face to face with the colossal influence of science on human life, especially after my flight into exile in 1959. Today, there is virtually no area of human life left untouched by the influence of science and technology. But do we realize what place science occupies in human life, what changes it can bring and how this process can be managed? This last point is especially important because unless we consciously guide the development of science with moral impulses and especially with compassion, it will not be able to benefit humanity. On the contrary, its results can be destructive.