Questions tagged [science]
A system of thought that organises the world through prediction, observation and experimentation. Scientific truths are provisional and can always be falsified.
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Does the Buddha deny genetic differences?
In MN.98, the Buddha seems to deny the ethnic/racial/genetic differences between humans. He seems to indicate that differences in physical traits between individuals are not determined by birth as in ...
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3answers
102 views
Are probabilistic physics and pratitya samutpada compatible?
Can a physical theory be fundamentally probabilistic (such as the popular interpretations of quantum mechanics) without contradicting pratitya samutpada?
Clarification
Pratitya samutpada is about ...
4
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4answers
1k views
How come enlightened people don't have any laziness?
I just heard that enlightened people have zero laziness. How is it possible? What is "laziness" ? What is the connection between laziness and ego/desire?
Edit: Also that monk said: "Laziness is ...
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3answers
129 views
Eightfold path & gender dysphoria
Would the eightfold path help someone transcend gender dysphoria? Is gender dysphoria a matter of clinging or a matter of hardwired biology?
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2answers
76 views
Is there a scientific consensus on meditation?
Is there a scientific consensus on meditation? I've seen it said that different parts of the brain are activated during meditation. Is that true for all experienced meditators, all forms of meditation,...
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6answers
77 views
Permanent Matter?
My friend told this to me & now I am confused.
Isn't the amount of matter in the universe the same, no less, nor
more, because nothing is ever lost, nor created, everything causes everything,...
2
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2answers
91 views
Is the path of Zen compatible with computer science?
For example, software/code/algorithms themselves can be very complex, dense, cryptic (often without value), overly detailed, stressful to understand intent (sometimes), generation of new abstractions ...
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1answer
32 views
Justice through soul-reincarnation
A pure, almost metaphysical but from the inside of me:
How would it sound that there is an afterlife of the more that 00 billion people that ever lived on earth since the begging of our species (as ...
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4answers
95 views
Given that Buddhism could accommodate people's prior religious beliefs, why is Buddhism itself now described as a religion?
Read somewhere that Buddhism does not advocate to go away from the beliefs of a person. Or in a way accommodate one's rooted beliefs from childhood. The main objective of following the path of Buddha ...
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2answers
113 views
Are there any scientifically validated practices for Buddhists?
We know there are already hundreds of studies with promising results. State of enlightenment is already documented and can be measured.
So I am asking whether exists some resources or even a ...
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2answers
95 views
Memories of previous lives [closed]
I think I have to tolerate memories of previous lives. And I know many of which memories are combination of true and false memories.Part of the memories are scientifically superimposed by army or any ...
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5answers
134 views
The eternal universe
As far as I know, in Buddhism and Hinduism, the universe has birth and death, like the time of life. However, in Buddhism, as well as other Eastern religions, there are a lot of schools and movements. ...
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3answers
174 views
If the self is scientifically measured, what is the Buddhist view on this?
The concept of self is important in social psychology: self-concept, self-esteem, self-control, self-awareness, etc. As a science, these concepts are measured under scientific methods, and there are ...
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1answer
66 views
Is Scientific Realism/Materialism and/or Historicity compatible with Mahayana?
In my estimation the answer is decidely no, but I am interested to hear what others think from a Mahayana or Madhyamaka perspective.
First, to try and clarify terms I am using scientific realism/...
4
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8answers
714 views
How can we make sense of the Universe from the Buddhist perspective?
I know this is the kind of the question Buddha discouraged to ponder upon with the example of the poisonous arrow.
But after 25 centuries, after what Newton and Einstien and Astronomers and ...
2
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2answers
80 views
Can meditation heal physical diseases?
I recently read the Discourse to Girimananda Thera. In it, the Venerable Girimananda was "afflicted with a disease, was suffering there from, and was gravely ill". The Blessed One was petitioned by ...
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1answer
110 views
Is there a source that Dalai Lama wants scientists to invent a “meditation machine”?
The 14th Dalai Lama have known to actively support scientific explanation on Buddhism. For example his investment in the Mind and Life Institute. But I remember that I've read somewhere that he ...
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3answers
180 views
Does Buddhism uphold/advocate the theory of Evolution [Nichirenism]?
Does Buddhism uphold and/or advocate the theory of Evolution, the theory of Charles Darwin?
Does Buddhism believes that our ancestors were monkeys and apes?
I as a Christian don't believe in ...
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5answers
233 views
How to reconcile non-attachment in a Type-A, North American culture where work is life?
I've been meditating on-and-off for years.
However, the non-attachment preached by the Buddha conflicts with the environment around me. I'm in a large urban center in North America.
Achievement is ...
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3answers
235 views
Showing anatta from modern psychology or neuroscience?
I have heard Ajahn Brahm say in a talk, if I recall, that modern science or psychology has demonstrated anatta in some way.
It seems unnecessary to invoke science to validate any of Buddhism, but ...
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1answer
55 views
The four great elements and scientific equivalent
Science categorize physical world in to solid,liquid,gas and energy(thermal,kinetic,nuclear,radiation etc....) when it analyze, prove that nothing more than those three state of material and energy ...
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5answers
155 views
2
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4answers
548 views
Buddhism and theory of relativity
“The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious ...
2
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6answers
177 views
Reincarnation and stem cell research
How do we apply reincarnation to phenomena such as reproduction by binary fission (amoeba) and creating animals like Dolly the sheep from a single cell? Also, why the population is rising in the ...
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2answers
114 views
Biology, Brain tumours and mental disorders, behaviour and Budhism
The biologic construction of our brains leads to diferent behaviour and personalities. Like different antennas or generators, we can process signals diferent ways or receive them diferent ways.
Our ...
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3answers
299 views
Cosmic expansion and cosmic contraction
DN2 talks of many aeons of cosmic expansion and cosmic contraction.
What does this mean in Buddhist cosmology?
Is this similar to Big Bounce in physics?
2
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1answer
249 views
During body-scan ('sweeping') meditation, what does brain-imaging (e.g. fMRI) look like?
I do not know how extensively body scans have been studied with brain-imaging techniques, e.g. fMRI.
Body scan is a meditation technique developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It was derived from a meditation ...
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5answers
2k views
Hungry ghosts and food offerings to the dead
One of the four lowest realms of the 31 planes of existence is the realm of the hungry ghosts or hungry shades or petas or pretas.
These cannot be souls or spirits, because in Buddhism, there is no ...
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2answers
148 views
Is it the EARTH only Place that can give birth to a Buddha?
is it the EARTH only Place that can give birth to a Buddha? isn't their any other Universes or worlds beside than Earth that Previously born Buddha or in the Future?
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11answers
1k views
Consciousness, death and reincarnation
First of all, I'd like to say I'm a scientist. This means fact will always come before faith, even if it hurts. In general, one's opinion doesn't mean much if the question itself has no meaning, but ...
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8answers
1k views
Is Buddhism against scientific attitude?
According to Buddhism, the cause of all suffering is desire and liberation from desire would lead to the cessation of suffering.
But isn’t curiosity a desire? Is Buddhism against scientific attitude? ...
4
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2answers
160 views
Buddhism and Science
Science is capable of helping living beings flourish, or of generating suffering for living beings.
Either of these two capacities are the result of trial and error as well as research and ...
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3answers
237 views
Is the principle of rebirth falsifiable?
When the Buddha searched for truth in the world he used a method of empiricism. Empiricism is the precursor for modern science and although I believe that rebirth can be verified empirically I am not ...
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3answers
210 views
Buddha's knowledge of prior births
Did Budhdha really got to know his previous births
....or was it just mind hallucinating because of hunger, thirst?
I don't mean any disrespect
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3answers
125 views
Animals and humans in Science vs. Buddhism
About the doctrine of the 31 realms of existence. I have a few questions, because science, especially the theory of evolution, makes a good argument for categorizing humans as animals.
Is this list ...
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2answers
1k views
What is the buddhist conception of light?
How do buddhists regard light? In their statues the eyes of Buddha are most times closed. Do they consider light a low worthy thing or something else. Newton showed gravity to be a powerful competitor ...
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5answers
1k views
How did Buddha Explain the Creation Of the World?
I have heard that Buddha explained how the world is recreated after a destruction, in Aggan̄n̄a Sutta.
One tale told by the Buddha in the Aggan̄n̄a Sutta describes the process of recreation on this ...
4
votes
3answers
470 views
In the book Parallel Worlds, does Michio Kaku believe in Nirvana and Genesis?
I'm curious because someone translated it into Thai that the eleven-dimensional hyperspace is actually Nirvana in Buddhism. Does Michio Kaku literally mean that? What's his religion. Sorry if my ...
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2answers
669 views
What are the main differences between Buddhism and Ellen Langer's 'scientific mindfulness'?
Ellen Langer has an interesting passage in her book on mindfulness claiming that her work is significantly different than 'spiritual buddhism' because it comes from the Western Scientific tradition.
...
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3answers
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What exactly did Lord Buddha say about Size of Atom?
I have heard that Lord Buddha wrote or discussed about the smallest indivisible particle i.e the atom. What exactly did he say. Is it mentioned in some scriptures? If yes, did he give any argument or ...
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3answers
388 views
Are there rules that prevent chaos in our world?
Is it right to say that, if there is no supreme god, there must be a power or set of rules that prevents chaos in our world?
Isn't it natural that if the world is not ruled by god it must be exposed ...
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2answers
145 views
Is there any research on physiology of deep and long meditative states (i.e. days and weeks of sitting)?
I keep hearing about Theravada monks who are able to stay in deep meditative states for days and weeks on end. While I do not [yet] question ability to stay in meditation for that long, what interests ...
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4answers
200 views
Does “empirical evidence” challenge “scriptural authority”?
In his talk titled, Science at the Crossroads, the Dalai Lama said,
On the philosophical level, both Buddhism and modern science share a deep suspicion of any notion of absolutes, whether ...
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3answers
489 views
Can the elements of Buddhist Cosmology be confirmed?
How are the elements of Buddhist Cosmology (31 planes of existence, hungry ghosts/shades, angry deities, etc.) confirmed?
Are there writings of recent gurus in the past 50 years or so, confirming, ...
2
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3answers
274 views
Scientific Reincarnation Research
Buddhists often cite the research of people like Ian Stevenson or Jim Tucker in support of their views on rebirth. My understanding however is that these researchers consider their evidence supports ...
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5answers
2k views
Are Buddhists happier than average?
Has anyone ever tried to measure happiness of Buddhist practitioners and compare it in a scientific or analytically way to other religious groups or the population as a whole? If there are studies ...
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2answers
3k views
Why focus below your bellybutton in meditation?
My roshi tells me to focus here. Before practicing, I spent most of my waking hours thinking, analyzing, living in my head. With practice, it has gotten easier to think when thought has a purpose, and ...
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3answers
361 views
Can binaural recordings enhance my meditative experiences?
I read about binaural tones and am about to experiment with them in my meditation sessions. I read that studies show mixed results, with 7Hz frequencies improving focus and 15Hz impeding concentration....
3
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4answers
319 views
Why are some bodily fluids missing from the “Thirty Two Parts of the Body” teaching?
"There are in this body head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, intestinal tract, stomach, feces, bile, ...
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2answers
208 views
If physical action causes reaction, doesn't mental action cause reaction too?
For example, Newton's third law is that if a body acts another body, so the other body reacts to the acting body.
Now consider a mental action, for example one person who loves another person: that ...
