Buddhism and Science

A place to discuss casual topics amongst spiritual friends.
Individual
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Re: Buddhism and Science

Post by Individual »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings Element,
Element wrote:Why is Buddhism not empirical?
It is, but only subjectively. Your observations cannot be proven to anyone but yourself.

Metta,
Retro. :)
That is only a paccekabuddha's limitations.
The best things in life aren't things.

The Diamond Sutra
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retrofuturist
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Re: Buddhism and Science

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Individual,

Even a Buddha can only show the way.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Individual
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Re: Buddhism and Science

Post by Individual »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings Individual,

Even a Buddha can only show the way.

Metta,
Retro. :)
The ability to influence a mind merely requires the right technology and the right know-how -- either alter its physical components (modern western approach) or alter its surrounding conditioning factors (i.e. the Buddha's dialectical arguments which caused people to spontaneously snap out of ignorance, meditation as a tool for enlightenment, seclusion, vinaya and the five precepts, etc.).

If the Buddha is more than than merely a good scientist, then he should be (and is) capable of doing more than merely appealing to the evidence at hand, only to have it fall on deaf ears. The miracle of instruction is truly a miracle.
The best things in life aren't things.

The Diamond Sutra
Mawkish1983
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Re: Buddhism and Science

Post by Mawkish1983 »

Just thought I'd mention: I'm a scientist and I'm a Buddhist.
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DNS
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Re: Buddhism and Science

Post by DNS »

It is true that we cannot use science to verify if someone is enlightened or another noble state, but there have been studies that compare meditators to non-meditators and there have been findings of positive results for those who meditate.

For example, A study reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, in year 2004 showed that meditation not only produces calming effects, but also lasting changes in the brain.

Researchers found that monks who spent many years in Buddhist meditation training show significantly greater brain activity in areas associated with learning and happiness than those who have never practiced meditation. The researchers measured brain activity before, during, and after meditation using electroencephalograms. They compared the monks to a group of people who had no meditation experience. They found striking differences between the two groups in a type of brain activity called gamma wave activity, which is involved in mental processes including attention, working memory, learning, and conscious perception.

The Buddhist monks had a higher level of gamma wave activity before they began meditation, and this difference increased dramatically during meditation. In fact, the researchers said that the extremely high levels of gamma wave activity were the highest ever reported. The monks also had more activity in areas associated with positive emotions, such as happiness.

(Warner, Jennifer. Reviewed by Nazario, Brunilda, M.D., for WebMD. Meditation May Bolster Brain Activity. WebMD, 2004)

The practice itself follows scientific method in many ways, including direct observation and study, analysis.
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