In modern times religion and science are increasingly becoming viewed as incompatible, or at least non-overlapping. Damien Keown states that “Scientific discoveries, and theories such as evolution, have challenged many traditional Christian teachings…” at the expense of making them appear “...dogmatic, irrational, and backward-looking” (119).
Despite its brief history in the West, Buddhism has gained increasing popularity in part due to its frequent portrayal as an exception to the conflict between scientific and spiritual thought. Proponents of this view—deemed “Buddhist Modernists” or “Secular Buddhists”—argue that Buddhism possesses certain qualities which make it compatible with a secular view of the world, while providing a source of purpose and moral guidance. Keown summarizes some of these qualities, including (1) a lack of a personal deity; (2) a non-dogmatic worldview (not tending to present principles as undeniably true); (3) few ritual or other requirements and (4) moral teachings expressed as rational philosophy (119-121) but also notes that “...’Buddhist modernism’ suppresses certain features of the religion which have been present since the earliest times which are less in harmony with contemporary Western attitudes” (122) and warns “Various Western ‘readings’ of Buddhism… [often] tell us more about changing fashions in the West than they do about Buddhism” (119). …show more content…
Can the fundamental tenets of Buddhism coexist with a secular worldview? Attempts to answer this question have filled many books (and so are well beyond the scope of this paper) but here I argue that based on the sutras attributed to him, Siddhartha Gautama—the historical buddha—was an early advocate for secular values of skepticism and freethought, even in regards to his own teachings. The alternative answer is of course that Buddha was not so different from other prophets of his time; that the popular western image of him is merely romanticism or a projection of our own values. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, has been a leader in global discussion between his native Buddhism, other world religions and modern science. In his book The Universe In a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, he states that “...if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims” (3). His Holiness references the Kalama Sutta (24), in which the Buddha speaks to the people of the city of Kesaputta who have been dissatisfied with the contradictory doctrines of their local monks and brahmins. …show more content…
The Buddha adresses them, saying:
Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another 's seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, 'The monk is our teacher. ' Kalamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are bad; these things are blamable; these things are censured by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill, ' abandon them. (Thera)
This passage is frequently cited as the Buddha’s advocacy for skepticism and personal experience; indeed the translator goes further by commenting that “the spirit of the sutta signifies a teaching that is exempt from fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance” (Thera). In sharp dismissal of this interpretation of the Kalama Sutra, however, American-born monk Bhikkhu Bodhi writes that “...on the basis of a single passage, quoted out of context, the Buddha has been made out to be a pragmatic empiricist who dismisses all doctrine and faith, and whose Dhamma [dharma] is simply a freethinker’s kit to truth which invites each one to accept and reject whatever he likes” (McMahan 248). Bodhi argues that the Kalamas in this sutra have not yet accepted Buddha’s teachings, and that the Buddha would never condone skepticism of his own teachings from his followers. There is certainly value to be had in Bodhi’s objection—principally in that the townsfolk whom the Buddha addresses are not yet members of the sangha but rather potential converts—however it ignores the experience and interpretations of other lifelong Buddhists such as the Dalai Lama as well as potential ramifications from Buddha’s other teachings. First, the Buddha acknowledged the fact that errors would occur in the preservation of his message
Despite its brief history in the West, Buddhism has gained increasing popularity in part due to its frequent portrayal as an exception to the conflict between scientific and spiritual thought. Proponents of this view—deemed “Buddhist Modernists” or “Secular Buddhists”—argue that Buddhism possesses certain qualities which make it compatible with a secular view of the world, while providing a source of purpose and moral guidance. Keown summarizes some of these qualities, including (1) a lack of a personal deity; (2) a non-dogmatic worldview (not tending to present principles as undeniably true); (3) few ritual or other requirements and (4) moral teachings expressed as rational philosophy (119-121) but also notes that “...’Buddhist modernism’ suppresses certain features of the religion which have been present since the earliest times which are less in harmony with contemporary Western attitudes” (122) and warns “Various Western ‘readings’ of Buddhism… [often] tell us more about changing fashions in the West than they do about Buddhism” (119). …show more content…
Can the fundamental tenets of Buddhism coexist with a secular worldview? Attempts to answer this question have filled many books (and so are well beyond the scope of this paper) but here I argue that based on the sutras attributed to him, Siddhartha Gautama—the historical buddha—was an early advocate for secular values of skepticism and freethought, even in regards to his own teachings. The alternative answer is of course that Buddha was not so different from other prophets of his time; that the popular western image of him is merely romanticism or a projection of our own values. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, has been a leader in global discussion between his native Buddhism, other world religions and modern science. In his book The Universe In a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, he states that “...if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims” (3). His Holiness references the Kalama Sutta (24), in which the Buddha speaks to the people of the city of Kesaputta who have been dissatisfied with the contradictory doctrines of their local monks and brahmins. …show more content…
The Buddha adresses them, saying:
Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another 's seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, 'The monk is our teacher. ' Kalamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are bad; these things are blamable; these things are censured by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill, ' abandon them. (Thera)
This passage is frequently cited as the Buddha’s advocacy for skepticism and personal experience; indeed the translator goes further by commenting that “the spirit of the sutta signifies a teaching that is exempt from fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance” (Thera). In sharp dismissal of this interpretation of the Kalama Sutra, however, American-born monk Bhikkhu Bodhi writes that “...on the basis of a single passage, quoted out of context, the Buddha has been made out to be a pragmatic empiricist who dismisses all doctrine and faith, and whose Dhamma [dharma] is simply a freethinker’s kit to truth which invites each one to accept and reject whatever he likes” (McMahan 248). Bodhi argues that the Kalamas in this sutra have not yet accepted Buddha’s teachings, and that the Buddha would never condone skepticism of his own teachings from his followers. There is certainly value to be had in Bodhi’s objection—principally in that the townsfolk whom the Buddha addresses are not yet members of the sangha but rather potential converts—however it ignores the experience and interpretations of other lifelong Buddhists such as the Dalai Lama as well as potential ramifications from Buddha’s other teachings. First, the Buddha acknowledged the fact that errors would occur in the preservation of his message