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 …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 …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”
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 …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 …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”