The Connection Between Buddhism and Science

Ojaswee Aryal (Grade 11, HEB High School, Texas)

Introduction

Throughout history, Buddhism has had a considerable impact on the global population. In the past, Buddhism offered an alternative to the caste system and parochial inclusivity that Hinduism had. In the present, Buddhism encourages positive change, and self-reliance, which are limited commodities in today’s consumeristic world. With the ever-increasing growth of Buddhism, many of its practices and philosophies have found a way into many places, not just religion. Numerous facets of science, including biomedical, psychological, and neuroscientific, have all employed Buddhist ideas into their work and come out with a deeper understanding of their own work.

Born to a King and Queen, Siddhartha Gautama had been provided with every worldly luxury and pleasure. However, as a young man, Siddhartha Gautama had seen human suffering to such an extent that he realized his luxury was fleeting in the face of suffering. Instead of remaining in comfort, Gautama renounced his titles and settled in a forest. Once achieving Nirvana- and gaining the title of Buddha- he began to spread his findings to others out of compassion. The Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold path became widespread and led to the spread of Buddhism throughout the world. These, and many other philosophies taught by Buddha advocate for an open mind and autodidacticism, which is why Buddhism and science have such a great overlap.

Scientific Thinking

Buddha himself has said, “Just as a goldsmith tests his gold by burning, cutting, and rubbing it, so you must examine my words and accept them, but not merely out of reverence” in the Ghanavyuha sutra. Buddhists are urged to learn things and form their own opinions instead of taking words at face value. Scientists are also encouraged to learn the same way, experiment and discover things instead of blindly following along with the majority. These philosophies are a major reason why Buddhism and Science are so deeply tied to each other. Many studies have shown that those who are a part of Buddhism are the most accepting of current scientific theories, like evolution, with Hinduism following close behind. The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has said, “If science proved some belief of Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism will have to change.” The fact that Buddhism encourages autonomy and self-education and reliance allows it to change with time, just like science. Just as Buddhists are willing to change their beliefs with scientific evidence, science itself is also changing because of Buddhism, or rather some of its philosophies and principles. On the account of being part of the Eight-Fold path, Meditation, or Samadhi, is a major aspect of Buddhism. Studies have shown that Meditation causes elevated gamma oscillations during and after each session. Gamma waves are the most intense type of brain waves, usually only activated when people are solving a complex predicament or extremely focused. Gamma waves are also known for increasing cognitive function. Meditation also increases the function of the immune system and can even reduce anxiety, as well as reduce brain atrophy and slow aging. When such a dominant part of Buddhism benefits the body in many aspects, science, mainly biomedical and psychological sciences, overlap.

Neuroscience has also recently joined with another significant Buddhist principle: Anatman. Buddhism believes that there is no permanent self, instead, the self is ever changing. Neuroscientists have also reached this same conclusion, independently however, but now Buddhist principles that are centuries old are being used in Neuroscientific work. For example, Neuroscience has not linked self-processing in the brain to just one area. Rather, this action occurs across the entire brain, proving old Buddhist beliefs. This is not the only area that Buddhism and Neuroscience coincide, nevertheless. The belief that the consciousness reaches into deep sleep has long been held by Buddhists, but scientists are just beginning to find proof for this. In a past study, neuroscientists have found that meditation affects brain patterns during sleep and that the brain could still have the ability to process information even whilst cognitively impaired. With so many old Buddhist beliefs and new Neuroscientific research and theories converging in the present, it is not difficult to see the direct connection between science and Buddhism.

Growing Convergence

Many areas of science can be tied to Buddhism because of both institutions’ willingness to evolve over time. While Buddhism encourages inquisitivity and self-education, science pushes for constant experiment and observation of the world. Because of these similar fundamental principles, Buddhism and science have become increasingly compatible. Many discoveries from recent scientists and Buddhists from both the past and present have overlapped and led to a deeper understanding of the human body as well as the world around us. As more and more scientists from different fields and backgrounds discover the different Buddhist philosophies, collaborations will become more frequent and the intersection between these two great institutions will only become greater over time.

Editor’s Note: This article was submitted to the First Essay Competition on Buddha and His Teachings for K–12 students, organized by the Nepalese Buddhist Association Texas in 2021. The author, Ojaswee Aryal, is currently an undergraduate student at Stanford University. It is published in its original form.