Humanities
Buddhism is more than just one of the world’s largest religions. It has a rich history of philosophy, psychology and metaphysics that have enriched the views of scientists as much as the Dalai Lama has been deeply influenced by modern science. In fact, the Dalai Lama has made such radical statements that anything in our religion that does not conform to science must be thrown out. That’s quite a big thing for a religious leader to say, but it highlights his commitment to reason and logic.
With thousands of studies being done on meditation methods, the Dalia Lama has his own proof that Buddhist practices work and are not just beliefs or superstitions. A prominent Buddhist monk has even been named the happiest man in the world.
But that is not the statement that turns modern science on its head, because it fits easily into current scientific models if not expanded upon. The question that could turn science upside down was posed when the Dalai Lama discussed consciousness with the world’s top neuroscientists and he said:
“What if the brain comes from consciousness instead of consciousness coming from the brain?”
Buddhist theory
In Buddhist theory, the body arises from past karma acts that arise from seeds of consciousness. The person in the form of a clear and immaterial stream of consciousness travels from life to life until that person frees himself from this constant cycle by transforming into a fully enlightened being. In other words, first there is a stream of consciousness and then a new incarnation arises in a body, but the consciousness was already there and is the primary and fundamental cause of the body.
Even further and deeper lies the esoteric Buddhist idea that there is a universal field of consciousness underlying the individual’s personal stream of consciousness. The person becomes a fully enlightened being when he realizes his substantial identity as the universal field of consciousness or Buddha nature and ceases to be attached to and identified with insubstantial incarnations of the physical form.
The difficult problem of consciousness
The consensus among scientists is that consciousness is an epiphenomenon of the brain, an emergent property of the ever-increasing complexity of neural networks. In other words, consciousness is caused by and emanates from the brain. It is important to note that while this is the consensus at this time, it is still unproven. You wouldn’t know that, because scientists accept the unproven theory so thoroughly that they risk becoming outcasts if they question this position.
an Australian cognitive scientist and philosopher, who called the tern ‘the difficult problem of consciousness
‘ which highlights the fact that scientists cannot answer the questions of consciousness. So when the Dalai Lama implies that the brain emerges from consciousness, this should be an integral part of the ongoing dialogue about the mystery of consciousness, but most neuroscientists stubbornly ignore this, or even reject it outright.
The idea that consciousness is fundamental to reality rather than physical mass is not a new theory. It is known as panpsychism, ‘pan’ means everything, ‘psych’ means mind, essentially everything has consciousness and arises from consciousness.
Panpsychism is one of the oldest philosophical theories and is attributed to philosophers such as Thales, Plato, Spinoza, Leibniz and William James. Panpsychism can also be found in ancient philosophies such as Stoicism, Vedanta and Mahayana Buddhism. During the 19th century, panpsychism was the standard theory in philosophy of mind, but in the mid-20th century it declined with the rise of logical positivism. Recent interest in the difficult problem of consciousness has once again made panpsychism a widespread theory.
Hopefully there will be a continued integration of ancient spiritual wisdom and modern science so that people can crack the code and fully understand our own existence. The answers will not be simple and may create wide-open concepts of reality that we all accept as true.
Changing opinions has always been a slow process throughout human history. Until then, as the Dalai Lama continually preaches, let us make understanding each other’s perspectives and loving-kindness toward each other the primary way we communicate and relate to each other. With open dialogue and respect for each other, we can move forward toward a better understanding of the universe in a peaceful and united way.
Written by Chad Foreman
Chad Foreman is the founder of The Way of Meditation and has been teaching meditation since 2003, determined to bring authentic meditation practices into the lives of millions of people in the modern world. Chad is a former Buddhist monk who lived in a retreat hut for six years and studied and practiced meditation full-time. He now has over twenty years of experience teaching meditation. Chad likes regularly
Meditation retreats on the Sunshine Coast, Australia
Online meditation coachingprovides three online programs – The 21 Day Meditation Challenge to gradually guide people from the basic principles of mindfulness and relaxation to profound states of consciousness.
Breathwork to help manage stress and go deeper into meditation and
The bliss of inner fire This is a Buddhist tantric method to clear energy blockages and connect with the clear light of bliss. You can also get Chad’s free ebook now Insights on the go.