Book Review: The Universe in a Single Atom

I read this book for two reasons.  First, because I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Dalai Lama.  He really is compassion personified.  Second, after reading another book comparing and contrasting Buddhism and science (The Quantum and the Lotus), I was interested to see what the Dalai Lama had to say about it.  

In The Universe in a Single Atom:  The Convergence of Science and Spirituality the Dalai Lama shares his interest in science and how it relates to the principles of Buddhism that have been taught for centuries.  He begins by telling the reader about his education in and exploration of science.  As a world leader, he has had the opportunity to talk to and learn from many scientists, and he is clearly eager to learn and to compare this new knowledge with his training in Buddhism.  Chapters in the book give his understanding and perspective on important concepts like quantum theory, the big bang theory, and evolution.  Perhaps the most interesting chapters though were the ones on consciousness.  Neither science nor Buddhism can give us a complete picture of what consciousness is, and the Dalai Lama calls for science and Buddism to bring together third-person objective and first-person subjective methods of investigation to learn more about consciousness.

While most of the chapters required a great deal of concentration and effort to glean all that was there, the final chapter on the ethics of science and his conclusion were very clear.  Perhaps, that was because he and I share very similar views here.  For example, I think this comment on ethics is spot on.

In a nutshell, our ethical response must involve the following key factors.  First we have to check our motivation and ensure that its foundation is compassion.  Second, we must relate to any problem before us while taking into account the widest possible perspective, which includes not only situating the issue within time picture of wider human enterprise but also taking due regard of both short-term and long-term consequences.  Third, when we apply our reason in addressing a problem, we have to be vigilant in ensuring that we rein honest, self-aware, and unbiased; the danger otherwise is that we may fall victim to self-delusion.  Fourth, in the face of any real ethical challenge, we must respond in a spirit of humility, recognizing not only the limits of our knowledge (both collective and personal) but also our vulnerability to being misguided in the context of such a rapidly changing reality.  Finally, we must all--scientists and society at large--strive to ensure that whatever new course of action we take, we keep in mind the primary goal of the well-being of humanity as a whole and the planet we inhabit.  (pages 200-201)

Unlike some religious leaders who may fear what science has to offer, the Dalai Lama not only encourages scientific inquiry, but believes that it should also have an effect on our religious and spiritual beliefs.

My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation:  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.  (pages 2-3)

For the Dalai Lama, there is no conflict between science and spirituality.  They are simply different ways of investigating and explaining things.  Although I've seen the effects of religions that won't trust science or scientists that won't trust religions, I've never personally felt a conflict between the two worlds.  I grew up believing that God was a scientist.  What made him God was his knowledge of how things worked.  Miracles were simply God acting in a scientific manner that we do not yet understand.  And I think that is what initially drew me to the study of how Buddhism and science are related. This book is one that I would like to return to in the future.  Neither science nor spirituality are one time stops.  There is always something new to learn and explore, even while revisiting something that we have already explored.  I'll leave you with these words from the Dalai Lama.

My plea is that we bring our spirituality, the full richness and simple wholesomeness of our basic human values, to bear upon the course of science and the direction of technology in human society. In essence, science and spirituality, though differing in their approaches, share the same end, which is the betterment of humanity.  At its best, science is motivated by a quest for understanding to help lead us to greater flourishing and happiness.  In Buddhist language, this kind of science can be described as wisdom grounded in and tempered by compassion.  Similarly, spirituality is a human journey into our internal resources, with the aim of understanding who we are in the deepest sense and of discovering how to live according tot he highest possible idea. This too is the union of wisdom and compassion.  (page 208)