Why Albert Einstein Was Amazed by the Buddha's Discoveries!

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Science and Buddhism have fundamentally different approaches to understanding reality. In the realm of science, knowledge and logic play a pivotal role. Science gathers understanding about the real world and condenses it into verifiable laws. By dividing, classifying, analyzing, comparing, and measuring, scientists interpret these laws through the abstract language of mathematics. Of course, intuition also has its place in science, but it only yields results when systematized within the rigorous structure of mathematics and validated by observation and analysis.

In contrast, intuition—or inner experience—plays the primary role in the Buddhist approach to reality. While science looks outward, Buddhism looks inward, using contemplation as a means of approach. Science is concerned with the objective world, whereas Buddhism focuses on the self. Instead of breaking reality down into distinct components as in the reductionist method of science, Buddhism approaches things holistically to understand them as an undivided whole. Buddhism does not rely on measuring instruments or sophisticated observational tools, which are the backbone of experimental science. It is more qualitative than quantitative.

However, the primary difference between the pursuit of knowledge in science and Buddhism lies in their ultimate goals. The aim of science is to understand the phenomenal world, focusing on knowledge about the physical universe, considered objective and quantifiable, to achieve control over the natural world. In contrast, in Buddhism, knowledge is primarily acquired for therapeutic purposes. The goal of Buddhism is not to understand the physical universe for its own sake but to free individuals from the suffering caused by excessive attachment to the apparent reality of the external world. Empirical investigation is not the main objective of Buddhism. Instead, Buddhism seeks to understand the true nature of all phenomena to dispel ignorance and open the path to Enlightenment and liberation. Rather than using telescopes, accelerators, or microscopes, Buddhism uses the mind as the instrument for investigating the universe, emphasizing the understanding of the nature of the mind through direct meditative experience. Over centuries, Buddhism has developed profound and rigorous methods concerning the understanding of spiritual states and the ultimate nature of the mind. The mind stands behind every life experience, shaping how we perceive the world. A small change in consciousness, in how we deal with mental states and perceive people and things, can completely transform our world. Instead of focusing on the thirdperson perspective—the domain of the objective phenomenal world as in classical science—Buddhism also emphasizes the firstperson perspective.

With such fundamental differences in methods and goals, is there a common ground for dialogue between science and Buddhism? What does Buddhism have to say about the nature of phenomena when this is primarily the concern of science? The definite answer is yes. One of the main tasks of Buddhist philosophy is to investigate the nature of reality. While science is not the main concern of Buddhism, it has addressed similar questions to those posed by contemporary science.