QUANTUM EMPTINESS: A SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION OF THE HEART SŪTRA (original) (raw)
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The Intersections of Buddhism and Quantum Physics and Their Implications
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the realm of science underwent a revolution, most of which was propelled by the discovery of quantum physics. (Heisenberg 1925, Schrödinger 1926) This discovery has significant implications for the ongoing attempt to bridge the gap between science and spirituality. Modern Buddhist scholars and scientists have come to find striking similarities between the philosophical concepts articulated by Mahayana Buddhism, such as the teaching of emptiness by Nagarjuna, and that implied by quantum physics (Kohl 2007). Most significantly, both suggest the absence of a stable, fundamental core to reality and that the universe is made up of nothing else but systems of interrelationships. In this short article, the intersection between Buddhism and quantum physics will be explored, with a focus on the doctrine of Emptiness and the Two Truths as taught by Nagarjuna.
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This study illuminates the intriguing parallels between Buddhism, consciousness and the principles of quantum physics. It engages in a nuanced exploration of the Buddhist concept of pratītya-samutpāda or 'dependent origination' and its resonance with quantum theory's elucidation of the interconnectedness and non-locality in the universe. The paper presents a cross-disciplinary dialogue, bridging the spiritual wisdom of Buddhism with quantum theory's frontier understanding of reality through observation and consciousness and discussing consciousness's place within this nexus. By doing so, the study endeavours to enhance our comprehension of the subjective 'self' in relation to the temporality of the objective 'reality' as portrayed in both spiritual and scientific discourses. This intersectionality offers new insights and perspectives on the nature of consciousness and reality, potentially stimulating further research in physics and philosophy.
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The metaphysical implications of the Yogācāra-Vijnanavada ‘consciousness-only’ school of Buddhist psycho-metaphysics has become an issue of some debate amongst some Western philosophers with an interest in Buddhist philosophy. The ‘canonical’ view amongst many significant scholars is that, as the name suggests, this perspective asserts that the ultimate nature of the process of reality is nondual primordial consciousness/awareness. On this ‘Idealist’ view the external apparently material world is considered to be a mind-created illusion. However, some contemporary Western philosophers are offering seemingly more materialist, or non-committal as to the existence of an external material world, versions. This article examines such claims and exposes their deficiencies. A quantum-Mind-Only Yogācāra-Vijnanavada perspective is explored.
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The metaphysical implications of the Yogācāra-Vijnanavada ‘consciousness-only’ school of Buddhist psycho-metaphysics has become an issue of some debate amongst some Western philosophers with an interest in Buddhist philosophy. The ‘canonical’ view amongst many significant scholars is that, as the name suggests, this perspective asserts that the ultimate nature of the process of reality is nondual primordial consciousness/awareness. On this ‘Idealist’ view the external apparently material world is considered to be a mind-created illusion. However, some contemporary Western philosophers are offering seemingly more materialist, or noncommittal as to the existence of an external material world, versions. This article examines such claims and exposes their deficiencies. A quantum-Mind-Only Yogācāra-Vijnanavada perspective is explored.
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A lot has been speculated and written over the last few decades on the similarities between Eastern Religions and Quantum Physics. Most of the time the connection is oversimplified and blurred, and it is taken for granted that somehow they are identical. In this text I will be comprehensively describing and comparing three schools of Vedantic Hinduism, Buddhism and Quantum Physics. I will attempt to show the similarities and differences and will show that there really is a narrow field of religious schools of thought that can even be related to Quantum Physics. In the end the reader will have knowledge of all these religious schools of thought, Quantum Physics and be able to see the connections and contradictions that all these fields have with each other.