Japanese Buddhism and Science
Posted in Comparative studies, Compassion, How to Meditate, Natural Truth, Some pictures Talk More Than Words
By: Mr. Sona Kanti Barua
Introduction:
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| Monk Meditating in Cross Legged. |
Buddhism was first made known to
Japan in 538 A. D. when a Korean king presented brilliant images of Buddha,
scriptures scrolls and ornaments to the Japanese Emperor. Japan was then ruled
by the Emperor Kimmei and his court nobles. Among several Japanese groups, Soga
clan favored Buddhism since they thought it had something to offer for the
enrichment of Japanese culture. Glorious victory to (about forty years later
when) the Prince Regent Shotoku Taishi (574 – 622), was succeeded to the throne
after the Emperor Yomei who was the first Emperor to become a Buddhist. Buddhism was officially recognized as the
Japanese religion. Conquering all desires, Japanese people made their
motherland Japan as a `dream land’ in reciting the name of the Buddha Amitabha,
called Nembutsu. It is just man’s humble response to the calling of the Buddha.
There is no idol worship in Buddhism. To reflect the ideal psychology of the
Buddha there are Buddha statues to realize “Pure Mind is the Buddha.”
Japanese Buddhist pagodas
symbolized to the historic pilgrim or monk of highest stage of fulfillment.
There are many Buddha images (Buddharupas) of Zen (Meditation) Buddha and
Tantric Buddha. The highest and all over
towering main stupa of Pagoda in its plainness and abstraction symbolizes the
eternal peace after deliverance (Nirvana).
Brain Scans show Buddhist Meditation or Zen Works:
Toronto Star’s Health Section of May 23, 2003 published an article entitled on “Brain Scans show Buddhism Works”. The article added, “Brain scans experienced Buddhist practitioners found that theirs left prefrontal lobes which are linked to positive emotions, self-control and temperament, light up constantly…”9 We live in the age is dominated by the amazing achievement in the field of science and technology. Every aspect of our daily life is permeated by science. The scientific method of today used as the similar way 2600 years ago by the Buddha. He (Buddha) encouraged his disciples to observe the inner world (emotion and impulses) with detachment; the scientist is encouraged to observe the external world with detachment. |
| Brain Scan |
The Wheel of the
Buddha’s universal law was inscribed on the national flag of India and the
wheel symbolizes orderly change. The Right understanding or view is
incorporated even into sciences of learning all those faculties of scientific
learning will be well based on.
Albert Einstein found that, among religions, only Buddhism
emphasized the importance of the scientific outlook in dealing with problems
and religion. In his “Out of my Later Years” Albert Einstein explained, “The
religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a
personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the
spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experiences
of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description.”
The Gift of Truth Excels all other Gifts:
Many millennium years before the
Vedic Hindu religion Lord Dipankara Buddha who prophesied Saint Sumedha’s
(Gautam Buddha) attainment of Supreme enlightenment and later Siddhartha
Gautama known in the linage of Buddha as Sakyamuni. According to the Rig Veda
(1/36/8) Jadu (first generation Lord Krishna) migrated to India from a distant
land. In this way Buddhism is not a part of Vedic religion. In the ninth
century Hindu rulers and scholars launched a counter attack to destroy
Buddhism. Buddhist ideas were deliberately incorporated into Hinduism and the
historical Buddha was declared as incarnation of the god Vishnu.
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| Gift of Truth |
In this effect on May 19, 1939,
Albert Einstein, the great scientist of the Nuclear Age, delivered a remarkable
speech entitled “Science and Religion” at Princeton Theological Seminary, New
Jersey, U. S. A. He later included it in
his book ‘Out of my Later Years.’ In that speech he asserted that there is no
basic conflict between Religion and Science. Science asks what the world is and religion asks what humankind and
society should become.
Japan Conquered Western
Superiority by her Buddhist Mind & Theory of Dependent Origination (Paticca
Samuppada):
Japan faced Science, Technology
and ideologies of Western Dominance with Buddhism including Lotus Sutra, Zen
Buddhism and the Avatamsaka (Kegon) Sutra. Buddhist Philosophy and psychology
explained as follows:
Just bare phenomena roll, dependent on conditions all.
Modern Science is the discovery of
regularities in the behaviour of things. No God is recognized, as the Buddhist Text
Visuddhi Magga stated relating o the dependent Origination theory of the
Buddha,
“No God no Brahma can be found,
No matter of this wheel of life
Just bare phenomena roll,
Dependent on conditions all.”7
The Buddha taught us in his
Discourse (Kalama Sutra) as the systems
of modern science, “(1) Be not led by reports (2) Be not let by
traditions (3) Be not led by hearsay (4) be not led by authority of texts (5)
be not led by mere logic (6) be not let by inference (7) be not let by
considering appearances (8) be not led by the agreement with a considered and
approved theory (9) be not led by seeming possibilities and (10) be not led by
the idea this is our guru or teacher. But O Kalamas (a community of a part of
ancient India), when you know for yourselves that certain things are
unwholesome and wrong and bad, then give them up…And when you know for
yourselves that certain things are wholesome and good, then accept them and
follow them.”5
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