Are there formal mechanisms in any Buddhist institutions that explicitly reconcile Buddhist principles with science?
score:3
The general claim in Buddhism, or at least in Theravada Buddhism, is that a Buddha is omniscient. That makes it difficult to question what the texts claim the Buddha himself said. In a couple of places this seems to put science and Buddhism at odds (e.g. causes of earthquakes).
The closest we have to what you are suggesting is an act of the sangha; after the Buddha passed away, we have record of a Buddhist council where they discussed whether to revoke the minor monastic rules as the Buddha had allowed them to do, and they decided as a group not to. Later sangha councils edited the canonical texts but would never have redacted something that they thought the Buddha had said in error.
I think, at the very least, unlike faith-based religions, Buddhism doesn't rely on absolute statements of truth, but rather practices that lead to self-realization; so it doesn't matter as much if statements in the canon like the causes of earthquakes and the size of the universe, etc., are accurate. What matters is if the path leads to the goal, and that is to be verified by oneself.
As a result, you find more marginalizing of problematic teachings, rather than striking them out. First of all, because the Buddha was said to be infallible, but second of all because we know that we are not. The fear of wrongly striking a teaching out of ignorance is too great. But, we can always ignore troubling passages, I guess similar to how Jewish people ignore Leviticus for the most part.
So, no, there isn't really such a mechanism, afaics.
Upvote:1
The goal of science is most complete and accurate description of the world. The goal of Buddhism is to clearly realize relationship between mind and experienced reality and to transcend the limits of any single description of the world. So in a way, Buddhism lives in an infinity of higher order than the one science lives in. If anything, it is science that should reconcile with Buddha-Dharma, by becoming aware of inherent Emptiness of all views, not the other way around :)
More post
- π 'Dukkha': What is the difference between 'suffering' & 'unsatisfactoriness'?
- π Annatta and taking responsibility
- π How do I practice Buddhism to attain peace of mind and know the inner self?
- π Heaven and Hell in Buddhism
- π samatha after vipassana
- π What are the requirements or preconditions for someone to ordain?
- π Can the elements of Buddhist Cosmology be confirmed?
- π Satipatthana bhavana versus Vipassana bhavana
- π Sanghas of those who practice like monks but aren't officially monks?
- π Is become a stream-enterer (sotΔpanna) enough?
- π intellectualism or anti-intellectualism and Buddhism
- π Which of the seven fold reasons does this fall under?
- π Is there any canonical descriptions of the physical characteristics of the Buddha?
- π Is there a source that Dalai Lama wants scientists to invent a "meditation machine"?
- π Selling an animal to butcher will break first precept?
- π What are the verses relating to meditation in the Tripitaka? And to what type of meditation does it relate to?
- π What do you think would be a good way to explain death to a child, from a Buddhist perspective?
- π How should one look at buddhist mythologies and cosmologies from a scientific perspective
- π Being assertive/manipulative
- π What is wrong speech according to Buddhism?
- π What is the destination of a Buddhist?
- π How long would it take to enter 3rd and 4th Satipatthana?
- π What is the difference between a habit and an addiction?
- π Satori and stream entry
- π Time in Buddhism
- π Do Buddhist texts record or comment on the then-prevalent varna or caste systems?
- π Not listening to parents is bad karma?
- π Why is focusing on the breath more difficult than focusing on Mantras, and how important is it before vipassana?
- π The healing Bodhi tree for Shakyamuni Buddhas long term sitting?
- π Psychology of 'flow'
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- π Are there formal mechanisms in any Buddhist institutions that explicitly reconcile Buddhist principles with science?
- π Are there any websites that contain Buddhist dictionaries?
- π Are there any cultural or religious guidelines for Buddhist tattoos?
- π Are there any strict Soto Zen teachers online that I could listen to?
- π What is known about enlightenment before the lifetime of the Buddha? Are there any claims that he was the first?
- π Are there suttas that recommend a specific order of the buddhist practices?
- π Are there any Buddhist scriptures about motivation & discipline?
- π Does any buddhist school, extant or otherwise, say that there is no svabhava what-so-ever?
- π Are there any translations available from the Gandharan Buddhist Texts? When will they be available?
- π Are there any Buddhist suttas in the scriptures about retaining memory?
- π Are there any Buddhist monasteries near Varanasi?
- π Are there any Buddhist charities or organisations funding education in Buddhist studies?
- π Is there any advice in the Buddhist scriptures that would help a leader balance a safe economy with people's concerns about sickness & death?
- π Do any of scholastic currents conclusively affirm or deny that there are any facts at all?
- π Are there any living enlightened people?
- π Are there any differences in karma?
- π Are there any alternative formulations of the five skandas?
- π Are there Theravada meditation retreats that allow one to work for room and board?
- π Is there any extreme of physical pain that a fully enlightened person would find unpleasant on any level?
- π Is there any mention of child adoption in any Buddhist writings and what is the view on child adoption with regard to Buddhism?
- π Are there any references in the Pali canon to the experience of death?
- π Examples of Buddhist traditions that are derived from popular superstitions
- π Are there meditation practices that improve logical problem solving skills?
- π Is there any buddhist explanation for deja vu?
- π Are there rules that prevent chaos in our world?
- π Are there any descriptions of the deathless/unborn in any tradition of Buddhism?
- π Did the Buddha state that there is only one way, and state/imply that any other path (such as those practiced by yogis) was futile?
- π Are there any higher education opportunities in Buddhism?
- π There is a text where Buddha says that the Dharma he teaches is not a secret doctrine so why are there sects which maintain secrecy?
- π Are there any detail exposition of Consciousness without surface (viΓ±Γ±anam anidassanam)?