..续本文上一页ere revived, what had been said, and done during that period of death, wouldn”t that be pretty convincing

　　 When I was doing elementary particle physics there was a theory that required for its proof the existence of what was called the ”W” particle. At the cyclotron in Geneva, CERN funded a huge research project, smashing atoms together with an enormous particle accelerator, to try and find one of these ”W” particles. They spent literally hundreds of millions of pounds on this project. They found one, just one ”W” particle. I don”t think they have found another since. But once they found one ”W” particle, the researchers involved in that project were given Nobel prizes for physics. They had proved the theory by just finding the one ”W” particle. That”s good science. Just one is enough to prove the theory.

　　When it comes to things we don”t like to believe, they call just one experience, one clear factual undeniable experience, an anomaly. Anomaly is a word in science for disconcerting evidence that we can put in the back of a filing cabinet and not look at again, because it”s threatens our world view. It undermines what we want to believe. It is threatening to our dogma. However, an essential part of the scientific method is that theories have to be abandoned in favour of the evidence, in respect of the facts. The point is that the evidence for a mind independent of the brain is there. But once we admit that evidence, and follow the scientific method, then many cherished theories, what we call ”sacred cows” will have to be abandoned.

　　When we see something that challenges any theory, in science or in religion, we should not ignore the evidence. We have to change the theory to fit the facts. That is what we do in Buddhism. All the Dhamma of the Buddha, everything that he taught, if it does not fit the experience, then we should not accept it. We should not accept the Buddha”s words in contradiction of experience. That is clearly stated in the kalama Sutta. (AN III, 65) The Buddha said do not believe because it is written in the books, or even if I say it. Don”t just believe because it is tradition, or because it sounds right, or because it”s comforting to you. Make sure it fits your experience. The existence of mind, independent of the brain, fits experience. The facts are there.

　　Sometimes, however, we cannot trust the experts. You cannot trust Ajahn Brahm. You cannot trust the scientific journals. Because people are often biased. Buddhism gives you a scientific method for your practice. Buddhism says, do the experiment and find out for your self if what the Buddha said is true or not. Check out your experience. For example, develop the method to test the truth of past lives, rebirth and reincarnation. Don”t just believe it with faith, find out for yourself. The Buddha has given a scientific experiment that you can repeat.

　　Until you understand the law of kamma, which is part of Buddhism, kamma is just a theory. Do you believe that there is a God ”up there” who decides when you can be happy or unhappy

　　 Or is everything that happens to you just chance

　　 Your happiness and your suffering in life, your joy, your pain and disappointments, are they deserved

　　 Are you responsible or is it someone else”s fault

　　 Is it mere chance that we are rich or poor

　　 Is it bad luck when we are sick and die at a young age

　　 Why

　　 You can find the true answer for yourself. You can experience the law of kamma through deep meditation. When the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, the two knowledge”s he realized just before his Enlightenment were the knowledge from experience of the truth of rebirth, and the knowledge from experience of the Law of kamma. This was not theory, not just more thinking, not something worked out from discussions around the …

《Buddhism And Science》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…