Buddhism and Natural Selection and Evolution

Explore relationship between Buddhism and Natural selection and evolution…

As professor Rhodes describe like as a series of process. Since primeval era to today, all organism are coming evolutionary and all living being are relying on natural environment for survival, so we can see or consider how environment is important for all biotic.

In Buddhism view on life, life is going on by birth, growing up , and death and reborn again and die again until to attain Nivana. So that called in Buddhist view Dependent  Origination or the wheel of rebirth or Samsara. So during we are wandering in this earth by reborn and die again and  again, we should follow the natural law and we should evaluate of natural environment, without good natural we cannot live long life and we will die prematurely, so we should understand how important natural environment is for us.

In the evolutionary process, the theory of natural selection developed by Darwin was very important . he showed how modification in the course of descent come about Living things have evolved continuously and successive periods of time have each been characterized by particular types, levels and assemblage of living organisms.

The natural system is a genealogical arrangement with acquired grades of differences marked by the terms, varieties, species, genus, family and order. And we have to discover the lines of descent by the most permanent characteristic, whatever they may be and of however slight vital importance.

And another strange thing for me in this book  Darwin maintained that man was derived from a single stock of ape-like animals inhabiting the old world. Darwin maintained that this single stock had been diversified into numerous species or races. They were also adapted or acclimatized to resist the diseases of the countries they lived in.

In my understanding of this I do not agree with this science, science idea is human are derived from ape or animals but in Buddhism view that I understand is not like this. Human being from Brahma deity or deva we believe deeply it. When the world was crushed by water, air, and finally fire so the world become emptiness and everything is burning the whole world, so the smelling spread to Brahma land and Brahma deity come to human land and the smell is like so good and they wanted to try what the taste would be it so they Brahma try it and eat again and again after eating they cannot back their land and cannot fly anymore, because they eat human exhalation, food, so their body also change like male and female, by seeing face to face they feel shy because they do not have clothes and run into forest and pluck the tree leafs and cover their public things with tree leafs. So we can understand clearly that human are not driving from animals but from Braham according to Buddhism view.

Relationship between Buddhist concepts of Kama and rebirth and genetics.

In this paper I would like to mention about Kama and Rebirth by seeing two sites Buddhism and another religion.

Other religion believe that everything is created by god. But I am not clearly understand in this case if the god create everything why in this world still existing poverty, misery, unhealthy, and many problems and why the god created this conditions . this is why people have always wondered about the fairness of life and why everyone is not born equal.

These question are always asked by people that why is one person very healthy, and another born with many diseases, why one person born into very wealthy family and another born into poverty. And some people able to enjoy a long and happy life and some people die prematurely or having their life cut short by violence or accident. So according to other religion, these suffering are also created by god, why he created such as  bad condition for human being.

But in Buddhism, we believe that cause and effect or natural law. This law is called Karma and also called action that mean whatever we do the deserve result come out to you and if you do good things good reflection come to you, if you do bad things bad reflection result come to you.

The word karma  is used to refer to volitional acts as well as the fruits or consequences that arise from these acts. Buddhists understand karma as a natural law. There is no higher instance, no judgment, no divine intervention, and no gods that steer man's destiny, but only the law of karma itself, which works on a universal scale.

And Buddhadasa write about Kama is that it is our own thirst for life, lust for life, clinging to life which keeps this endless play of action and reaction in perpetual motion Which mean we do not pay attention to see the nature of cause and effect, the true natural of causation, so our life will wandering like born and death again born and death called wheel of life.

Eventually, perhaps much later, there is an unpleasant sensation of regret, perhaps taking the form of a sensation of fear that the perceived enemy may retaliate, or perhaps taking the form of remorse on having acted impetuously, like an immature child, and hoping that no one will remember this childish action. This regret or fear is the unpleasant ripening of the karma, the unskillful decision to inflict pain through words.

Rebirth

What I understand on rebirth according to Buddhadasa is Buddhists hold that the retributive process of karma can span more than one lifetime. Rebirth has always been an important tenet in Buddhism, and it is often referred to as walking the wheel of life or samsara. It is the process of being born over and over again in different times and different situations, possibly for many thousand times.

And as he mention that Karma is a form energy which we carry from life to life both Kusala and Akusala or both good and bad. What we do and act in this present moment, it would bring us to next life good or bad. According to Buddhism, there are five different domains of existence that we will reborn  in future life after we die. There are as follow 1 animal kingdom, the realm of spirits or ghosts, hell, human existence, and heaven.

So we can understand clearly what we should do in this present life and what we should not do  to be better in next life. In order to be in good domains or in heaven next life, all Buddhist people do much merits and keep five precepts, listen Dhamma talk, try to understand and see the four noble truths.

What is the relationship between the ‘The Buddha’s Middle Way’ and ‘Western Psychotherapy’?

In western Psychotherapy , that is a system of treatment for those who have mental problems and mental illness. Psychotherapy consists of a series of techniques for treating mental health, emotional and some psychiatric disorders. Psychotherapy helps the patient understand what helps them feel positive or anxious, as well as accepting their strong and weak points. If people can identify their feelings and ways of thinking they become better at coping with difficult situations.

Although western countries are very develop, rich and can buy almost everything with money but they also have much psychological problem, mental problem and stress, depression more than Asia countries. This is the evident reason why westerners become interested in Buddha’s teaching and trying to find the way to rid or reduce from those mental problems. And also accept that the way of Buddha teaching is real natural truth and can rid of their mental problems. This path, this way, this technique is known as Buddha’s middle way. And the Buddha show this way for true happiness, for goodness.

The Buddha preached the middle way in his first sermon to his  five disciples.

He described for monks that don’t follow by one who has gone forth, as a wander. And by avoiding this the Buddha has gain knowledge of that middle path which give the vision, which cause of calm, special knowledge and reach to Nibbanna.

The middle way is the most basic principle in Buddhism and this is the way to reach final goal of our life. And also the Buddha let people to understand and try to see the four noble truth and the noble eightfold path.

And from these the noble eightfold path, divided into three categories that are ethical conduct, mental discipline and wisdom. Ethical conduct consists of right speech, right action, right livelihood. And mental discipline consists of right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. And also wisdom consists right though, and right understanding.

This path is a way of life and a point of view in action. Today westerners approach to Buddhism and try to learn the way to live rightly and follow the teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha’s teaching also the best medicine for those westerners to cure their wandering, depression, mental problems, mental illness.

Sources -  Buddhism and Science class take note