Quantum Buddhism is an adaptation of ancient Buddhist teachings to a new era of scientific emancipation. Quantum Buddhism is not necessarily science, but it certainly is Buddhism. Based on the latest scientific discoveries made in the field of quantum physics, a new form of Buddhism is born.
One of the most important teachings of the Buddha is the Lotus Sutra. The second chapter of the Lotus Sutra is called “Expedient means”. This chapter teaches us that we must adapt the Buddhist teachings to each new situation that arises, so to get the fastest and most efficient way to teach the Dharma. The third chapter of the Lotus Sutra is called “Simile and Parable”, encouraging us to find ways to teach the Dharma in forms that will make it easily understandable. Here is an excerpt from this chapter, while the Buddha explains this wisdom to his disciple Shariputra:
« Moreover, Shariputra, I too will now make use of similes and parables to further clarify this doctrine. For through similes and parables those who are wise can obtain understanding.
« Shariputra, suppose that in a certain town in a certain country there was a very rich man. He was far along in years and his wealth was beyond measure. He had many fields, houses and menservants. His own house was big and rambling, but it had only one gate. A great many people, a hundred, two hundred, perhaps as many as five hundred, lived in the house. The halls and rooms were old and decaying, the walls crumbling, the pillars rotten at their base, and the beams and rafters crooked and aslant.
« At that time a fire suddenly broke out on all sides, spreading through the rooms of the house. The sons of the rich man, ten, twenty perhaps thirty, were inside the house. When the rich man saw the huge flames leaping up on every side, he was greatly alarmed and fearful and thought to himself, I can escape to safety through the flaming gate, but my sons are inside the burning house enjoying themselves and playing games, unaware, unknowing, without alarm or fear. The fire is closing in on them, suffering and pain threaten them, yet their minds have no sense of loathing or peril and they do not think of trying to escape!
« Shariputra, this rich man thought to himself […] ‘My sons are very young, they have no understanding, and they love their games, being so engrossed in them that they are likely to be burned in the fire. I must explain to them why I am fearful and alarmed. The house is already in flames and I must get them out quickly and not let them be burned up in the fire!’
« Having thought in this way, he followed his plan and called to all his sons, saying, ‘You must come out at once!’ But though the father was moved by pity and gave good words of instruction, the sons were absorbed in their games and unwilling to heed them. They had no alarm, no fright, and in the end no mind to leave the house. Moreover, they did not understand what the fire was, what the house was, what the danger was. They merely raced about this way and that in play and looked at their father without heeding him.
« At that time the rich man had this thought: the house is already in flames from this huge fire. If I and my sons do not get out at once, we are certain to be burned. I must now invent some expedient means that will make it possible for the children to escape harm.
« The father understood his sons and knew what various toys and curious objects each child customarily liked and what would delight them. And so he said to them, 'The kind of playthings you like are rare and hard to find. If you do not take them when you can, you will surely regret it later. For example, things like these goat-carts, deer-carts and ox-carts. They are outside the gate now where you can play with them. So you must come out of this burning house at once. Then whatever ones you want, I will give them all to you!'
« At that time, when the sons heard their father telling them about these rare playthings, because such things were just what they had wanted, each felt emboldened in heart and, pushing and shoving one another, they all came wildly dashing out of the burning house. »
In this story, did the father lie to his children? Or did he find a way to get his message thru? Is the goal of communication to be right about something? Or is the goal of communication to get a message through? As long as we speak the truth, shouldn’t we find the best possible wording to address ourselves to whoever we are communicating?
Following the guidance given by this little story, we wish to teach the Dharma in new ways that are adapted to this new era of modern technology and scientific discoveries. But how would we go about? Which scientific field would accept spiritual concepts such as consciousness and Self? The answer arose with the advent of quantum physics.
The quest for truth was once done in churches and temples. But in this new era, the quest for truth is done thru objective observation in laboratory-like environments. Lately, within a few of these laboratories, it was found that consciousness, or at least the act of paying attention, influenced the behavior of particles.
More so, it was deducted that particles are not tangible if someone is not paying attention to them. Particles seem to remain in states of absolute infinite potentials until some attention is given to them, where they then collapse into a single form of their innumerable possibilities. From these scientific discoveries, we had found a way to explain tons of Buddhist concepts such as:
- Consciousness
- Self and non-self
- Unity in all things
- Illusion and Reality
- Impermanence, and more
However, science is based on the supremacy of the intellect holding knowledge of its observations, while Buddhism is completely based on the practice derived from the knowledge. While some of the scientific elite likes do contemplate the accumulation of knowledge, we Buddhists insist in going further to transform one’s life. This can only be achieved if we do a practice, like a discipline, that is based on the highest wisdom.