Scientific vs Non-Dual Argument (on Instagram)

[Forestluv]

27 minutes ago, cetus56 said:

@QandC

 

I love these types of inter-disciplinary discussions. It’s encouraging to see the buddhist scholar acknowledge value in scientific experimentation and empirical data. As well, the physicist acknowledging value of exploring the immaterial (although it a very surface view).

These types of talks can be encouraging, yet also disappointing at how early we are in awakening within this area. Spirituality and Science seem to have such strong dualistic categories and we are just starting to realize that there are many nuances and inter-connections. Here a buddhist scholar and a physicist just beginning to realize these inter-connections, yet still firmly grounded on there side of the dualism. Each time one said “Well I agree with what he said about xyz and see value in that”, was a small awareness of these inter-connections arising. 

This seems like a dialog of two people conditioned and grounded on one side of a dualism, yet somewhat open to genuinely considering what they see to be the other side of a dualism. I think the next step to develop a more holistic view is to get curious and develop a desire to develop a more holistic view. I didn’t get the sense that the buddhist scholar or physicist was truly curious about the expertise of the other and how the other can help them. For example, were they asking curious questions of each other to expand their view? Were they saying things like “whoa, I hadn’t thought of that point from that perspective. That is one of my missing dots! With the point you make, I can now connect a few more dots. Perhaps I can share about a few dots I know of and how your dots help to create a more sophisticated inter-connected view. How exciting!”. . . Rather, it sounded more like two guys that wanted to talk about their own set of dots and merely acknowledge that there are some other dots out there. Yet that’s a big step up from trying to defend one’s own dots and destroy the dots of another. 

In the future, I’d like to see more “mult-sport” beings arise. Like a biathlete that trains in for both swimming and cycling, a being that trains in both meditation and neuroscience. Perhaps triathletes and even decathletes will arise. For example, those that train in meditation, eastern philosophy, neuroscience, talk therapy, psychedelics and reiki. And perhaps multi-sport coaches will arise that have knowledge and expertise in various disciplines. 

Imagine a decathlon coach saying “I think to excel in the decathlon, it is necessary to be open to the value of various forms of training including strength, endurance and flexibility. As well, recovery and nutrition is also important”. This is so obvious in sport that such a coach would be laughed it. It all goes without saying. Yet in terms of understanding reality, society seems to just be waking up to this. It is like a weightlifter obsessed for years with how many pounds he can lift and one day thinks “Wait a minute, my diet may be affecting my body muscle and my ability to lift weights”. He has a glimpse, yet then snaps back into his pattern and thinks “Nah, that’s silly, It’s just about my effort in the gym. Gonna press 385 today”.