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aliterarydance's review
4.0
1 less star purely for the fact that this is quite scientifically technical. The Dalai Lama knows more about quantum physics and neuroscience than most of us will ever understand. But on the whole it’s great. I’d suggest to read this as an audiobook to push past the scientifically dense stuff and get to the more ethical and philosophical parts.
bioniclib's review
4.0
As you might image from someone who reads physics books for fun, this book covered some mindbendingly complex stuff: the theory of relativity, quantum physics, The Big Bang, the concept of consciousness, and genetics.
For someone who has entered the Science Arena late and who gets his info from reading and conversing with the great minds of science, he has a marvelous handle on things. I think. I admit I was lost more than once. But that's ok, because while he talked a lot about science, the book was focused on the intersection of science and Buddhism.
Where science stresses 3rd person impartial observation, Buddhism stressed 1st person experiential reflection. And both methods come startlingly close to the same conclusions at times. Apart from that, The Dalai Lama says that Buddhist concern with the well-being of others can provide a tempering of the indisputably advantageous scientific advances yet do-things-because-we-can attitude. For example, genetic testing can now tell if a baby has things like Down Syndrome whilst still in the womb. If the parents aren't mentally or physically capable of parenting such a child, should they abort? The Dalai Lama says, what if you do and then science discovers a cure?
I've your interested in thinking about such things like that, by that I mean science guided by ethics, then this will be a good read. Just don 't be afraid if you get lost in certain chapters. He covers a wide array of scientific thought.
For someone who has entered the Science Arena late and who gets his info from reading and conversing with the great minds of science, he has a marvelous handle on things. I think. I admit I was lost more than once. But that's ok, because while he talked a lot about science, the book was focused on the intersection of science and Buddhism.
Where science stresses 3rd person impartial observation, Buddhism stressed 1st person experiential reflection. And both methods come startlingly close to the same conclusions at times. Apart from that, The Dalai Lama says that Buddhist concern with the well-being of others can provide a tempering of the indisputably advantageous scientific advances yet do-things-because-we-can attitude. For example, genetic testing can now tell if a baby has things like Down Syndrome whilst still in the womb. If the parents aren't mentally or physically capable of parenting such a child, should they abort? The Dalai Lama says, what if you do and then science discovers a cure?
I've your interested in thinking about such things like that, by that I mean science guided by ethics, then this will be a good read. Just don 't be afraid if you get lost in certain chapters. He covers a wide array of scientific thought.
missyjohnson's review
4.0
A lot of this book was over my head but I still found a lot to think about. I will likely need to re-read this in a few years to see if I have grown and maybe gotten a bit smarter. The parts concerning quantum physics and the relationship to spirituality were beyond my comprehension but I will work on this. I also have a better understanding and appreciation for buddhism. The consciousness of sentient beings and the desire to eliminate suffering is not so different from other religions. The fact that the early buddhist scholars had so many things figured out that science has only proven in the past century or so is interesting. The idea of doing thought experiments should be utilized much more often in today’s decisions in both religion and politics. I also learned how much education the Dalai Lama experienced in his life and appreciate his desire to learn more throughout his life.
whatsupelisabeth's review
4.0
I am delighted that this jumped into my queue right after Harari's Homo Deus. (I randomize what I read so to stay on theme, I am chalking this one being my next book up to potential intervention by higher powers beyond scientific analysis.) It was just what my sanity needed, a more compassionate view of the somewhat bleak and reductionist pure-science perspective of our future that I had been grappling with.
In addition, I do find this a remarkably thoughtful weighing of religious and scientific insight. There is no smudging of scientific facts here nor forcing of congruence where it doesn't exist. Rather, it is the perspective of a spiritual scholar who has deeply conversed with the scientific community, and can now find overlap, identify where religious teachings need to catch up with scientific insight, and point out potential synergies.
In addition, I do find this a remarkably thoughtful weighing of religious and scientific insight. There is no smudging of scientific facts here nor forcing of congruence where it doesn't exist. Rather, it is the perspective of a spiritual scholar who has deeply conversed with the scientific community, and can now find overlap, identify where religious teachings need to catch up with scientific insight, and point out potential synergies.