science and meditation
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Meditation: the beginning
• Originates from the Hindu tradition
• Fundamental facet of Buddhism
• Self-cultivation
• Two principal schools of meditation: shamatha and vipassana
•Chán (禪 ) or Zen Buddhism
• Adopted by many other religions
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Science and religion: a general perspective
• Long history of interaction
• The Enlightenment: “science of religion” – Max Mueller, Max Weber, Freud and Jung
• This continues to the present day
• Ethical issues
• Science from a preconceived mindset
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Conflict and ambivalence
• Skepticism in Tibet: both theoretical and practical
• Useless and irrelevant to Buddhism
• Threatening or necessary?
• Lack of scientific interest
• Interest vitalised since 1980s
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Compatibility/Identity• Lack of emphasis of Buddhism’s distinciveness • “An agreement between Buddhism and science as to the root idea”.
Relation of “law” of karma and “law of motion”. Olcott• Similarities between Buddhism and science
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Research on meditation• Dr. Herbert Benson at Harvard University discovered
distinct psychological changes within a group of Tibetan transcendantal monks
• Jon Kabat-Zinn: research into mindfulness meditation
• Dr. James Austin: MRI imaging
• The Dalai Lama
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• First systematic research: Mind and Life Institute in Tibet
• Cross-cultural research in neuropsychology
• Assessment of the monks mental abilities relevant to meditation
• Problems with the process
• Only concerned with stress and from a Western perspective?