Joy Ride: End of the Road

Actors: Daly Tim,Arnold Tom,Herrmann Edward,Prosky Robert,Altman Bruce,Coco Lea,DiSalvatore James,Fletcher Steve,Taylor John J.,Silipigno Chris,Foley L.J.,Thriller,

Is it possible to be a Buddhist and also a hardcore skeptic/scientist? If so, are they a tiny minority?
When I say "hardcore skeptic/scientist", I mean that the person believes in nothing paranormal whatsoever; only what can be learned through science and logic. Therefore, such a person would not be able to believe in such fundamental Buddhist principles as reincarnation, and would have no "spiritual" inclinations at all.

Are some Buddhists like this? If so, are they a very tiny minority of all Buddhists, or are they common?

Thanks!

Also, check out Sue Blackmore’s stuff – she’s an ex-paranormal researcher who’s into Zen practice (but not ‘Buddhism’ – see her site for more) who decided after some years doing paranormal research that nothing of the sort actually really existed. Quite a brave volte face I’ve always thought.

As to how common Buddhists like this are… certainly more common in the West than in the traditional Buddhist countries! And as another answer suggests, more common in Zen than other forms of Buddhism, some of which require a literal belief in rebirth.

Ultimately, though, as my teacher said in an unrelated matter the other day, pinning yourself down as a firm believer or disbeliever is something that creates an attachment to a certain identity, and as the Buddha used to say, "Attachment causes suffering and that’s sort of what we’re here to end". Perhaps not a word-for-word quote. So while I’m not saying you should change your mind about what’s real, perhaps part of what you’ve got to do is change your mind about what that means for how you perceive yourself.

Or maybe I’m just projecting 100%

Taisen | May 26, 2009

I don’t think there’s any Buddhists like that.
Jack | May 23, 2009

I wouldn’t say it’s such a small minority. Think of the major cultural diffusion between the East and West and all those parallel principles society runs on and you’ll see people of all backgrounds integrating Buddhist ideas into every day life.
SpartanJose777 | May 23, 2009

I am both a Buddhist practitioner and a physics teacher (and a former research scientist at NASA), so yes, it is possible for a person to be both Buddhist and a scientist.

However, I disagree with your statement that someone who is a scientist would not believe in principles such as rebirth. If you ask me, that’s a totally natural process, as when the body breaks down into parts, the things that made up your body go into other systems. There is no doctrine in Buddhism that says that rebirth is confined to one body after death (i.e., transfer of some "one" soul to "one" other body – that would be quite against the teachings).

It’s important to understand that science and religion are two separate things, and do not aim to prove or disprove the other. Quite the contrary, it is my firm belief that both are extremely beneficial. For instance, religion provides us with fantastic groundwork of what it is to be human. These frameworks should help us decide how we proceed with development. As Kurt Vonnegut tells in many of his books, he used to believe science would be the savior for mankind, up until he was 21 and Hiroshima was destroyed with scientific achievement.

Being a Buddhist, in my opinion, is about being a skeptic – a constructive skeptic, not a pessimist skeptic. We should understand things for ourselves, because that striving for understanding is what makes us a more rounded, compassionate, and relate-able human being.

I hope this helped. Take care.
jed s | May 23, 2009

Suspend belief until you know.

Be willing to experiment, though. : )

best wishes,

a j
goodfella | May 23, 2009

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