Matthieu Ricard trained as a molecular biologist, working in the lab of
a Nobel prize--winning scientist, but when he read some Buddhist
philosophy, he became drawn to Buddhism. Eventually he left his life in
science to study with Tibetan teachers, and he is now a Buddhist monk
and translator for the Dalai Lama, living in the Shechen monastery near
Kathmandu in Nepal. Trinh Thuan was born into a Buddhist family in
Vietnam but became intrigued by the explosion of discoveries in
astronomy during the 1960s. He made his way to the prestigious
California Institute of Technology to study with some of the biggest
names in the field and is now an acclaimed astrophysicist and specialist
on how the galaxies formed.
When Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Thuan met at an academic conference in
the summer of 1997, they began discussing the many remarkable
connections between the teachings of Buddhism and the findings of recent
science. That conversation grew into an astonishing correspondence
exploring a series of fascinating questions. Did the universe have a
beginning? Or is our universe one in a series of infinite universes with
no end and no beginning? Is the concept of a beginning of time
fundamentally flawed? Might our perception of time in fact be an
illusion, a phenomenon created in our brains that has no ultimate
reality? Is the stunning fine-tuning of the universe, which has produced
just the right conditions for life to evolve, a sign that a "principle
of creation" is at work in our world? If such a principle of creation
undergirds the workings of the universe, what does that tell us about
whether or not there is a divine Creator? How does the radical
interpretation of reality offered by quantum physics conform to and yet
differ from the Buddhist conception of reality? What is consciousness
and how did it evolve? Can consciousness exist apart from a brain
generating it?
The stimulating journey of discovery the authors traveled in their
discussions is re-created beautifully in The Quantum and the Lotus,
written in the style of a lively dialogue between friends. Both the
fundamental teachings of Buddhism and the discoveries of contemporary
science are introduced with great clarity, and the reader will be
profoundly impressed by the many correspondences between the two streams
of thought and revelation. Through the course of their dialogue, the
authors reach a remarkable meeting of minds, ultimately offering a vital
new understanding of the many ways in which science and Buddhism confirm
and complement each other and of the ways in which, as Matthieu Ricard
writes, "knowledge of our spirits and knowledge of the world are
mutually enlightening and empowering."
"The Quantum and the Lotus is a mind-expanding, eye-opening
exploration of the exciting parallels between cutting-edge thinking in
physics and Buddhism-a scintillating conversation any thinking person
would delight in overhearing." --Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional
Intelligence
"The Quantum and the Lotus is the rich and inspiring result of a
deeply interesting dialogue between Western science and Buddhist
philosophy. This remarkable book will contribute greatly to a better
understanding of the true nature of our world and the way we live our
lives." --His Holiness the Dalai Lama
