1903

SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

(Inscribed to the revered Memory of Thomas Henrey Huxley.)

I. Lie is a strong word and should read

THE purpose of this essay is to draw a strict “translate correctly.”1
comparison between the modern scien- I suppose it would not scan, nor rhyme:
tific conceptions of Phenomena and their but Sir Edwin is the last person to be
explanation, where such exists, and the deterred by a little thing like that.
ancient ideas of the Buddhists; to show that Dr. Paul Carus, too, in the “Gospel of
Buddhism, alike in theory and practice, is a Buddha,” is pleased to represent Nirvana as
scientific religion; a logical superstructure on a parallel for the Heaven of the Christian.
a basis of experimentally verifiable truth ; It is sufficient if I reiterate the unanimous
and that its method is identical with that of opinion of competent scholars, that there is
science. We must resolutely exclude the no fragment of evidence in any canonical book
accidental features of both, especially of sufficient to establish such interpretations
Buddhism; and unfortunately in both cases in the teeth of Buddhist tradition and practice ;
we have to deal with dishonest and shame- and that any person who persists in tuning
less attempts to foist on either opinions for Buddhism to his own Jew’s harp in this way
which neither is willing to stand sponser. is risking his reputation, either for scholar-
Professer Huxley has dealt with one in his ship or good faith. Scientific men are
“Pseudo-Scientific Realism”; Professer common enough in the West, if Buddhists
Rhys Davids has demolished the other in that are not; and I may safely leave in their
one biting comment on “Esoteric Buddhism” hands the task of castigating the sneak-thieves
that it was “not Esoteric and certainly not of the Physical area.
Buddhism.” But some of the Theosophic
mud still sticks to the Buddhist chariot; and
there are still people who believe that sane
science has at least a friendly greeting for II.
Atheism and Materialism in their grosser
and more militant forms.
The essential features of Bhuddism have
Let it be understood then, from the outset,
been summed up by the Buddha himself.
that if in Science I include metaphysics, and
To me, of course, what the Buddha said
in Buddhism meditation-practices, I lend
or did not say is immaterial; a thing is
myself neither to the whittlers or “recon-
true or not true, whoever said it. We
cilers” on the one hand, nor to the Animistic
believe Mr. Savage Landor when he affirms
jugglers on the other. Apart from the
that Lhassa is an important town in Tibet.
Theosophic rubbish, we find Sir Edwin
Where only probabilities are concerned we
Arnold writing:
are of course influenced by the moral char-
“Whoever saith Nirvana is to cease,
Say unto such they lie.” 1
See Childers, Pali Dictionary, s.v. Nibbana.

84
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

acter and mental attainments of the speaker, the beads of Arabian-Night-Entertainment

but here I have nothing to do with what is are strung.3
uncertain.1 I propose therefore to deal with these
There is an excellent test for the value of and some other minor points of the
any passage in a Buddhist book. We are, I Buddhist metaphysis, and trace out their
think, justified in discarding passages scientific analogies, or, as I hope to show,
which are clearly Oriental fiction, just as more often identities.
modern criticism, however secretly Theistic, First then let us examine that great
discards the Story of Hasisadra or of Noah. Summary of the Buddhist Faith, the Four
In justice to Buddhism, let us not charge Noble Truths.
its Scripture with the Sisyphean task of
seriously upholding the literal interpreta-
tion of obviously fantastic passages.2 May
our Buddhist zealots be warned by the fate
of old-fashioned English orthodoxy! But III.
when Buddhism condescends to be vulgarly
scientific; to observe, to classify, to think ; THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS.
I conceive we may take the matter seriously,
(1) SORROW.—Existence is Sorrow. This
and accord a reasonable investigation to its
means that “no known form of Existence is
assertions. Examples of such succinctness
seperable from Sorrow.” This truth is
and clarity may be found in The Four
stated by Huxley, almost in so many words,
Noble Truths ; The Three Characteristics ;
in Evolution and Ethics. “It was no less
The Ten Fetters; and there is clearly a
plain to some of these antique philosophers
definite theory in the idea of Karma. Such
than to the fathers of modern philosophy
ideas are basic, and are as a thread on which
that suffering is the badge of all the tribe
of sentient things; that it is no accidental
1 See Huxley’s classical example of the horse, accompaniment, but an essential constituent
zebra and centaur. of the Cosmic Process.” And in the same
2
Similarly, where Buddhist parables are of a
mystical nature, where a complicated essay, though he is disposed to deny more
symbolism of numbers (for example) is than the rudiments of consciousness to the
intended to shadow a truth, we must discard lower forms of life, he is quite clear that
them. My experience of mysticism is somewhat pain varies directly (to put it loosely) with
large; its final dictum is that the parable x may the degree of consciousness. Cf. also
be equated to a, b, c, d . . . z by six-and-twenty “Animal Automatism,” pp. 236-237.
different persons, or by one person in six-and- (2) SORROW’S CAUSE.—The cause of
twenty different moods. Even had we a strong sorrow is desire. I take desire here to
traditional explanation I should maintain my include such a phenomenon as the tendency
position. The weapons of the Higher Criticism,
of two molecules of hydrogen and chlorine
supplements by comon Sense, are perfectly
valid and inevitably destructive against any to combine under certain conditions. If
such structure. But I am surely in danger of death be painful to me, it is presumably so
becoming ridiculous in writing thus to the to a molecule ; if we represent one opera-
scientific world. What I really wish to show is tion as pleasant, the converse is presumably
that one ned not look for all the Buddhist fancy painful. Though I am not conscious of the
dishes to the peril of the scientific digestion. individual pain of the countless deaths in-
And by a backhanded stroke I wish to impress volved in this my act of writin, it may be
as deeply as possible upon my Buddhist friends there. And what I call “fatigue” may be the
that too much zeal for the accidentals of our echo in my central consciousness of the
religion will surely result in the overwhelming
of its essentials in the tide of justly scornful or
3
justly casuistic criticism.—A. C. See Prof. Rhys Davids on the “Jataka.”

85
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

shriek of a peripheral anguish. Here we This is the Buddhist assertion. What

leave the domain of fact; but at least as far does Science say?
our knowledge extends, all or nearly all the (a) Huxley, “Evolution and Ethics”:
operations of Nature are vanity and vexation “As no man fording a swift stream can dip
of spirit. Consider food, the desire for which his foot twice into the same water, so no man
periodically arises in all conscious beings.1 can, with exactness, affirm of anything in
The existence of these desires, or rather the sensible world that it is. As he utters the
necessities, which I realise to be mine, is words, nay, as he thinks them, the predicate
unpleasant. It is this desire inherent in me ceases to be applicable; the present has
for continued consciousness that is responsible become the past; the ‘is’ should be ‘was.’
for it all, and this leads us to the Third Noble And the more we learn of the nature of things
Truth. the more evident is it that what we call rest
(3) SORROW’S CEASING.—The cessation is only unperceived activity ; that seeming
of desire is the cessation of sorrow. This is peace is silent but strenuous battle. In every
a simple logical inference form the second part, at every moment, the state of the cosmos
Truth, and needs no comment. is the expression of a transitory adjustment
(4) THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH.—There of contending forces, a scene of strife, in
is a way, to be considered later, of realising which all the combatants fall in turn. What
the Third Truth. But we must, before we is true of each part is true of the whole.
can perceive its possibility on the one hand, Natural knowledge tends more and more to
or its necessity on the other, form a clear the conclusion that “all the choir of heaven
idea of what are the Buddhist tenets with and furniture of the earth” are the transitory
regard to the Cosmos; and, in particular, to forms of parcels of cosmic substance wending
man.2 along the road of evolution, from nebulous
potentiality, through endless growths of sun
IV. and planet and satellite, through all varieties
of matter; through infinite diversities of life
THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS. and thought, possibly, through modes of being
of which we neither have a conception, nor
The Three Characteristics (which we are competent to form any, back to the
may predicate of all known existing things: indefinable latency from which they arose.
(a) Change. Anikka. Thus the most obvious attribute of the cosmos
(b) Sorrow. Dukkha. is its impermenance. It assumes the aspect
(c) Absence of an Ego. Anatta. not so much of a permanent entity as of a
changeful process, in which naught endures
1
Change is the great enemy, the immediate save the flow of energy and the rational
cause of pain. Unable to arrest it, I slow the order which pervades it.”
process, and render it temporarily painless, by This is an admirable summary of the
eating. This is a concession to weakness, no Buddhist doctrine.
doubt, in one sense. Do I eat really in order to (b) See above on the First Noble Truth.
check change, or to maintain my (c) This is the grand position which Buddha
consciousness? Change I desire, for my present carried against the Hindu philosophers. In
condition is sorrow. I really desire the
our own country it is the argument of Hume,
impossible; completely to retain my present
egoity with all its conditions reversed.—A. C. following Berkeley to a place where Berkeley
2
For an able and luminous exposition of certainly never meant to go—a curious
“The Four Noble Truths” I refer the reader to parallel fulfilment of Christ’s curse against
the pamphlet bearing that title by by old friend Peter (John xxi.). The Bishop demolishes
Bikkhu Ananda Maitriya, published by the the idea of a substratum of matter, and
Buddhasasana Samagama, 1 Pagoda Road,
Rangoon.—A. C.

86
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

Hume follows by applying an identical ness; this being the sole condition on which
process of reasoning to the phenomena of morals, religion, and fees to priests can
mind.1 continue. For the Deist has only to advance
Let us consider the Hindu theory. They his fundamental idea to be forced round in a
classify the phenomena (whether well or ill vicious circle of absurdities.1
matters nothing), but represent them all as The Buddhist makes a clean sweep of all
pictured in, but not affecting, a certain this sort of nonsense. He analyses the phe-
changeless, omniscient, blissful existence nomena of mind, adopting Berkeley’s para-
called Atman. Holding to Theism, the dox that “matter is immaterial,” in a sane
existence of evil forces them to the Fichtean and orderly way. The “common-sense Phi-
position that “the Ego posits the Non-Ego,” losopher,” whom I leave to chew the bitter
and we learn that nothing really exists after leaves of Professer Huxley’s Essay “On
all but Brahm. They then distinguish Sensation and the Unity of the Structure of
between Jivatma, the soul-conditioned, and Sensiferous Organs,” observes, on lifting his
Paramatma, the soul free; the former being arm, “I lift my arm.” The Buddhist ex-
the basis of our normal consciousness; the amines this proposition closely, and begins:
latter of the Nirvikalpa-Samadhi conscious- “There is a lifting of an arm.”
By this terminology he avoids Teutonic
1
discussions concerning the Ego and Non-
The Buddhist position may be interpreted ego.2 But how does he know this proposi-
as agnostic in this matter, these arguments tion to be true? By sensation. The fact is
being directed against, and destructive of, the
unwarranted assumptions of the Hindus; but no therefore:
more. See Sabbasava Sutta, 10. “There is a sensation of the lifting of an
“In him, thus unwisely considering, there arm.”
springs up one or other of the six (absurd) But how does he know that? By percep-
notions. tion. Therefore he says:
“As something real and true he gets the “There is a perception of a sensation, &c.”
notion, ‘I have a self.’
“As something real and true he gets the And why this perception? From the in-
notion, ‘I have not a self.’ herent tendency.
“As something real and true he gets the (Note carefully the determinist standpoint
notion, ‘By my self, I am conscious of my self.’ involved in the enunciation of his Fourth
“As something real and true he gets the Skandha; and that it comes lower than
notion, ‘By my self, I am conscious of my non- Viññanam.)
self.’
“Or again, he gets the notion, ‘This soul of “There is a tendency to perceive the
mine can be perceived, it has experienced the sensation, &c.”
result of good or evil actions committed here And how does he know that there is a
and there; now this soul of mine is permanent, tendency ? By consciousness. The final analysis
lasting, eternal, has the inherent quality of never reads:
changing, and will contiue for ever and ever!’
“This, brethren, is called the walking in de-
“There is a consciousness of a tendency
lusion, the jungle of delusion, the wilderness of to perceive the sensation of a lifting of an
delusion, the puppet-show of delusion, the arm.”
writhing of delusion, the fetter of delusion.” He does not, for he cannot, go further
There are, it may be noted, only five (not back. He will not suppose, on no sort of
six) notions mentioned, unless we take the last
as double. Or we may consider the sixth as the evidence, the substratum of Atman uniting
contrary of the fifth, and correct. The whole
passage is highly technical, perhaps 1
untrustworthy; in any case, this is not the place As Bishop Butler so conclusively showed.
2
to discuss it. The sun of Agnosticism breaking I may incidentally remark that a very few
through the cloud of Anatta is the phenomenon hours’ practice (see Section VIII.) cause “I lift
to which I wished to call attention.—A. C. my arm” to be intuitively denied.—A. C.

87
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

consciousness to consciousness by its eternity, from such possibility of misinterpretation in

while it fixes a great gulf between them by our own bodies. Compare the longevity of a
its changelessness. He states the knowable, bone with that of a corpuscle. But it is this
states it accurately, and leaves it there. But “Substratum” universe, which must not be
there is a practical application of this analysis confounded with the substratum, the argu-
which I will treat of later. (See VIII. Maha- ments for whose existence Berkeley so utterly
satipatthana.) shattered,1 which may conserve memory for
We are told that the memory is a proof of a period greatly exceeding that of one of
some real “I.” But how treacherous is this its particular avatars. Hence the “Jataka.”
ground! Did a past event in my life not But the doctrine is not very essential; its
happen because I have forgotten it? O the chief value is to show what serious difficulties
analogy of the river water given above is confront us, and to supply a reason to
most valid! I who write this am not I who struggle to some better state. For if nothing
read it over and correct it. Do I desire to
play with lead soldiers? Am I the doddering 1
old cripple who must be wheeled about and Without an elaborate analysis of the ideas
involved in the Ding an sich of Kant, and of
fed on whisky and bread and milk? And is H. Spencer’s definition of all things as Modes
my difference from them so conspicuously of the Unknowable, I may point out in passing
less than from the body lying dead of which that all these hypotheses are as sterile as the
those who see it will say. “This was Aleister “vital principle” in biology, or “phlogiston” in
Crowley”? chemistry. They lead literally nowhere. That
the phenomenal world is an illusion is all very
What rubbish it is to suppose that an well; one girds up one’s loins to seek reality:
eternal substance, sentient or not, omniscient but to prove reality unknowable is to shut all
or not, depends for its information on so avenues to the truth-loving man, and open all to
absurd a series of bodies as are groups the sensualist. And, if we accept either of the
under that “Crowley”! above philosophies, it does not matter. That we
feel it does matter is sufficient refutation, for we
Yet the Buddhist meets all arguments of must obey the sentence awarded on our own
the spiritual order with a simple statement testimony, whether we like it or not.
which, if not certain, is at least not improb- I am aware that this is a somewhat cowardly
able. There is, he will tell you, a “spiritual” way of dealing with the question; I prefer to
world, or to avoid any (most unjustifiable) insist that if we once admit that the unknowable
(by reason) to consciousness may be known (by
misunderstandings, let us say a world of concentration) to super-consciousness, the
subtler matter than the visible and tangible, difficulty vanishes.
which has its own laws (analogous to, if not I think Huxley goes too far in speaking of a
identical with, those laws of matter with man “self-hypnotised into cataleptic trances”
which we are acquainted) and whose inhabi- without medical evidence of a large number
of cases. Edward Carpenter, who has met
tants change, and die, and are re-born very Yogis, and talked long and learnedly with
much as ordinary mortal beings. But as them, tells a different story.
they are of subtler matter, the cycle is less Even had we a large body of evidence from
rapid.1 Anglo-Indian medical men, the proof would
As a nominalist, I hope not to be still be lacking. They might not be the real
men. The Indian native would take intense
misunderstood when I compare this to the delight in bringing round the village idiot to be
relative mutability of the individual and the inspected in the character of a holy man by the
species.2 We have enough examples free “Doctor Sahib.”
The Anglo-Indian is a fool; a minimum
medical education is in most cases insufficient
1 to abate the symptoms to nil, though perhaps
Cf. Huxley, cited supra, “possibly, through it must always diminish them. The Hindu is
modes of being of which we neither have a the Sphinx of civilisation; nearly all that has
conception, nor are competent to form any. . . .” been written on him is worthless; those who
2
Cf. “Evolution and Ethics,” note 1. know him best know this fact best.—A. C.

88
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

survives death, what does it matter to us? 5. Patigha. Hatred.

Why are we to be so altruistic as to avoid 6. Ruparaga. Desire for bodily
the reincarnation of a being in all points immortality.
different from ourselves? As the small boy 7. Aruparaga. Desire for spiritual
said, “What has posterity done for me?” immortality.
But somethin does persist; something 8. Mano. Pride.
changing, though less slowly. What evi- 9. Udhakka. Self-righteousness.
dence have we after all that an animal does 10. Avigga. Ignorance.
not remember his man-incarnation? Or, as
Levi says, “In the suns they remember, (1) For this is a petitio principii.
and in the planets they forget.” I think it (2) This, to a scientist, is apparently
unlikely (may be), but in the total absence of anathema. But it only means, I think, that
all evidence for or against—at least with if we are not settled in our minds we cannot
regard to the latter hypothesis !—I suspend work. And this is unquestionable. Suppose
my judgement, leave the question alone, and a chemist to set to work to determine the
proceed to more practical points that are boiling-point of a new organic substance.
offered by these interesting but not over- Does he stop in the midst, struck by the
useful metaphysical speculations. fear that his thermometer is inaccurate?
No! he has, unless he is a fool, tested it
previously. We must have our principia
fixed before we can do research work.
V. (3) A scientist hardly requires conviction
on this point!
KARMA.
(4) Do you think to combine Newton and
The Law of Causation is formally identical Caligula? The passions, allowed to
with this. Karma means “that which is dominate, interfere with the concentration
made,” and I think it should be considered of the mind.
with strict etymological accuracy. If I place (5) Does brooding on your dislikes help
a stone on the roof of a house, it is sure to you to accurate observation? I admit that
fall sooner or later; i.e., as soon as the con- a controversy may stir you up to perform
ditions permit. Also, in its ultimation, the prodigies of work, but while you are actually
doctrine of Karma is identical with deter- working you do not suffer the concentration
minism. On this subject much wisdom, with of your mind to be interfered with.
an infinite amount of rubbish, has been (6 & 7) This Fetter and the next are con-
written. I therefore dismiss it in these few tingent on your having perceived the suffer-
words, confident that the established identity ing of all forms of conscious existence.
can never be shaken. (8) Needs no comment. Pride, like
humility, is a form of delusion.
(9) Is like unto it, but on the moral
plane.
VI. (10) The great enemy. Theists alone
have found the infamous audacity to extol
THE TEN FETTERS OR SANYOGANAS. the merits of this badge of servitude.
1. Sakkaya-ditthi. Belief in a “soul.” We see, then, that in this classification
2. Vikikikkha. Doubt. a scientist will concur. We need not discuss
3. Silabbata-parâ- Reliance on the effi- the question whether or no he would find
mâsa cacy of rites and others to add. Buddhism may not be com-
and ceremonies. plete, but, as far as it goes, it is accurate.
4. Kama. Bodily Desires.

89
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

which our dreams are the vague and

disturbed transition to normal consciousness?
The physiological evidence goes literally
VII. for nothing. Even were it proved that the
recipio-motor apparatus of a “dreamless”
THE RELATIVE REALITY OF CERTAIN sleeper was relatively quiescent, would that
STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS supply any valid argument against the theory I
have suggested? Suggested, for I admit
Whether we adopt Herbert Spencer’s that our present position is completely ag-
dictum that the primary testimony of con- nostic in respect to it, since we have no
sciousness is to the existence of externality, evidence which throws light on the matter;
or no;1 whether or no we fly to the extreme and study of the subject would appear to be
idealistic position; there is no question that, mere waste of time.
to our normal consciousness, things as they But the suggestion is valuable as affording
present themselves—apart from obvious us a possibly rational explanation, conform-
illusion, if even we dare to except this—are able to the waking man, which the dreamer
undisprovable to the immediate apprehen- would indignantly reject.
sion. Whatever our reason may tell us, we Suppose, however, a dream so vivid that
act precisely as through Berkeley had never the whole waking man is abased before its
lived, and the herculean Kant had been memory, that his consciousness of it appears a
strangled while yet in his cradle by the twin thousand times more real than that of the
serpents of his own perversity and termi- things about him; suppose that his whole
nology. life is moulded to fit the new facts thus re-
What criterion shall we apply to the vealed to him; that he would cheerfully re-
relative realities of normal and dream nounce years of normal life to obtain minutes
consciousness? Why do I confidently assert of that dream-life; that his time sense is
that the dream state is transitory and un- uprooted as never before, and that these
real? influences are permanent. Then, you will
In that state I am equally confident that say, delirium tremens (and the intoxication
my normal consciousness is invalid. But of hashish, in respect more particularly of
as my dreams occupy a relatively small the time sense) afford us a parallel. But the
portion of my time, and as the law of causa- phenomena of delirium tremens do not
tion seems suspended, and as their vividness occur in the healthy. As for the suggestion
is less than that of ordinary consciousness, of auto-hypnosis, the memory of the “dream”
and above all, as in the great majority of is a sufficient reply. However this may be,
cases I can show a cause, dating from my the simple fact of the superior apparent
waking hours, for the dream, I have four reality—a conviction unshakable, inépuisable
strong reasons (the first explanatory to some (for the English has no word), is a sufficient
extent of my reasons for accepting the others) test. And if we condescend to argue, it is
for concluding that the dream is fictitious. for pleasure, and aside from the vital fact; a
But what of the “dreamless” state? To skirmish, and not a pitched battle.
the dreamer his normal faculties and memo- This “dream” I have thus described is
ries arise at times, and are regarded as frag- the state called Dhyana by the Hindus and
mentary and absurd, even as the remembrance Buddhists. The method of attaining it is
of a dream is to the waking man. Can we sane, healthy, and scientific. I would not
not conceive then of a “dreamless” life, of take the pains to describe that method, had
not illiterate, and too often mystical advo-
1
Mahasatipatthana (Sec. VIII.) does admit cates of the practice obscured the simple
this perhaps. Yet its very object is to correct
consciousness on the lines indicated by reason.

90
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

grandeur of our edifice by jimcrack How any sane person can describe this
pinnacles of stucco—as who should hang process as delusive and unhealthy passes my
the Taj Mahal with fairy lamps and chintz. comprehension; that any scientist should do so
It is simple. The mind is compelled to implies an ignorance on his part of the facts.
fix its attention on a single thought; while I may add that the most rigid necessity
the controlling power is exercised and a exists for perfect health of body and mind
profound watchfulness kept up lest the before this practice can begin; asceticism
thought should for a moment stray.1 The is as sternly discouraged as indulgence.
latter portion is, to my mind, the essential How would the electrician do his work
one. The work is comparable to that of an after a Guildhall Banquet? The strain of
electrician who should sit for hours with his watching would be too much, and he would
finger on a delicately adjusted resistance-box go off to sleep. So with the meditatior.
and his eye on the spot of light of a If, on the other hand, he had been without
galvanometer, charged with the duty of food for twenty-four hours, he might—indeed,
keeping the spot still, at least that it should it has been done often—perform prodigies
never move beyond a certain number of of work for the necessary period; but a
degrees, and of recording the more impor- reaction must follow of proportionate
tant details of his experiment. Our work is severity. Nobody will pretend that the best
identical in design, though worked with work is done starving.3
subtler—if less complex—means. For the Now to such an observer certain pheno-
finger on the resistance-box we substitute mena present themselves sooner or later
the Will ; and its control extends but to the which have the qualities above predicated
Mind ; for the eye we substitute the of our imaginary “dream” preceded by a
Introspective Faculty with its keen observa- transition-state very like total loss of
tion of the most minute disturbance, while consciousness. Are these fatigue phenomena?
the spot of light is the Consciousness itself, Is it that this practice for some as yet
the central point of the galvanometer scale unknown reason stimulates some special
the predetermined object, and the other nerve-centre ? Perhaps; the subject re-
figures on the scale, other objects, connected quires investigation; I am not a physio-
with the primary by order and degree, logist. Whatever physiology may say, it
sometimes obviously, sometimes obscurely, is at least clear that if this state is accom-
perhaps even untraceably, so that we have panied with an intense and passionles bliss
no real right to predicate their connection.2 beyond anything that the normal man can
conceive of, and unaccompanied with the
1
Huxley, Essays, V., 136. slightest prejudice to the mental and physical
2
This last sentence will be best understood health, it is most highly desirable. And to
by those who have practised up to a certain the scientist is presents a magnificent field
point. At first it is easy to trace back be a of research.
connected chain of thoughts from the thought
which awakes us to the fact that we are
wandering to the original thought. Later, and planets with which he is familiar, and, lord of
notably as we improve, this becomes first his own system, cannot trace the course or
difficult, then impossible. At first sight this fact divine the causes of the accident which has
suggests that we are injuring our brains by the disturbed him. And he will accept this
practice, but the explanation is as follows: ignorance as a proof of how well his own
Suppose we figure the central consciousness as system is going, since he no longer receives
the Sun, intent on seeing that nothing falls into shocks from it.—A. C.
3
him. First the near planets are carefully Hallucination especially is to be feared.
arranged, so that no collision can occur; Light-headedness from want of food is quite
afterwards Jupiter and Saturn, until his whole sufficient explanation for many “Mystic
system is safe. If then any body fall upon the ratures.” I do not care to invoke hysteria and
Sun, he knows that it is not from any of those epilepsy without positive evidence.—A. C.

91
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

Of the metaphysical and religious theories most seriously assure you that honest labo-
which have been built upon the facts here rious experiment will be found to verify
stated, I have nothing to say in this place. them in every particular—that whatever
The facts are not at the disposition of all; arguments are brought forward destructive
from the nature of the subject each man of the reality of Dhyana, apply with far
must be his own witness. I was once more force to the normal state, and it is
twitted by some shallow-pated person with evident that to deny the latter seriously
the fact that my position cannot be demon- is ipso facto to become unserious. Whether
strated in the laboratory, and that therefore the normal testimony may be attacked from
(save the mark!) I must be a mystic, an above, by insisting on the superior reality
occultist, a theosophist, a mystery-monger, of Dhyana—and à fortiori of Samadhi,
and what not. I am none of these. The which I have not experienced, and conse-
above criticism applies to every psychologist quently do not treat of, being content to
that ever wrote, and to the man who makes accept the highly probably statements of
the criticism by the fact of his making it. those who profess to know, and who have
I can only say : “You have your own so far not deceived me (i.e. as to Dhyana),
laboratory and apparatus, your mind; and is a question which it is not pertinent to
if the room is dirty and the apparatus ill the present argument to discuss.1 I shall,
put together, you have certainly not me however, suggest certain ideas in the follow-
to blame for it.” ing section, in which I propose to discuss
The facts being of individual importance, the most famous of the Buddhist medita-
then, there is little use if I detail the results tions (Mahasatipatthana, its method, object,
of my own experience. And the reason and results.
for this reticence—for I plead guilty to
reticence—that to explain would damage VIII.
the very apparatus whose use I am advoca- MAHASATIPATTHANA.
ting. For did I say that such and such a
practice leads one to see a blue pig, the This meditation differs fundamentally
suggestion is sufficient to cause one class of from the usual Hindu methods by the fact
people to see a blue pig where none that the mind is not restrained to the
existed, and another to deny or suspect contemplation of a single object, and there
the blue pig when it really appeared, though is no interference with the natural functions
the latter alternative is unlikely. The con- of the body as there is, e.g., in Pranayama.
scious phenomenon, and the bliss, is of so It is essentially an observation-practice,
stupendous and well-defined a nature that I which later assumes an analytic aspect in
cannot imagine any preconceived idea power- regard to the question, “What is it that is
ful enough to diminish it appreciably. But for really observed?”
the sake of the former class I hold my tongue.1 The Ego-idea is resolutely excluded from
I trust it is now perfectly clear, if my the start, and so far Mr. Herbert Spencer
statements are accepted—and I can only will have nothing to object (“Principles of

1
1
On the advisibility of so doing I am open The gravest doubts assail me on further
to conviction. The scientific mind, I might examination of this point. I am now (1906)
argue, will not readily fall into that error ; convinced that the experiences to which I refer
and for the others, they will be useless as a constitute Samadhi. The accursed pedentry of
research phalanx, and may as well see blue pigs the pundits has led to the introduction of a
and be happy as not. In the past, no thousand useless subtleties in philosophical
doubt, research has been choked by the terminology, the despair alike of the translator
multitude of pseudo-blue-pig-people, from the and the investigator, until he realises that it is
“T.S.” to the “G.D.” We must distinguish by pedantry, and as worthless as the rest of
methods, not by results.—A. C. oriental literature in all matters of exactitude.

92
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

Psychology,” ii. 404). The breathing, motions fortunately the living in such a state is
of walking, &c., are merely observed and conditional on sound mental health, and
recording; for instance, one may sit down terminable by disease or death at any moment.
quietly and say: “There is an indrawing Were it not so, the First Noble Truth would
of the breath.” “There is an expiration,” be a lie.
&c. Or, walking, “There is a raising of The two further stages Sankhara and Viñ-
the right foot,” and so on, just as it happens. ñanam pursue the analysis to its ultimation,
The thought is of course not quick enough to “There is a consciousness of a tendency to
note all the movements or their subtle causes. perceive the (pleasant or unpleasant) sensa-
For example, we cannot describe the compli- tion of a raising of a right foot” being the
cated muscular contractions, &c. ; but this final form. And I suppose no psychologist
is not necessary. Concentrate on some series of any standing will quarrel with this.1
of simple movements. Reasoning in fact leads us to this analysis;
When this through habit becomes intuitive the Buddhist goes further only in so far as he
so that the thought is really “There is a may be said to knock down the scaffolding
raising,” as opposed to “I raise” (the latter of reasoning processes, and to assimilate the
being in reality a complex and adult idea, as actual truth of the matter.
philosophers have often shown, ever since It is the difference between the schoolboy
Descartes fell into the trap), one may begin who painfully construes “Balbus murum ædi-
to analyse, as explained above, and the second ficavit,” and the Roman who announces that
stage is “There is a sensation (Vedana) of a historic fact without a thought of his grammer.
raising, &c.” Sensations are further classed I have called this meditation the most
as pleasant or unpleasant. famous of the Buddhist meditations, because
When this is the true intuitive instantaneous it is stated by the Buddha himself that if one
testimony of consciousness (so that “There practices it honestly and intelligently a result
is a raising, &c.” is rejected as a palpable is certain. And he says this of no other.
lie),1 we procede to Sañña, perception. I have personally not found the time to
“There is a perception of a (pleasant or devote myself seriously to this Mahasati-
unpleasant) sensation of a raising, &c.” patthana, and the statements here made are
When this has become intuitive—why ! those derived from reason and not from ex-
here’s a strange result ! The emotions of perience. But I can say that the unreality of
pain and pleasure have vanished. They are the grosser (rupa) relative to the sublter
subincluded in the lesser skandha of Vedana, Vedana and still more subtle Sañña be-
and Sañña is free from them. And to him comes rapidly apparent, and I can only
who can live in this third stage, and live so conclude that with time and trouble the
for ever, there is no more pain; only an process would continue.
intense interest similar to that which has What will occur when one reaches the
enabled men of science to watch and note final stage of Vññanam, and finds no Atman
the progress of their own death-agony. Un- behind it ? Surely the Viññanam stage will
soon seem as unreal as the former have be-
1
“Why should you expect Vedana to make come. It is idle to speculate; but if I may
Rupa appear illusory?” asked a friend of mine, escape the imputation of explaining the ob-
on reading through the MS. of this essay. The scure by the more obscure, I may hint that
reason of my omission to explain is that to me it such a person must be very near the state
had seemed obvious. The fact had been called Nirvana, whatever may be meant by
assimilated. To meditate on anything is to
perceive its unreal nature. Notably this is so in
concentrating on parts of the body, such as the 1
nose. On this phenomenon the Hindus have I deal with Mr. Spencer and “Transfigured
based their famous aphorism, “That which can Realism” in a note at the end of this section.—
be thought is not true.”—A. C. A. C.

93
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

this term. And I am convinced in my own enough, only as truths verified by a higher
mind that the Ananda (bliss) of Dhyana will and more correct reasoning than that of his
surely arise long before one has passed even opponents.
up to Sankhara. We recognise, with Berkeley, that reason
And for the reality, ’twill be a brave jest,teaches us that the testimony of conscious-
my masters, to fling back on the materialists ness is untrue; it is absurd, with Spencer,
to refute reason ; instead we take means to
that terrible gibe of Voltaire’s at the mystery-
mongers of his day: “Ils nient ce qui est, et bring consciousness to a sense of its impro-
expliquent ce qui n’est pas.” bity. Now our (empiric) diagnosis is that it
is the dissipation of mind that is chiefly re-
NOTE TO SECTION VIII. sponsible for its untruthfulness. We seek (also
Transfigured Realism. by empiric means, alas!) to control it, to con-
centrate it, to observe more accurately—has
I will not waste my own time and that of this source of possible error been sufficiently
my readers by any lengthy discussion of Mr. recognised?—what its testimony really is.
Herbert Spencer’s “Transfigured Realism.” Experience has taught me, so far as I have
I will not point out in greater detail how he been able to go, that Reason and Conscious-
proposes, by a chain of reasoning, to ness have met together; Apprehension and
overthrow the conclusions he admits as Analysis have kissed one another. The re-
being those of reason. conciliation (in fact, remember, and not in
But his statement that Idealism is but words) is at least so nearly perfect that I can
verbally intelligible is for my purpose the confidently predict that a further pursuit of
most admirable thing he could have said. the (empirically-indicated) path will surely
He is wrong in saying that idealists are lead to a still further and higher unity.
bewildered by their own terminology ; The realisation of the hopes held out by
the fact is that idealist conclusions are pre- the hypothesis is then of clear evidential
sented directly to consciousness, when that value in support of that hypothesis, empiric
consciousness is Dhyanic. (Cf. Section XI.) as it was, and is. But with the growth and
Nothing is clearer to my mind that that gathering-together, classifying, criticism of
the great difficulty habitually experienced by our facts, we are well on the way to erect a
the normal mind in the assimilation of meta- surer structure on a broader basis.
physics is due to the actual lack of experi-
ence in the mind of the reader of the
phenomena discussed. I will go so far as to IX.
say that perhaps Mr. Spencer himself is so
AGNOSTICISM.
bitter because he himself has actual ex-
perience of “Transfigured Realism” as a It should be clearly understood, and well
directly presented phenomenon; for if he remembered, that throughout all these medi-
supposes that the normal healthy mind can tations and ideas, there is no necessary way
perceive what he perceives, Berkeley’s argu- to any orthodox ontology whatever. As to
ments must seem to him mere wanton the way of salvation, we are not to rely on
stupidity. the Buddha; the vicious lie of vicarious
I class the Hindu philosophy with the atonement finds no place here. The Buddha
Idealist; the Bhuddistic with that of Mr. himself does not escape the law of causation ;
Herbert Spencer; the great difference be- if this be metaphysics, so far Buddhism is
tween the two being that the Buddhists re- metaphysical, but no further. While deny-
cognise clearly these (or similar) conclusions ing obvious lies, it does not set up dogmas;
as phenomena, Mr. Spencer, inconsistently all its statements are susceptible of proof—
a child can assent to all the more important.

94
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

And this is Agnosticism. We have a scien- that the Archbishop of Canterbury himself
tific religion. How far would Newton have would indignantly repudiate ? Are minds to
got if he had stuck to Tycho Brahe as the be warped early, the scientific method and
One Guide? How far the Buddha had he imagination checked, the logical faculty
reverenced the Vedas with blind faith? Or thwarted—thousands of workers lost each
how far can we proceed even from partial year to Science?
truth, unless a perfectly open mind be kept And the way to do this is not only through
regarding it, aware that some new pheno- the negative common-sense of indifference ;
menon may possibly overthrow our most fun- organise, organise, organise! For a flag we
damental hypotheses ! Give me a reasonable offer you the stainless lotus-banner of the
proof of some (intelligent) existence which Buddha, in defence of which no drop of
is not liable to sorrow, and I will throw the blood has ever been, nor ever will be shed,
First Noble Truth to the dogs without a a banner under which you will join forces
pang. And, knowing this, how splendid is with five hundred millions of your fellow-men.
it to read the grand words uttered more than And you will not be privates in the army ;
two thousand years ago: “Therefore, O for you the highest place, the place of
Ananda, be ye lamps unto yourselves. Be ye a leaders, waits; as far as the triumphs of the
refuge to yourselves. Betake yourselves to intellect are concerned, it is to Western
no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth Science that we look. Your achievements
as lamp. Hold fast as a refugee to the have shattered the battle-array of dogma and
truth.. Look not for refuge to any one be- despotism; your columns roll in triumphant
sides yourselves.” (Mahaparanibbana Sutta, power through the breaches of false meta-
ii. 33.) And to such seekers only does the physics and baseless logic; you have fought
Buddha promise “the very topmost Height”— that battle, and the laurels are on your
if only they are “anxious to learn.” This brows. The battle was fought by us more
is the corner-stone of Buddhism; can scien- than two thousand years ago; the authority
tific men deny their assent to these words of the Vedas, the restrictions of caste, were
when they look back on the history of shattered by the invulnerable sword of truth
Thought in the West; the torture of Bruno, in Buddha’s hand; we are your brothers.
the shame of Galileo, the obscurantism of But in the race of intellect we have fallen
the Schoolmen, the “mystery” of the hard- behind a little; will you take no interest in
pressed priests, the weapons carnal and us, who have been your comrades? To
spiritual of stake and rack, the labyrinths of Science Buddhism cries: Lead us, reform
lying and vile intrigue by which Science, the us, give us clear ideas of Nature and her
child, was deformed, distorted, stunted, in laws; give us that basis of irrefragable logic
the interest of the contrary proposition? and wide knowledge that we need, and
If you ask me why you should be Buddhists march with us into the Universe !
and not indifferentists, as you are now, I tell The Buddhist faith is not a blind faith ;
you that I come, however unworthy, to take its truths are obvious to all who are not
up the sword that Huxley wielded; I tell blinded by the spectacles of bibliolatry and
you that the Oppressor of Science in her deafened by the clamour of priests, presby-
girlhood is already at work to ravish her ters, ministers: whatever name they choose
virginity; that a moment’s hesitation, idle- for themselves, we can at least put them
ness, security may force us back from the aside in one great class, the Thought-stiflers;
positions so hardly won. Are we never to and these truths are thosse which we have
go forward, moreover ? Are our children long accepted and to which you have
still to be taught as facts the stupid and recently and hardly won.
indecent fables of the Old Testament, fables It is to men of your stamp, men of inde-

95
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

pendent thought, of keen ecstasy of love of the Buddhist tradition, the etymology, and
knowledge, of practical training, that the the logical value alike require for the word
Buddhasanana Samagama1 appeals; it is as applied to the Buddhist goal. See Chidders,
time that Buddhism reformed itself from Pali Dictionary, sub voce Nibbana.]
within; though its truths be held untarnished The explanation is really as follows : only
(and even this is not everywhere the case), by this term Nirvana can we foreshadow to
its methods, its organisation, are sadly in you the reality; for even as the Dawn of
need of repair; research must be done, men Dhyana is indescribable in language, à
must be perfected, error must be fought. fortiori Nirvana is so. To give an example,
And if in the West a great Buddhist society for that something of the sort is necessary I
is built up of men of intellect, of the men in freely admit, to defend so apparently
whose hands the future lies, there is then an mystical a statement, I may give the
awakening, a true redemption, of the weary following from my own experience.
and forgetful Empires of the East. In a certain meditation one day I re-
corded:
“I was (a) conscious of external things
X seen behind after my nose had vanished.
(b) Conscious that I was not conscious of
THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH these things. These (a) and (b) were
simultaneous.”
To return from our little digression to the I subsequently discovered this peculiar
original plan of our essay. It is time to state of consciousness classified in the Ab-
note the “Noble Eightfold Path,” referred hidhamma. That it is a contradiction in
to and its consideration deferred, in Sec- terms I am perfectly aware; to assign any
tion III. meaning to it is frankly beyond me; but I
In this Fourth Noble Truth we approach am as certain that such a state once existed
the true direction of Buddhism; progress is in me as I am of anything.
but another word for change; is it possible Similarly with Nirvana and its definition.
to move in a direction whose goal is the The Arahat knows what it is, and describes
changeless? The answer is Yea and Amen! it by its accidentals, such as bliss. I must
and it is detailed in the Noble Eightfold raise, very reluctantly, a protest against the
Path, of which I propose to give a short idea of Professer Rhys Davids (if I have
resumé. First, however, of the goal. It may understood him aright) that Nirvana is the
be readily syllogised: mental state resulting from the continuous
All existing things are (by nature, inevi- practice of all the virtues and methods of
tably) subject to change. thought characteristic of Buddhism. No;
In Nirvana is no change. Nirvana is a state belonging to a different
∴ No existing thing is or can be in plane, to a higher dimension than anything
Nirvana. we can at present conceive of. It has
Now here is the great difficulty; for this perhaps its analogies and correspondences
syllogism is perfectly sound, and yet we on the normal planes, and so shall we find
speak of attaining Nirvana, tasting Nir- of the steps as well as of the Goal. Even
vana, &c. the simple first step, which every true
[We must distinguish the Hindu Nirvana, Buddhist has taken, Sammaditthi, is a very
which means Cessation of Existence in different thing from the point of view of
certain Lokas; never absolute Cessation, as an Arahat. The Buddha stated expressly
that none but an Arahat could really com-
prehend the Dhamma.
1
Or International Buddhist Society, founded
in Rangoon in 1903.

96
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

And so for all the Eight Stages; as to conceal the Truth—he who truly loves
regards their obvious meaning on the moral and who has a malice towards none, will
plane, I can do no better than quote my ever speak only fair and soft words. By a
friend Bhikku Ananda Maitriya, in his man’s speech do we learn his nature, and
“Four Noble Truths.” that one whose Right Aspirations are bearing
“He who has attained, by force of pure fruit attains to the Third Step, Right Speech,
understanding, to the realisation of the Four Sammaváca. Speaking only the Truth in
Noble Truths, who has realised the fact that all things, never speaking harshly or un-
depends from that understanding, namely kindly, in his speech realising the love and
that all the constituents of bein are by pity that is in his heart—that man has
nature endowed with the Three Character- attained to Stage the Third.
istics of Sorrow, Transitoriness, and Absence “And because of the great power of a man’s
of any immortal principle or Atma—such a thoughts and words to change his being,
one is said to be Sammaditthi, to hold right because by thinking of the pitiful our acts
views, and the term has come to mean one grow full of mercy, therefore is Stage the
of the Buddhist Faith. We may not have Fourth called Right Conduct. To him who
taken the other and higher steps on the has gained this Fourth Stage, his intense as-
Noble Eightfold Path; but must have rea- piration, his right understanding, his care-
lised those Four Truths and their sequential fully guarded speech—perhaps for many years
three Characteristics. He who has attained of self-control—have at last borne outward
Sammaditthi has at least entered upon the fruit, till all his acts are loving, and pure, and
Holy Way, and, if he but try, there will done without hope of gain, he has attained
come to him the power to overcome the the Fourth Step, called Sammakammanto.
other fetters that restrict his progress. But “And when, growing yet holier, that habit
first of all he must abandon all those false of Right Action grows firm and inalienable,
hopes and beliefs; and one who has done when his whole life is lived for the Faith
this is called a Buddhist. And this holding that is in him, when every act of his daily
of Right Views, in Pali Sammaditthi, is the life, yea, of his sleep also, is set to a holy
first step upon the Noble Eightfold Path. purpose, when not one thought or deed that
“The second stage is Right Aspiration— is cruel or unpitiful can stain his being—
Sammasankappo. Having realised the woe when, not even as a duty, will he inflict
and transitoriness and soullessness of all pain by deed, word, or thought—then he
life, there rises in the mind this Right Aspi- has gained the Fifth High Path, the Living
ration. When all things suffer, we at least of the Life that’s Right—Sammá ajivo.
will not increase their burden, so we aspire Abstaining from all that can cause pain, he
to become pitiful and loving, to cherish ill- has become blameless, and can live only by
will toward none, to retire from those such occupations as can bring no sorrow in
pleasures of sense which are the fruitful their train.1
cause of woe. The will, we all know, is “To him who has lived so, say the Holy
ever readier than the mind, and so, though Books, there comes a power which is unknown
we aspire to renounce the pleasures of sense, to ordinary men. Long training and restraint
to love and pity all that lives, yet perhaps have given him conquest of his mind, he can
we often fail in the accomplishment of our
aspiration. But if the desire to become 1
From my point of view, this is of course
pitiful and pure be but honest and earnest, impossible. See Sec. III. If wilful infliction of
we have gained the Second Step upon the pain only is meant, our state becomes moral, or
Path—Sammasankappo, Right Aspiration. even worse!—mystical. I should prefer to
“He whose motives are pure has no need cancel this sentence. Cf. Appendix I.—A. C.
[the story titled “The Three Characteristics.” –
T.S.]

97
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

now bring all his powers with tremendous that I make this appeal ; that I seek to
force to bear upon any one object he may enlist genuine, not pseudo-scientific men in
have in view, and this ability so to use the the Research ; so that our children may be
energies of his being to put forth a constant as far in advance of us in the study of the
and tremendous effort of the will, marks the supernormal phenomena of the mind as we
attainment of the Sixth Stage, Sammávayamo, are in advance of our fathers in the sciences
usually translated Right Effort, but perhaps of the physical world.1
Right Will-Power would come nearer to the Note carefully this practical sense of my
meaning, or Right Energy, for effort has intention. I care nothing for the academic
been made even to attain to Sammaditthi.1 meanings of the steps in the Path; what they
And this power being gained by its use he is meant to the Arahats of old is indifferent to
enabled to concentrate all his thoughts and me. “Let the dead past bury its dead!”
hold them always upon one object—waking What I require is an advance in the Know-
or sleeping, he remembers who he is and ledge of the Great Problem, derived no longer
what his high aim in life—and this constant from hearsay revelation, from exalted fanati-
recollection and keeping in mind of holy cism, from hysteria and intoxication; but
things, is the Seventh Stage, Sammasati. from method and research.
And by the power of this transcendent Shut the temple ; open the laboratory!
faculty, rising through the Eight High
Trances to the very threshold of Nirvana, he XI.
at last, in the Trance called Nirodha
2
Samapatti, attains, even in this life, to the THE TWILIGHT OF THE GERMANS.
Deathless Shore of Nirvana, by the power It is a commonplace of scientific men
of Sammasamadhi, Right Concentration. that meta-physics is mostly moonshine; that
Such a one has finished the Path—he has it is largely an argument in a circle cannot
destroyed the cause of all his chain of lives, easily be disputed; that the advance since
and has become Arahan, a Saint, a Buddha Aristotle is principally verbal none may
himself.” doubt; that no parallel advance to that of
But none knows better than the venerable science has been made in the last fifty years
Bhikkhu himself, as indeed he makes clear is certain.
with regard to the steps Sammávayamo and
The reason is obvious.
above, that these interpretations are but
reflections of those upon a higher plane— Philosophy has had two legitimate weapons
the scientific plane. They are (I have little —introspection and reason; and introspec-
doubt) for those who have attained to them tion is not experiment.
mnemonic keys to whole classes of pheno-
1
mena of the order anciently denominated A few weeks after writing these words I
magical, phenomena which, since the human came across the following passage in Tyndall’s
“Scientific Materialism” which I had not
mind has had its present constitution, have previously read: “Two-thirds of the rays emitted
been translated into language, classified, by the sun fail to arouse the sense of vision.
sought after, always above language, but not The rays exist, but the visual organ requisite for
beyond a sane and scientific classification, a their translation into light does not exist. And
rigid and satisfactory method, as I most so, from this region of darkness and mystery
firmly believe. It is to establish such a which now surrounds us, rays may now be
dartin, which require but the development of
method; to record in the language, not of the proper intellectual organs to translate them
the temple, but of the laboratory, its results, into knowledge as far surpassing ours as ours
surpasses that of the wallowing reptiles which
once held possession of this planet.”—A. C.
1 2
It is of course a special kind of effort, not A Note showing the necessity and scope of
mere struggle. the Work in question.

98
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

The mind is a machine that reasons; here when the solution is attained it is not the
are its results. Very good; can it do solution of one learned man for his fellows,
anything else? This is the question not only but one realised and assimilated by every
of the Buddhist; but of the Hindu, of the man in his own consciousness.
Mohammedan, of the Mystic. All try their And what the solution may be none of us
various methods; all attain results of sorts; can foreshadow. To hoist the problem on to
none have had the genuine trainin which the horns of a dilemma will avail nothing
would have enabled them to record those when A=A may be no longer true ; and this
results in an intelligible, orderly form. by no Hegelian word-juggle ; but by direct
Others deliberately set their face against apperception as clear as the sun at noon.
such an attempt. I am not of them; Therefore; no work more, but—to the
humanity has grown up; if the knowledge work !
be dangerous in unexpected ways, what of
bacteriology? I have obtained one result; a
result striking at the very condition of XII.
consciousness; which I may formulate as
THE THREE REFUGES.
follows:
“If a single state of consciousness persist Buddham Saranangachami.
unchanged for a period exceeding a very few Dhammam Saranangachami.
seconds, its duality is annihilated; its nature Sangham Saranangachami.
is violently overthrown; this phenomenon is I take my refuge in the Buddha.
accompanied by an indescribable sensation I take my refuge in the Dhamma.
of bliss.” I take my refuge in the Sangha.
Very well! but I want this formula verified This formula of adhesion to Buddhism
a hundred times, a thousand times, by is daily repeated by countless millions of
independent investigators. I want it better humanity; what does it mean? It is no vain
stated; its conditions modified, defined ex- profession of reliance on others; no cowardly
actly. I want it to leave its humble station shirking of burdens—burdens which cannot
as my observation, and put into the class of be shirked. It is a plain estimate of our
regular phenomena. auxiliaries in the battle; the cosmic facts on
But I am verging back towards Hindu which we may rely, just as a scientist “relies”
philosophy, and it is a reminder well needed on the conservation of energy in making an
at this moment. For this experience of the experiment.
destruction of duality, this first phenomenon Were that principle of uncertain applica-
in the series, has, in all its illusory beauty, tion, the simplest quantitative experiment
been seized upon, generalised from, by philo- would break hopelessly down.
sophers, and it is to this basis of partial and So for the Buddhist.
therefore deceptive fact that we owe the I take my refuge in the Buddha. That
systems of Vedanta and Idealism, with there was once a man who found the Way
their grotesque assumptions and muddle- is my encouragement.
headed “reconcilements” all complete. I take my refuge in the Dhamma. The Law
One fact, O Sri Çankaracharya, does not under-lying phenomena and its unchanging
make a theory; let us remember your fate, certainty; the Law given by the Buddha to
and avoid generalising on insufficient evi- show us the Way, the inevitable tendency to
dence. With this word of warning, I leave Persistence in Motion or Rest—and
the metaphysician to wallow in his mire, Persistence, even in Motion, negates change
and look toward better times for the great in consciousness—these observed orders of
problems of philosophy. Remember that fact are our bases.

99
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

I take my refuge in the Sangha. gas—is a network of mechanism, the main

These are not isolated efforts on my part; features and many details of which have
although in one sense isolation is eternally been made more or less obvious to the
perfect and can never be overcome,1 in wondering intelligence of mankind by the
another sense associates are possible and labour and ingenuity of scientific investi-
desirable. One third of humanity are gators. But no sane man has ever pre-
Buddhists; add men of Science and we form tended, since science became a definite body
an absolute majority ; among Buddhists a of doctrine, that we know or ever can hope
very large proportion have deliberately gone to know or conceive of the possibility of
out from social life of any kind to tread these knowing, whence this mechanism has come,
paths of Research. why it is there, whither it is going, and
Is the Way very hard? Is the brain tired? what there may or may not be beyond and
The results slow to come? Others are beside it which our senses are incapable
working, failing, struggling, crowned here of appreciating. These things are not
and there with rare garlands of success. ‘explained’ by science, and never can be,”
Success for ourselves, success for others; is he gives a curious example of that quaint
it not Compassion that binds us closer than scientific pride which knows the limits of
all earthly ties? Ay, in joy and in sorrow, in its powers, and refuses to entertain the hope
weakness and in strength, do I take my of transcending them. Unfortunately, he is
refuge in the Sangha. as one who, a hundred years ago, should
have declared any knowledge of the chemistry
of the fixed stars impossible. To invent
new methods, and to revolutionise the
XIII functions of the senses by training or other-
wise is the routine work of to-morrow.1
CONCLUSION
But, alas ! he goes even further.
Let me give a rapid resumé of what we “Similarly we seek by the study of
have gone through. cerebral disease to trace the genesis of the
(a) We have stripped Science and phenomena which are supposed by some
Buddhism of their accidental garments, and physicists who have strayed into biological
administered a rebuke to those who so fields to justify them in announcing the
swathe them. ‘discovery’ of ‘Telepathy’ and a belief
(b) We have shown the identity of Science in ghosts.”
and Buddhism in respect of: To talk of cerebral disease as the char-
(1) Their fact. acteristic of one who merely differs from
(2) Their theory. you (and that because he has more know-
(3) Their method. ledge than yourself) is itself a symptom
(4) Their enemies. familiar to alienists. (I may say I hold no
(c) While thus admitting Buddhism to brief for Professor Lodge, here attacked.
be merely a branch of Science, we have I am not even interested in any of his
shown it to be a most important branch, results, as such of them as I am acquainted
since its promise is to break down the walls with deal with objective and trivial pheno-
at which Science stops. mena.)
When Professor Ray Lankester has to Of course, as long as what Darwin called
write, “The whole order of nature, including variation is called disease by Professor Ray
living and lifeless matter—man, animal, and Lankester, we shall (if we accept his views,

1 1
i.e., on normal planes See note p. 98

100
 SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM

and it will go hard with us if we do not !) And the history of our Science is the
regard all progress in any direction as history of all Science. If you choose to ape
morbid. So (as with Lombroso) “disease” Christendom and put the pioneers of
will become a mere word, like its prede- rational investigation into the nature of
cessor “infidelity,” and cease to carry any consciousness on the rack (i.e. into lunatic
obloquy. asylums) I doubt not we shall find our
If Science is never to go beyond its Bruno. But it will add an additional pang
present limits; if the barriers which meta- that persecution should come from the
physical speculation shows to exist are never house of our friends.
to be transcended, then indeed we are Let us, however, turn away from the
thrown back on faith, and all the rest of the aspect of criticism which an accidentla
nauseous mess of medieval superstition, controversy has thus caused me to notice,
and we may just as well have vital principle and so to anticipate the obvious line of
and creative power as not, for Science attack which the more frivolous type of
cannot help us. True, if we do not use critic will employ, and return to our proper
all the methods at our disposal! But we business, the summary of our own position
go beyond. We admit that all mental with regard to Buddhism.
methods known are singularly liable to Buddhism is a logical development of
illusion and inaccuracy of any sort. So the observed facts; whoso is with me so far
were the early determinations of specific is Sammaditthi, and has taken the first step
heat. Even biologists have erred. But to on the Noble Eightfold Path.
the true scientist every failure is a stepping- Let him aspire to knowledge, and the
stone to success; every mistake is the key to Second Step is under his feet.
a new truth. The rest lies with Research.

Aum ! I take my refuge holy in the Light and Peace of Buddh.

Aum ! I take my refuge, slowly working out His Law of Good.
Aum ! I take my refuge lowly in His Pitying Brotherhood.

101