Quantum and the Lotus A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet

Did the universe have a beginning? Is the stunning fine-tuning of the universe a sign that a "principle of creation" is at work in our world? If so, does that mean 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? When Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Xuan Thuan met in the summer of 1997, they began discussing the many remarkable connections between the teachings of Buddhism and the findings of recent science. Matthieu Ricard trained as a molecular biologist, but left his life in science to become a Buddhist monk. Trinh Thuan was born into a Buddhist family in Vietnam but is now an acclaimed astrophysicist and specialist on how the galaxies formed. 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. The authors reach a remarkable meeting of the 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 Ricard writes, "knowledge of our spirits and knowledge of the world are mutually enlightening and empowering."Thuan, Trinh Xuan is the author of 'Quantum and the Lotus A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet', published 2004 under ISBN 9781400080793 and ISBN 1400080797.