Critical Rationality of the Buddhists and the Rationality of Science: a talk on Buddhism & Science at Choe Khor Sum Ling, Bangalore, on February 7, 2010

January 31st, 2010

Buddhist thought is characterized by centuries of critical thinking on issues related to the nature of reality, perception and inference (logic). Buddhist philosophy is defined by this special critical approach to the understanding of our experiences of the world. Buddhist logic is the first example of a methodology which attempts to ‘rationally’ understand the relation between the world and our descriptions of it, thus making it the first example of what later comes to be called scientific methodology. This discussion will explore the critical rational aspects of Buddhist philosophy in relation to how science itself uses the idea of the rational. In this exploration, we will discover that the Buddhist standards of rationality are in fact stricter than science – what consequence does this have on understanding the relation between the ‘rational’ and the ’spiritual’?
Dr. Sundar Sarukkai, until recently, was a Professor of philosophy at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. He is now establishing the new Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities at the Manipal University. One of his recent books titled “Indian Philosophy and Philosophy of Science” (Motilal Banarsidass, 2005) is an introduction to Buddhist logic and discusses in detail the relation between Buddhist logic and the philosophy of science.

Schedule: February 7, 2010, Sunday
10:00 AM – 11:15 AM –Talk & Discussion, part 1
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM – Tea-Break
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Talk & Discussion, part 2

Venue: Choe Khor Sum Ling Centre, Ashwini, No. 24, 1st floor, 3rd Main St, Domlur 1st stage, Bangalore 560071.
Contact info: e-mail – info@cksl.in, tel. (080) 41486497, mob. +91 99869 44153, web – www.cksl.in.
The teaching is free and open to everyone.

Choe Khoe Sum Ling, ‘Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma’, is a Buddhist Study & Meditation Center meant for the study and practice of the Mahayana Buddhism. Teachings on various aspects of the Buddhist philosophy and different meditation techniques by highly realized lamas are provided for free.
CKSL was established in Bangalore in 2003 by Lama Zope Rinpoche at the request of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. The Centre is a part of the Foundation for Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).
For more information please visit the Centre’s web-site – www.cksl.in.

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