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Quantum and the Lotus
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...more
ebook, 320 pages
Published
February 11th 2009
by Crown Publishing Group
(first published 2000)
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May 27, 2009
Brandon T.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those interested in Buddhism or science
Recommended to Brandon T. by:
Lillie Nguyen
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was quite eager to read this book, but I found it hard to follow because of the conversational way it was written. I have issues with when the Buddhist Mr. Ricard says things along the lines of "why limit science to things than can be rationalized and proven with mathematics?" That is the definition of science. Anything claiming to be science yet does not meet those criteria is either pseudo science, conjecture, or a lie. It is akin to calling a turkey-burger a hamburger. They might look simil...more
Jul 20, 2009
Frank Jude
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Students of Buddhism and science.
Of all the books I've read about Buddhism and science (most especially Physics) this may be the most useful and accessible. I was delighted to sit in on the conversation between this monk and physicist to see both their differences and the profound similarities in their understanding of reality.
Ricard is a penetrative thinker and he can strongly present the Buddhist view. At times I felt like Thuan, while certainly extremely competent as a physicist, may not be up to Ricard's philosophically ast...more
Ricard is a penetrative thinker and he can strongly present the Buddhist view. At times I felt like Thuan, while certainly extremely competent as a physicist, may not be up to Ricard's philosophically ast...more
My kind of philosophical discourse...the intersection of buddhism and science. As told by a buddhist monk and an astrophysicist. Highly recommended. I read a lot of it in the car today on a massive road trip, and I have to admit, it helped put some of my recent life changes into perspective. The part on time actually blew my mind, and re-encouraged me to get my future tattoo.
Contemporary Physics, Buddhism, and Metaphysics
"The Quantum and the Lotus" is a dialogue between a Buddhist monk, who has a doctoral scientific background, and an astrophysicist, who had a Buddhist upbringing. Their dialogue covers a broad range of ontological philosophies and questions such as: what does it mean to be human; the origin of the Universe; the existence of a creator; inter-connectivity and interdependence of the entire Universe; the nature of atoms and subatomic particles; string t...more
"The Quantum and the Lotus" is a dialogue between a Buddhist monk, who has a doctoral scientific background, and an astrophysicist, who had a Buddhist upbringing. Their dialogue covers a broad range of ontological philosophies and questions such as: what does it mean to be human; the origin of the Universe; the existence of a creator; inter-connectivity and interdependence of the entire Universe; the nature of atoms and subatomic particles; string t...more
Aug 24, 2009
Demi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Buddhists
Recommended to Demi by:
Eddie
Shelves:
mind-science
I really enjoyed this read. Lately, the discussions in my Buddhist class have inspired me to brush up on my physics/neurobiology knowledge. When we talk about the mind and Emptiness, there's a lot of assumptions that people throw about the classroom - not realising that these assumptions don't agree with the current findings of modern science. I wanted to clear up my own doubts and confusion. The Quantum and the Lotus really revived my love of science & philosophy. Both have a lot to offer a...more
For great minds that question the integration of moral ethics and logical science, this would be an extremely interesting read for you. The Quantum and the Lotus provides deep insight from both perspectives, in a way that makes it as relatable as two friends discussing something over lunch rather than the traditional research report. The discussion brings up many arguments that all kinds of views would bring up in a debate room, except everything is answered and there is no violent debate. Quite...more
Interesting approach -- all text in the form of a conversation -- helps this deep probe into the true nature of reality from two players at the top of their games in philosophy (Tibetan Buddhist variety) and science (astrophysics). The back-and-forth makes it an easier ride than might otherwise be expected for some very heavy themes, although this book will probably be enjoyed most by those who invest the most into it. You can treat it as a fast cruise through some of the most probing questions...more
Great book for students of Buddhism in the west. As someone that's never taken a physics class, there were areas of the book that I had to re-read in order to make sure I understood the scientist's perspective correctly. None-the-less I was able to see where these two minds met, which was fascinating. Ricard does a fantastic job explaining the Buddhist belief in Emptiness and lays out a strong case on the need for compassion and ethics in science (and really all areas of life).
Some reviews have...more
Some reviews have...more
While my reading regimen has slowed in the last 4-5 weeks due to our newest arrival...I hope to get back on track soon. Anyhow... I thought this book was phenomenal. Every time I try to read up on relativity or quantum mechanics, or whenever I watch things like "Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman", I think: "I get it! I get it!". And then the next day, its lost... poof. But this time, I think I really do get it because a lot of the concepts are posited via the lens of Buddhism, of which I...more
This book is interesting, but I really disliked the dialog-style that the book is written in. Also, the dialog was fake at times, which I guess could be understood given the fact that it was probably transcribed from memory at a later time, but then my question is "why did they write it in dialog-style at all?" Furthermore, I was disappointed because the concepts were over-simplified and described at a very low level, which is great for someone who's never read a popularized science book, but I...more
This is one of the most important books I have ever read in my life. The correlation between quantum physics and Buddhism is astounding and was very eye-opening for me. It really helped me to gain a new perspective on life, and helped me get over some of the disconnect a lot of North Americans can feel every day, simply from how our society is set up. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone that wants to feel a little more connected with everything.
This is not the book to pick up and read when you only have a week off in between rigorous school terms and all the textbooks they entail. My brain needed a nice fluffy read, not this. But I will most certainly return to it post graduation! Great concept. It's an interesting back-and-forth discussion between two guys that sort-of swapped cultures and are trying to get to the truths of existence. Pretty cool stuff.
Informed discussion between buddhist monk and scientist as to the similarities, differences, and limits of their respective ways of knowledge. Each knows whereof he speaks, each is open without being solicitous, each learns a great deal in the process of dialogue. Best read slowly, especially for those of us not fluent in both areas. Well worth the effort and a model for dialogue between many differing world views.
I have to admit that I never made it all the way through this book... It takes a while to digest everything in there, and since it wasn't my book, I simply didn't not have enough time with it. BUT what I read was deeply thought provoking. Some day I hope to own it again and really delve into it.
"What did you think" is asked here. Don't know 'what to think' yet. Books have this thing of coming your way - making your eye fall upon them - and since I belief nothing is a 'coincidence', I shall have to order and read it. The reviews are impressive...
There is a much deeper level to the universe than what we typically experience. We see brief glimpses into this in various disciplines. The similarity between modern "discoveries" and concepts that are millennia old is very interesting
A very fascinating read and perfect for the inquiring mind that enjoys balancing spirituality and science. Although it took me a while to read, because it's a bit left-brained, I absolutely loved it.
Peter Edwards: Another book I am interested in reading is The Quantum and the Lotus by Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Xuan – they discuss the meaning of life from the viewpoint of a biologist and a Buddhist monk.
An interesting book. Some of the topics, among the many they discuss, are interesting, but I think the book suffers from being written purely in dialog format and so it eventually becomes quite boring. Any conversation, no matter how interesting the topic, gets boring after a certain amount of time.
A great dialogue between a scientist turned monk and a buddhist turned scientist. A long and sometimes slow read, but very profound in its treatment of some very deep and important topics.
Remarkable survey of Buddhist thought, matched subject for subject against cutting edge physics. By far the best and most thoughtful faith/science book I have ever read.
Have been reading for a long time. Keep coming back and every time there is just a little more insight. Might let go enough to 'get it.'
Great book - takes alot of my attention to follow, but it's definately worth it! I will be reading it slowly to absorb the wisdom.
I really enjoyed this book which is a discussion of the quantum world from two different perspectives.
this is just the kind of discussion of science and spirituality that is most important. Science, as an instrument of inquiry, needs to be integrated into a greater "science of the mind" or spirituality. Here, instead of confusing two different modes of inquiry, Ricard and Thuan discuss the similarities and differences between modern science and Buddhist thought, striving to understand how and where their disciplines meet. This kind of discussion allows us to ground science in a greater spiritual...more
Absolutely loved this book! While I didn't necessarily agree with everything presented here, it's a great dialogue between two of my current interests - science and Buddhism. An excellent read. This book made me want to be a better person.
Apr 29, 2008
Glen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people wondering about God
I enjoyed this quite a bit. It gives a good description of the Buddhist belief structure and a nice look at some of the latest physics theories. Ricard describes how Buddhism is not nihilistic, just dependent upon consciousness to observe it. Without a consciousness the physical universe would not exist. Thuan describes the uncertainty principal and how it ties in so closely with this concept.
Overall it was more very provoking but was oriented more for people interested in Buddhism since most of...more
Overall it was more very provoking but was oriented more for people interested in Buddhism since most of...more
This book is amazing... A former American molecular biologist turned Buddhist monk and a Vietnamese-Buddhist-goes to-Cal Tech-and-becomes-an-Astrophysicist (specializing in the formation of galaxies) talk about stuff. Highly recommended so far...
The Quantum and the Lotus is a great introduction to the shared philosophies surrounding science and buddhism. Ricard and Trinh are able to explain the basic interconnected ideas of each subject simply, eloquently and compellingly. The dialogue between the two scientists certainly sparked an interest in learning more about buddhism and physics within me and helped to illuminate what had heretofore seemed to be inapproachable subjects.
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Born in 1946, Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, an author, translator and photographer. He has lived, studied and worked in the Himalayan region for over forty years.
The son of French philosopher Jean-François Revel and artist Yahne Le Toumelin, Matthieu grew up among the personalities and ideas of Paris’ intellectual and artistic circles. He earned a Ph.D degree in cell genetics at the renowned...more
More about Matthieu Ricard...
The son of French philosopher Jean-François Revel and artist Yahne Le Toumelin, Matthieu grew up among the personalities and ideas of Paris’ intellectual and artistic circles. He earned a Ph.D degree in cell genetics at the renowned...more
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Aug 09, 2007 11:13pm