BUDDHISM AND SCIENCE IN THAI SOCIETY Somparn Promta I Introduction whether science should be judged as a The influence of Buddhism on Thai society materialistic ideology or not. But in the real seems to be obvious. However, the matter of history of science we can say that science the influence is usually considered in terms explores the world of matter and this makes of cultural dimension rather than in terms it reasonably acceptable to say that the of ideology. In this paper Buddhism will be world view of science is materialistic. As a considered as an ideology. The abstraction kind of materialistic ideology, science as expressed through many kinds of cultural provides some basic concepts that determine manifestation such as dancing, literature, the beliefs of science-believers. For fine arts and so on is a thing we call an example, anything that cannot be proved by influence in the cultural dimension. But sense-experience will be considered as when we speak of an influence in the absurdity. However, it could be debated ideological dimension, there is a difference. that, in terms of academic consideration, the Certainly, Buddhism at least in its early image of science as described above can be form could be viewed as ideology in a sense accepted or not. In this paper when we that it has some basic beliefs that determine speak of science, we are speaking of it in the the view on life and the world of the popular sense. That is, we are considering believer. For example, suffering of life and science as it really appears in the eye of the world is one of the basic concepts in public and as it really determines people's Buddhist philosophy. Buddhists, who have view on life and the world. profound wisdom through religious practice, hope to share the view that life and the Science in the modem world plays a notably world in their eyes is suffering in itself for important role not only as the giver of the them. This ideology will determine for them material necessities of life but also as the how to live in the world. guideline of thought. The latter role of science can be found in modem education Science in its early form could be viewed as system. It can be said that the present an ideology like Buddhism. In the realm of generation (even in the future, some people the philosophy of science, it may be argued believe) is groomed, cultivated, and educated within the scientific culture. However, one thing that should be noted ' Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of here is that science has not been around for Arts, Chulalongkom University, Bangkok, that long. The age of science could be Thailand. Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 06:17:54AM via free access Buddhism and Science in Thai Society compared to yesterday if we consider the all Buddhism presents human desire as the history of mankind as a year. Furthermore, cause of suffering. To overcome suffering science is not the only wisdom to have been man must overcome his own desire first. created by human beings. We have so much more profound wisdom some of which has Science, on the other hand, is usually had a longer history than science. Religion understood as a pure knowledge without any and philosophy could be considered as ethical value. However, in reality, science examples of other wisdoms created in the contains some ethical value in itself. The world. Buddhism is an old eastern wisdom, following may be identified as the moral while science is western and seems much implication of science. Firstly, the scientific newer. In this paper we will consider the world view is hedonistic in a sense that it conflict between Buddhism and science as promotes the happiness of life. Secondly, to the confrontation between East and West, attain the happiness of life material old and new, and spiritual and material satisfaction 1s needed. This moral culture. No bias is intended even though the implication of science, it could be said, is author of the paper is a Buddhist. the main reason for the invention. of technology. Technology is nothing but an A Naturalist Outlook of Buddhism instrument for humankind to gain the materials required for material happiness. Though Thai Buddhism can be considered Nature provides the eye for us to see the as a system of belief that has unique world but this eye, according to scientific characteristics, it is still Buddhism and as value, is made to consume the optical Buddhism, it may be well to begin to happiness. Technology tries to provide consider Thai Buddhism as such. Buddhism things for that purpose. Technologists are in Thailand is Theravada Buddhism which those whose work is to invent the material is accepted as an early version of Buddhism. tools for sensual delight. Some basic ethical concepts of Buddhism should be referred to here. Firstly, life and Man by nature is created with a number of the world according to the Buddhist built-in elements. We are selfish animals. perspective is suffering both mental and but that selfishness is simply the tendency to physical. Life is suffering in the sense that search for one's own happiness. At this it is oppressed being, and the world is point, we can see that the basic ethical idea suffering in a sense that it is in a changing of science and the inner nature of man seem state in which none can hope for permanent notably to match and this is why science and happiness. Secondly, to see life and the technology play such an important role in world as suffering leads to the ethical the modern world. Jesus once said that it is conclusion that human beings have the very difficult to push the rich up to heaven. moral obli gation to overcome that suffering. The rich in this context are those who are So the ideal religious aim in Buddhism is to bound to the material happiness of this stop suffering in life. In order to stop it one world. Buddhism shares the same view as has to know what is its cause. At this point, Christianity. So it could be said that 89 Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 06:17:54AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities 2.2, 1999 Buddhism and science are different both in which .says that everything in the universe their basic metaphysical idea and moral follows the law of nature. The naturalist implications. assumption makes some Buddhists believe that the Buddhist and scientific outlooks are The difference between Buddhism and not contradictory. In the past decades, it has science is of primary importance. When we been said by some Buddhists in Thai society explore the influence of Buddhism and that we can find the scientific nature in science on Thai society we must understand Buddhism. Whether this is true or not, it that we are exploring two contrary seems to indicate something notable. ideologies. However, Buddhism is accepted as a rational religion in the sense that it does Dhammayuttika Movement and not claim a supernatural power over man Scientific Approach to the Study of and contrarily teaches that life and the world Buddhism must follow the law of Dhamma. The law of Dhamma in Buddhist philosophy is Since Buddhism entered Thai society before identified as : (a) impersonal comparing science, it played the role of first-comer and with God which is personal and (b) workina . 0 enjoys the position of a highly respected automatically and fairly for everyone. It i~eology. It should be noted that during the should be noted that the law of Dhamma is time when Thai society view nothing of usually translated as the law of nature. science, it seems that a purely Buddhist Nature is not God. And the work of nature is outlook determined everything concernina fair for everyone. The sun shines for the rich Thai Buddhism. What we call a pure/; and the poor equally; the rain falls for the Buddhist outlook is the Buddhist tradition whole earth. This is fairness. Likewise, through which knowledge in Buddhism is when men act following the rule of nature always required to present. For example, in they must gain the certain result which ha~ the time of Sukhothai there was one already been determined by nature itself. important religious writing named The concept of natural law in Buddhist Tebhumikatha. The contents and style of philosophy states that : (a) there is a thina 0 this work follow the Buddhist tradition as called natural law in the universe and that found in the great Buddhist texts produced law governs everything including man, (b) in the past; texts such as Visuddhimagga or the law of nature provides the result for other commentaries of Tipitaka made by every action in a way that the same action Buddhaghosa himself. Within Buddhist must lead to the same fruit. The law of tradition, the Buddhists have their own Kamma in Buddhism is one among many cosmology and other basic assumptions laws of nature. It is the ethical law of nature ~bout the universe. Buddhist cosmology has and it works like other laws. Good actions its own unique literary wealth. Before the bring men good results; bad actions lead to arrival of science in Thai society, this the bad results. At this point, it should be cosmology seems to have played an stated that Buddhism ·and science share the important role in the religious discourses same assumption, a naturalist assumption made by Thai Buddhist scholars. We shall 90 Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 06:17:54AM via free access Buddhism and Science in Thai Society begin our exploration with one of the early Secondly, if it is a question of which is the great works of Buddhist literature in best example of the Buddhist writings made Ratanakosin period: the Pathomsombodhi­ in Thailand before the time when science katha of Somdet Paramanujit.