Buddhism at Crossroads: A Case Study of Six Tibetan Buddhist Monks Navigating the Intersection of Buddhist Theology and Western Science Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Sonam, Tenzin Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 28/09/2021 00:27:37 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624305 1 BUDDHISM AT CROSSROADS: A CASE STUDY OF SIX TIBETAN BUDDHIST MONKS NAVIGATING THE INTERSECTION OF BUDDHIST THEOLOGY AND WESTERN SCIENCE by Tenzin Sonam __________________________ Copyright © Tenzin Sonam 2017 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING, LEARNING, AND SOCIOCULTURAL STUDIES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN TEACHING & TEACHER EDUCATION In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2017 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Tenzin Sonam, titled Buddhism At Crossroads: A Case Study Of Six Tibetan Buddhist Monks Navigating The Intersection Of Buddhist Theology And Western Science, and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. _______________________________________________________________________ Date: February 17, 2017 Sara Tolbert _______________________________________________________________________ Date: February 17, 2017 Edward Prather _______________________________________________________________________ Date: February 17, 2017 Bruce Johnson _______________________________________________________________________ Date: February 17, 2017 Chris Impey Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ________________________________________________ Date: February 17, 2017 Dissertation Director: Sara Tolbert 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: Tenzin Sonam 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee: Dr. Sara Tolbert, Dr. Edward Prather, Dr. Chris Impey, and Dr. Bruce Johnson without whom I would not have been able to complete this dissertation. I want to thank Dr. Sara Tolbert especially for patiently listening to my early evolving ideas, reading my drafts, and her invaluable support and guidance throughout the dissertation process. Both Dr. Chris Impey’s and Dr. Edward Prather’s past experience and interest in monastic science education benefitted me tremendously in narrowing down the topic and analyzing the findings of study. Additionally, I could not fathom attending graduate school without their assistance in finding graduate assistantships throughout most of my studies. I am also grateful for Dr. Bruce Johnson’s constant stewardship from the beginning of my graduate studies that allowed to me complete my dissertation in a timely manner. I cannot express enough gratitude for the love and support of my family, especially my wife, Phuntsok. She has been pivotal in ensuring my success in pursuing my career goals by shouldering full responsibility of raising our two beautiful children and supporting me through this process emotionally. Her dedication to our family is unwavering and beyond words. I also want to thank my father and other members of family for their moral support during my graduate studies. Supporting a family with the graduate stipend is near impossible, but the scholarship from the Dalai Lama Trust came at such an opportune moment that it relieved my financial woes allowing me to focus on my studies. Thus, I want to profusely thank the Dalai Lama Trust for providing a scholarship for three consecutive years of my 5 graduate school, and I am committed to serving the goals of the Trust in any capacity in the future. Finally, I am grateful that I was fortunate enough to meet all the monks and nuns that were part of various monastics science education program, including the monks in this study who taught me many important life lessons. For the monks in study, I want to thank you for your time and willingness to share your experience with me amicably, yet with full of intellectual rigor. For the rest of monastics, I will always believe that the karmic connection that brought us together in this life has not only enabled me to appreciate the richness and complexities of knowledge embedded within my own culture, but also opened doors to many new possibilities in my life including my current career trajectory. In gratitude, I pray. May you succeed in your spiritual endeavors and continue your work for the benefit of all sentient beings. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES & TABLES................................................................................8 ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................9 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION......................................................................11 Background and Context..................................................................................12 Monastic Science Education Programs......................................................14 Problem Statement...........................................................................................17 Statement of Purpose and Research Questions................................................18 Research Approach..........................................................................................18 Assumptions.....................................................................................................20 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................22 Tibetan Buddhism’s Encounter With Western Science...................................22 Worldview Theory...........................................................................................27 Buddhist Worldview.........................................................................29 Collateral Learning Theory..............................................................................34 Types Of Collateral Learning...........................................................35 Why Evolution? ..............................................................................................38 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY...............................................................39 Introduction......................................................................................................39 Rationale For Qualitative Design.....................................................................40 Rationale For Phenomenological Methodology..............................................41 Interpretive Case Study....................................................................................42 The Role Of Researcher...................................................................................43 Data Collection Strategies................................................................................44 Interviews.........................................................................................45 Monk’s Profile.................................................................................................48 Data Analysis...................................................................................................69 Validity and Reliability....................................................................................73 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS ON EVOLUTION...............................................75 Introduction......................................................................................................75 What Is Life? Sentient Beings Vs. Living Things...........................................75 Origin Of Life..................................................................................................85 Buddhist vs. Scientific Account of Human Evolution.....................................91 Spontaneous Birth......................................................................................95 Human Being vs. Animal...........................................................................98 “Evidence for Evolution is too Distant”..................................................102 Evolution And Buddhist Theory of Karma....................................................104