Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

Description: How did the universe begin? Can consciousness exist apart from the body? How is understanding the universe connected to happiness? Trinh Xuan Thuan, an astrophysicist and professor born in Vietnam, and Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk for over 30 years and a former biologist, meet to discuss a variety of big questions centered around Buddhist philosophy, creation, astronomy, cosmology, the question of consciousness, perception and reality, the philosophy of science, meditation, chaos theory, ethics, and more. Each chapter covers a different topic and is in conversation format, although the authors have added endnotes and citations. The book ends with two chapters of concluding thoughts from its two authors. The book also includes two helpful glossaries of Buddhist and scientific terms. (Zach Rowinski 2004-05-08)

Published Date Note: The original French version was published in 2000.

Table of Contents: Introduction -- At the crossroads -- To be and not to be -- In search of the great watchmaker -- The universe in a grain of sand -- Mirages of reality -- Like a bolt from the blue -- Each to his own reality -- Questions of time -- Chaos and harmony -- The virtual frontier -- Robots that think they can think? -- The grammar of the universe -- Reason and contemplation -- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- From meditation to action -- The monk's conclusion -- The scientist's conclusion -- Notes -- Scientific glossary -- Buddhist glossary -- Acknowledgments -- Index