Community | February 17, 2009 | 14 comments

Was Darwin a Buddhist?

source: http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/16/was-darwin-a-buddhist/

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Just days after the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory, journalists and scientists from all over the world converged to confront a fascinating connection: Some of Darwin’s views have a lot in common with Buddhist teachings.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, psychologist Paul Ekman, known for his research showing the universality of facial expressions across cultures, told us that Darwin’s descriptions of compassion, as well as his view of morality as it relates to compassion, closely mirror Buddhist ideas.

“There’s always the possibility that two wise people looking at the same species will come up with the same conclusions,” said Ekman, who co-wrote a book with the Dalai Lama on compassion called “Emotional Awareness: Overcoming the Obstacles to Psychological Balance and Compassion.”

It turns out that Darwin’s friend Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, a botanist and explorer, visited Tibet in 1847. He became familiar with Buddhist views there. He also wrote letters to Darwin. This is just one of many ways that Darwin could have been influenced by Buddhist teachings, Ekman said.
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14 comments // Was Darwin a Buddhist?

  • HeroMAY
  • RojoGatto
  • Gtrwrlrd
  • kennymotown
  • trut
  • TommyDuncan
    • 0
      TommyDuncan  

    • I have my doubts about this idea, although we have no way to prove or disprove this theory it seems as though it would have come up in some form or another in his work.

    • 2 years ago
  • conservativelyliberal
    • 0
      conservativelyliberal  

    • Buddhism originally stems from hinduism and shares a lot of the same basic principals.... Hinduism has had the concept of evolution in it's philosophy for the last 6000 years or more.... Still there was no clear cut science behind evolutionary beliefs till Darwin.

    • 2 years ago
  • Sumkrazyguy55
    • 0
      Sumkrazyguy55  

    • He could of been inspired by the teachings of Buhdda. Darwin may of not believed in the whole reincarnating idea. But he may have... makes more sence than Christianity.

    • 2 years ago
  • defy2Meaning
    • 0
      defy2Meaning  

    • The message can't really be targeted at Buddhism. Writing brings out its own compassion and insight. It might be more probable to say he was influenced by a variety of religions. Darwin, evolution, and compassion, one has to be sensitive to the material and himself. Morality and the ideas of evolving and reincarnation kinda blows my mind.

    • 2 years ago
  • kcfoxie
    • 0
      kcfoxie  
    • defy2Meaning:

      Reincarnation sort of explains those "natural born" folks -- fishers, iron workers, scholars, etc.

      Sometimes we have no explanation as to why, especially when factoring in the background of the person, some people excel in one area. I like to think that's a reincarnated spirit, someone come back.

      I'm almost convinced my calico is my grandfather (who had nothing but calicos when he was alive, and this baby kitten just showed up at my door the day we laid him to rest).

    • 2 years ago
  • nursediesel
    • 0
      nursediesel  
    • defy2Meaning:

      I know what you mean. It's a whole different science. I know I went to visit a friend in my early twenties. She introduced me to several friends and we all got along but this one person: instantly we finished each others sentences, when we went out in a group the first time we got up on the dance floor and danced like we were a professionally trained pair. Everything we did together we would have profound deje' vu episodes (at the same instant). It was so intense it was eerie.

    • 2 years ago
  • NTG21
  • Blkwdw
    • 0
      Blkwdw  

    • Possibly influenced by Buddhism, but Darwin didn't publish his theory on Natural Selection for several years partly due to the fact it conflicted with hi Christian religious beliefs.

    • 2 years ago
  • Snails
    • 0
      Snails  
    • Blkwdw:

      I think it was due more to his wife's Christian beliefs then his own. He was able to reconcile his beliefs, but was worried she would have a harder time with it. To his relief she was very supportive.

    • 2 years ago
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