[MD] sideways drifting

[Dan Glover]

Hello everyone

>From: MarshaV <marshalz at charter.net>
>Reply-To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
>To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
>Subject: Re: [MD] sideways drifting
>Date: Sun, 28 May 2006 06:49:03 -0400
>
>
>Greetings,
>
>But here's my question.  This book is based upon a history of Western
>cosmology (For example, I could find in the book no reference to
>Buddhism.) and it's relationship with science.  Does anyone know of a
>book relating the Buddhist philosophy specifically to modern
>scientific discoveries?

Hi Marsha

You might try:

The Universe in a Single Atom : The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, 
by Dalai Lama XIV

>It seems to me that in a global world, to
>explore only Western thought is lacking. Or would all such discussion
>from a Buddhist point-of-view be meaningless because it could only be
>a discussion built on conventional truth?

Well, it seems to me that there is generally an unspoken assumption in 
Western science that there really is a reality "out there" waiting to be 
discovered while Eastern science has a generally unspoken assumption that 
there really is a reality "in here" waiting to be discovered. These 
"conventional truths" often seem to conflict. The MOQ seems to say that 
these conventional truths are both high quality ideas, nothing more.

>
>Sometimes (not always) it seems that painting is the raft on which I
>do my sideways drifting.
>

Stopping to think about it, our ordinary way of life seems very close to 
meaningless. It's easy to become discouraged. Perhaps that's why we find 
release in doing that which we love even though it doesn't pay the bills, so 
to speak. It's easy to become angry at the world. Yet anger has no value. 
Compassion brings mental peace of mind yet it's so hard to find in difficult 
times. Perhaps that's the value of lateral drifting - persistance in the 
face of failure.

Thank you for your comments,

Dan