Evolution

[somtaamgaiyang]

I may well be asking a ridiculous question here, but it possible to be Buddhist and believe in evolution?

[Darknight]

Sure , i feel it actually complements each other, the cirkel of karma , reincarnation and gaining wisdom can be translated to an evolution as well.

I'll comment some more later (working now)

[somtaamgaiyang]

I was referring more to the idea that we in some way evolved from the ape world to todays all singing all dancing human being.

Does buddhism recognize Charles Darwin's theory or is it incompatible?

[Suthep_Steve]

I think in the main it’s irrelevant to what the Buddha said. The Buddha talked about how to understand the mind and the external world is only of interest in terms of how it impacts on the mind. In terms of the mind (I’m not talking about the brain) intensions and desires are the forces that define development or regression.

A member of the sangha sitting in their forest retreat can understand the idea of evolution and it may well appear true with regards to the evidence of the external senses but of what use is it to them in fulfilling their quest for internal knowledge.

I'm no expert so don't take what I say as having any basis these are just my thoughts on the matter.

[Richard W]

This may well be too flip, but wouldn't a denial of evolution be a denial of impermanence?

[sabaijai]

I think if you were to ask most modern Buddhist teachers if there were any conflict between Buddhist philosophy and the scientific theory of evolution, they would say no.

A defintive canonical answer to the question isn't possible, I don't think, from reading the Tipitaka alone, as the books contain very little cosmology.

And of course, Darwin's theory of evolution hadn't yet been invented.

Had one of the Buddha's disciples asked Buddha directly about evolution, he might have related it to the famous poison arrow parable. Or it might have been treated as one of the 'fruitless questions', such as those about reincarnation, the answer for which was often "This question does not tend to edification."

Shakyamuni was asked many questions which are being asked today: such as, Is there a God? Who created the world? Is there life after death? Where is heaven and he11? The classic answer given by the Buddha was silence. He refused to answer these questions purposely, because "these profit not, nor have they anything to do with the fundamentals of the religious life, nor do they lead to Supreme Wisdom, the Bliss of Nirvana."

Even if answers were given, he said, "there still remains the problems of birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief, and despair--all the grim facts of life--and it is for their extinction that I prescribe my teachings."

By his silence Shakyamuni wanted to divert our attention from fruitless questions to the all-important task before us: solving life's problems and living a life which would bring happiness to self as well as others.

To a follower who insisted on knowing, "Is there a God?", Shakyamuni replied with the parable of the poison arrow. "if you were shot by a poison arrow, and a doctor was summoned to extract it, what would you do? Would you ask such questions as who shot the arrow, from which tribe did he come, who made the arrow, who made the poison, etc., or would you have the doctor immediately pull out the arrow?"

"Of course," replied the man, "I would have the arrow pulled out as quickly as possible." The Buddha concluded, "That is wise O disciple, for the task before us is the solving of life's problems; when that is done, you may still ask the questions you put before me, if you so desire."

from: fruitless arrow

And from another source, a simplified paraphrase: One of Buddha's disciples asked Buddha who created life, but Buddha would not give the creator a name. The disciple persisted and finally said "Buddha, if you do not tell me who set this all in motion, then I will leave you and find another path." and the Buddha said "you remind me of the man who has been shot with a poison arrow and won't let the doctor remove it until he has found out who shot it and why."