Science is the knowledge developed based on logical thinking of scientists and their experiments. Science is trying to understand the true nature of things around us with different physical laws. Those are attempts to verify with many scientific observations and experiments. Science is constantly changing. It has a frame of references and approximations. There are no answers to the most basic questions about nature in science. Such as, What's the simplest unit (fundamental particle) of all substances?, What exactly is the size or age of the universe?, how can the brain and mind work? Does life exist solely on Earth? etc.
Buddhism also explains the true nature of things around us. But, Buddhism has clear answers for all of the above questions. Buddhism seems the reality without any frame of reference. Buddhism claims that those knowledge are given to the world by sages from time to time during endless world cycles. So, Buddhism (reality or Dharma) does not change with time (Akaliko). It is to be understood and realized by the shrewd in accordance with their own amount of wisdom (Paccattam-veditabbo-vinnuhi).
Final goal of both is to find the reality. In this sense science is somewhat compatible with Buddhism. But, according to Buddhism ultimate reality about nature can’t be understood with logical thinking. So, we will never be able to reach ultimate reality with the scientific method. I will explain further. Science (physics) is something like a bunch of black boxes with different names for lots of humans. Even for a scientist, it is with a lot of frames of references and approximations. You can’t realize the ultimate reality with black box names. You have to realize 'Four Noble Truths', 'Three Marks of Existence' perfectly and clearly just as we see something by our own eye to realize the ultimate reality of nature. With scientific method you will never be able to get this kind of understanding. Instead equipment’s came as a result of the scientific method makes this world more unsatisfied and human mind weak. For a person, science makes understanding the reality hard. So, science is not even in the correct direction.
Modern world is mainly dependent on information technology. Computers are made with semiconductor technology. Semiconductor technology came as a result of scientific method. So, we can describe the modern world as a result of scientific method. Current humans live according to commercials. They have lots of desires since commercials. Let's say we don't have the TV and Internet (especially social networking websites) and commercials; then individuals will be pleased with what they have.
Let’s think about living beings in another solar system, they have scientific methods. But they don’t invent TV or the Internet. (Reasons may be they can do telepathy. Or may be actually they know that with TV and Internet world become a bad commercial world.) Then they may develop scientific methods to a great level with studying the mind capabilities and also Karma. After millions years later their scientific method will be completely with mind and meditation. Actually Buddhism describes this kind of time exists within the world cycles. At those times humans become more virtuous. Their body becomes illuminated. Since the good Karmas they do, the human world becomes like a paradise. At those times human life expectancy can reach to Asankya years at maximum. Some divine beings came to the human world to live as the human world is happier place. Human’s life expectancy becomes more than the divine beings. According to Buddhist philosophical theories, even at those times no one will be able to find Nirvana with the scientific method. If there is such a possibility Lord Buddha will surely make a machine, which when you will go into it and come back, you are enlightened with realizing the reality. So, "Nirvana machine” is not possible as Karmas govern life. The one and only way is self-realization with completing necessary requirements for a very long time in the cycle of rebirth. The way is the ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ which can be split into three steps called "Threefold Training". Virtue(Sīla) is the first step to rialize the true nature of things. Virtue is required to have a higher concentration of mind or tranquillity of mind(Samādhi). Higher concentration of mind is required to have a higher wisdom(Paññā). Higher wisdom is required to completely realize the ultimate reality of nature.
Sammā-Sambuddha and Pacceka-Sambuddha may realize Nirvana without knowing or hearing any Buddhism words previously in his last life. I have read some Pacceka-Sambuddhas who realized it while living as a King (who didn’t know anything about Nirvana). Suddenly he meditated for an instant after seeing a meditation object, then his mind reached a higher meditation state and he became aware of the reality. He realized it since, in his previous lives he has completed all of the requirements. Once after he achieves it, he goes into the sky and removes his King's costume and takes a monk’s costume with supernatural powers.
Scientific knowledge is nothing when in comparison to the well-developed human's (or divine being's) mind with meditation. I believe, also in these days, if someone correctly practices meditation in a forest monastic place without connection to the modern human society (even without internet or telephone), still can get the ability to go in the sky by practicing abhijñā (Rddhi). But today humans don't like to do this. Non-Buddhist ascetic meditator who has well-developed supernatural powers (mind based powers or Rddhi) could make a physical technology far advanced than current human's technology and science. For example; A great ascetic meditator may create a cancer machine that can cure patients with cancers. Then, this machine may be able to cure many patients but not all. Who got cancer as a result of Karma will not be able to cure. When someone creates this kind of machine, new type of disease will arise in the human world since the bad Karmas of current humans. That machine will not be able to cure the new disease. So, it will become useless. Such as some medicines are useless now but has a great value in the history. So, when a meditator reaches higher levels of meditation, he will be aware that what a useless thing is physical technology. And he will know that with physical technologies humans can't get happiness instead humans will get more sufferings. So, he will not develop such a useless technology as in his view. Ven. Sariputta Thero was the most intelligent individual (Arahant) among all the disciples. He was able to count how many raindrops that would fall if it rains for an entire eon of time with his mind. So, we can't even think of the Lord Buddha's mind ability. Can a super computer model and count raindrops fall in one day accurately? So, according to Buddhism, the human mind has a computation capability greater than a supercomputer once developed with meditation (with the highest level of Dhyana). I believe this. The computer is nothing, and that is why there aren't any computers in heavenly worlds.
When a born blind person touches an elephant's tail, he may think that elephant is like a broom, since he can't feel other parts of the elephant. In the similar way, if Buddhism (reality/truth) is an elephant, science can be treated as its tail which is comprehended by the blind man.
In the future, humans will be ruined as a result of science. Wicked humans with powerful weapons, then anyone can guess what will happen. This is called “mass extinction by wars” (Sashthrantha- kalpa). We are now nearing the end of one Antah-kalpa which ends with a mass extinction by wars.
Take the big picture of science. It is a baby less than several hundred years old. Can any scientist ensure this will not occur? Starting from tomorrow, all electronic equipment devices (most are made from silicon wafers) in the world cease operating due to some kind of radiation coming from our sun. The response is NO. I've read somewhere that there was a human civilization that developed a technology with Lead (chemical element), but afterwards, the entire culture died due to the toxin of Lead. I believe that when Lead was being used by them, they may have thought they had the highest technology. Also, science has tested only under very limited conditions. Our physical science may be completely invalid in another solar system. Catumaharajika divine beings have a lifespan of about 9,000,000 human years. Let's believe God Jesus exists and he is watching humans, then he will see that science is something like a child playing in the dark. Divine beings may know that humans will be ruined by killing each other after their life expectancy went down to ten years.
Science makes this world a place that is more unsatisfied. Also, the Internet (especially social networking websites) and smart-phones make human minds more diversified in considerable amounts without any rest. So, compared to old human's, the current human’s mind is more diversified (wandering and weak). Toxic gasses, poisoned foods, different kinds of radiations, different kinds of desires, and unknown sickness are effects of science.
Actually, Buddhism is the cosmic or universal science which is valid in any world system in the infinite universe. Intelligent divine beings know the mind is the main and the most powerful thing. During the world forming and destroying cycles, at the end of time of emptiness, higher Brahmas think that it is better if the below worlds form again. Since the power of this wish world started to form. When living beings get exalted with lust, hatre or delusion the world system starts to destroy. So, even the world system forms and destroys since the power of mind. Current humans do not know the ability of the mind, so they do not treat Buddhism as the rael science. If any equipment such as a computer is more powerful than the mind, Lord Buddha may really make a computer instantly with his supernatural powers. Additionally, an atomic bomb may be seen as a matchstick by divine beings.
Non-Buddhist ascetic meditator who has well-developed supernatural powers can turn a forest to a desert in one curse (a true Buddhist monk whose only goal is to reach Nirvana, will never curse even their life is gone. Since it is a very bad Karma). Also such an ascetic meditator can stop the movement of the sun. So, when humans are very virtuous, current physical laws become invalid. But when humans become wicked without mental powers, no powerful Karmic forces or supernatural things happen. Then it is more visible like the physical laws govern nature. Since small Karmas or small mental powers can't directly interact with physical things. Humans will be wicked and mentally weak in the future. There will not be powerful Karmas as no virtuous persons and there will not be supernatural things as humans are mentally weak. So, miracles like soil becoming gold will not happen and physical lows will be valid without any obstacle.
[ Believing is up to you. But it is better to know this kind of philosophy exists in the universe. Anyway, if someone could get supernatural powers that will break physics (science) laws. Then you may have to think twice. I believe life is not something that exists solely on the Earth and it is everywhere in the universe. Also, life can be in some different kinds of materials (fine materials) which we can’t see. I believe divine beings are some kind of extraterrestrial beings (animals) with this kind of materials. I don’t like to believe just exist only what we can see (things reflect visible light) in the infinite universe. ]
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