I'm always surprised at how down to earth the Dalai Lama seems. I'm sure this book has gone through tons of editing and translating, but the simplicity, humbleness, and wisdom comes through.
Buddhism is one of the few religions that really speaks to me, partly because of it's empirical falsifiability... testing the techniques and processes is encouraged and required for progress. Just like with Aikido.
The Dalai Lama's position is interesting too -- he has said that if science refutes something completely (like reincarnation) that Buddhists must change their position. Truth is truth.
A recommended read.
As the Dalai Lama observes in this wise and humble book, dialog between scientists and those interested in spirituality is important because science is not neutral; it can be used for good or ill, and we must approach scientific inquiry with compassion and empathy. Similarly, a spirituality that ignores science can quickly become a rigid fundamentalism. Sometimes the Dalai Lama discovers similarities between the two fields. For example, Einstein's idea that time is relative dovetails neatly with Buddhist philosophical understandings of time. Still, His Holiness does not accept all scientific thinking as holy writ: though he is intrigued by scientific stories of origins, like the Big Bang theory, Buddhism holds that the universe is "infinite and beginningless." The penultimate chapter brings ethical considerations to bear on technological advancements in genetics. The Dalai Lama gently suggests that although parents who select certain genetic traits for their children may intend to give their children a leg up, they may in fact simply be capitulating to a social pressure that favors, say, boys over girls or tall people over short. He also cautions that we do not know the long-term consequences of genetically modifying our crops. In fact, it is disappointing that the Dalai Lama devotes only 18 pages to these urgent and complex topics. Perhaps this prolific author has a sequel in the works.
http://www.amazon.com/s/002-0594972-1093624?ie=UTF8&tag=mozilla-20&index=blended&link%5Fcode=qs&field-keywords=universe%20in%20a%20single%20atom&sourceid=Mozilla-search
