Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and ChristianityBy establishing a dialogue in which the meditative practices of Buddhism and Christianity speak to the theories of modern philosophy and science, B. Alan Wallace reveals the theoretical similarities underlying these disparate disciplines and their unified approach to making sense of the objective world. Wallace begins by exploring the relationship between Christian and Buddhist meditative practices. He outlines a sequence of meditations the reader can undertake, showing that, though Buddhism and Christianity differ in their belief systems, their methods of cognitive inquiry provide similar insight into the nature and origins of consciousness. From this convergence Wallace then connects the approaches of contemporary cognitive science, quantum mechanics, and the philosophy of the mind. He links Buddhist and Christian views to the provocative philosophical theories of Hilary Putnam, Charles Taylor, and Bas van Fraassen, and he seamlessly incorporates the work of such physicists as Anton Zeilinger, John Wheeler, and Stephen Hawking. Combining a concrete analysis of conceptions of consciousness with a guide to cultivating mindfulness and profound contemplative practice, Wallace takes the scientific and intellectual mapping of the mind in exciting new directions. |
Contents
Meditation Where It Started and How It Got Here | 1 |
Meditation in Theory and Practice | 37 |
Notes | 201 |
221 | |
233 | |
Other editions - View all
Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity B. Alan Wallace Limited preview - 2009 |
Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity B. Alan Wallace Limited preview - 2009 |
Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity B. Alan Wallace No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
absolute space According achieved Alan Wallace appearances arise attention awareness behavior believe body and mind brain breath brightly shining mind buddha nature Buddhaghosa century Christian contemplatives cognitive conceptual Dalai Lama death Descartes dimension dream Düdjom Lingpa emerge emotions empty exist independently focused Franklin Merrell-Wolff Galileo God’s human identify inquiry insight interactions introspection Jesus living luminous Mahayana Majjhima Nikāya manifests Martin Laird meditation memories mental events mental images mental processes ness neural neuroscientists Nicholas of Cusa Nikāya nirvana nondual objective observe one’s Padmasambhava Perfection Philokalia philosophers physical senses physicists practice Prahevajra primordial consciousness psychology quantum rainbow body reality realization reincarnation robot samadhi scientific scientists sciousness sensations sensory settling the mind shamatha simply Snow Lion soul space of phenomena spiritual subjective experience substrate consciousness teachings theory things thoughts Tibetan Buddhist tion tradition trans transcends University Press Vajra Essence William James Wisdom York