Buddhist Perspective of Recent Advances in Scienceand Technology
This article is a revision of a public lecture
hosted by this Institute on 22 November 2000.

Shuichi Yamamoto andVictor S. Kuwahara

IntroductionT

HE 20th century was a century of monumental advances in scienceand technology. In particular, exponential development in scienceand technology was achieved during the half century World War II.
Advances in specific fields such as information technology, life science,and space science are currently progressing the quickest and areenabling unprecedented advances that were not fathomable at the beginning or the middle of the 20th century. These advances are in almost
exact accordance with ideas and concepts drawn from science fiction
novels and cartoons. The rate at which these science and technologicaltransformations are occurring is exciting, but at the same time alarming.
Progress in science and technology has enabled the human civilization
to travel to space in only a few decades after the Wright brothers had
first flown over the sky at the beginning of the 20th century. Further, weare now in such an advanced stage of development that plans are evenbeing architected to remodel potential life existence on the planet Mars
to become a second Earth. What might life look like in the middle of the
21st century and 22nd century if science and technology continues todevelop at the present rate? Forecasting the future is extremely difficult
to do. Particularly since fifty years ago people were not able to predict
the advancement of the present age due to advances in science and technology. And, the advancement of science and technology are accelerating too fast to predict the future.
On the other hand, many problems associated with rapid advancementthat should be contemplated are just now beginning to come to light.
One of the major concerns is whether living organisms on the planet,
including human beings, can successfully survive and keep pace withthe swift advances of science and technology. Can life on the planet
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Earth contend with such expeditious advancement? Much of the unusual
behavior, i.e. deterioration of human principles and ethics, increase inmental illnesses and escalation in crime may be attributable to theextremely quick advance of science and technology. One of the hypotheses of this paper is that there is a direct correlation between recent‘abnormal’ human behavior and the rapid advancement of science andtechnology. The purpose of this study is to compare some recent features of science and technology with the nature of human life from a
Buddhist perspective. We hope that the examination of the relationshipbetween the two will disclose insight into the ideal or preferable way toutilize science and technology for a sustainable society.

Differences between Human Beings andOther Living Organisms
Here we would like to examine the features of all living organisms in
relation to human induced problems. All living organisms on the planet
can be said to have evolved in accordance with the ecological term natural selection by refining respective life cycles in accordance with subtle
changes in the environment. Life forms from the Animal kingdom suchas lions and cows have not physiologically changed for hundreds andthousands of years. This is due to the fact that all living organisms are
generally conservative life forms that do not require immediate change
to improve their current status in the ecosystem. All living organisms
can be said to have evolved to maximize there capacity to survive. In asense, most living organisms other than humans are invariable andenduring because they do not have the dimensions to physicallyredesign their respective life styles or surrounding environments.
On the other hand, what about the human life form? Historically, it iscertain that humans have not physiologically evolved, or dramaticallyaltered life styles in the past either. For example, childhood play and life
styles in Japan were not substantially different between people born inthe 1900’s and the 1950’s. Meals and baths were generally boiled andheated from firewood, and, of course, laundry machines, cleaners andrefrigerators were scarce around the 1950’s. Naturally, televisions, telephones and other electronic devices we take for granted today were also
limited during the same period. During the Jomon period of Japan(~3000 years ago), life styles did not change for as many as 500 to 1000
years. However, life styles in Japan from the 1970’s began to change
rapidly through the introduction of new advances in science and technology. In the 1970’s working businessmen could not even afford to buy

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a television with one month’s salary. Today, even university students
have their own personal television and telephone which would havebeen unthinkable in the 1970’s. Personal computers and calculators
began to spread rapidly in the 1970’s also. Today, we are in an era when
personal computers and calculators of the 1970’s are akin to children
toys.
In Japan, it is common to reflect on the 1970’s in retrospect as an era
when modern products of science and technology first began to advance
exponentially. This is due to the fact that most modern home appliances,with the exception of mobile phones, emerged in the 1970’s. Thus,
although human life styles changed relatively slowly prior to the 1970’s,
we now see change almost annually. Prior to the 1970’s, societal change
from science and technology occurred at a much slower pace. The slower change of human society was in accordance with natural changes inecology and the environment. Today, we clearly see a paradigm shift
between the speed at which human beings are technologically advancing
and the rate at which the natural world is deteriorating. This rapidchange is particularly evident in the physical environment where
humans have altered the landscape of the planet. In other words, theadvancement of science and technology has not physiologically altered
the human organism per say, but has altered the physical environment on
a planetary level.
The threshold of environmental change from the emergence of science and technology in the 1970’s can also be attributed to the introduction of personal products into people’s homes. In Japan, environmental
problems were region or site specific in the 1970’s. For example, specific localized problems such as the Ashio Copper Mine Pollution effect,
Mad Hatter’s mercury and lead poisoning disease and the Itai-itai (ouchouch) cadmium poisoning disease, etc. were incidents where advanced
technology during the time period led to harmful and fatal conclusions.
The industrial advancement during this period in relevant regions affected the local populations’ oceans, rivers, atmosphere (air) and agriculture
through chemical and food additives. Thus, the 1970’s can be viewed as
the precursor to global scale environmental concerns that begin to takeshape in the 1980’s—the emergence of global scale problems.
Coincidentally, 1970’s can also be viewed in retrospect as a time
when we begin to see the deterioration of human moral values, principles and overall decline in the human spirit. In Japan, this was a period
when ‘abnormal’ criminal behavior began to emerge. For example, onesuch incident was when an abandoned infant baby corpse was discovered in a coin-locker. At the time, this type of behavior was unthinkable

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particularly since it was the mother who was the perpetrator. This particular event in Japan is often viewed as the beginning of an age of moral
decline in society; a time when we begin to see the deterioration ofmaternal instincts. This type of behavior can be called ‘abnormal’because it deviates from the general standard of common sense andcriminal motive. Since then similar ‘abnormal’ behavior becomes more
frequent in society and can be said to increase exponentially to theheinous crimes that are common today. One such heinous incident is theincreasingly frequent indiscriminant murder of innocent people where achild perpetrator confesses to specific parricide or wanting to murderanybody for no apparent reason.
These examples clearly show the decline of human ethical and moral
values. We can even go so far as to say that some children today maylack the neural circuitry of moral and ethical feelings; in general people
today seem to lack the essential human consciousness for the well beingof other people. Is it possible that the rapid advancement of science andtechnology are to blame for the decline in ethical and moral standards?
Does the human hand in altering the environment cause ‘abnormal’ discourse between the interactions of people?

Essence of Science and Technology
Prior to the modern age, the time span of 100 to 200 years, even 1000 to2000 years did not feel or seem like a very long time. However, in thepresent age 10 years past is considered a very long time. For example, apersonal computer will be almost useless or technologically inferior injust a few years. Most homes today in developed countries have accessto electrical, water and natural gas services to maintain appliances, heatbathes and cook food. Our lives are overflowing with modern scienceand technological products such as telephones, laundry machines, televisions, stereos and motorized transportation. Today, a facsimile machine
and internet connected computer are common household items, andalmost all people step out of the house with mobile phones. In Japan,
this modern and convenient life style of the present age can find its rootsin the 1970’s, just a little over 30 years ago. Aside from tangible
advancements in modern living, what has really changed for people andsociety? It can be said that the environment in which people live haschanged; people are now surrounded by the products of science andtechnology. In other words, human beings haven’t necessarily changed
or evolved, but the material-environment in which we live has. Our tools
in life have rapidly evolved around us. A quick example of this can be

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described in the way children now communicate with one another. In thepast, a child would call his/her friend at home whereupon the parent
might answer the phone. The child calling his/her friend would identify
him/herself cordially, describe the purpose of calling and ask to speak totheir friend. The parent would then have a brief conversation with thechild and eventually call their own child to the phone whereupon thechildren would talk. In this example, children are positively exposed tointeraction with adults and are required to maintain a certain level ofcourtesy. Adversely, children today have the means to communicate
directly with their friends via mobile phones and internet access. This
communication process cancels out the interaction with adults, not tomention interpersonal interaction all together in the case of e-mail andtext-messaging. How does the rapid evolution of human devices affectthe human consciousness and interaction? People have changed themethods and procedures in which tasks are performed using new tools,
but have not necessarily adjusted or altered the essential human consciousness to conform to the new era of technology. In other words, ourlife styles have changed but the characteristics of being human remains
unaccountably the same.
Let us examine the practical essence of products created by scienceand technology that can be divided into four features as follows,
1. Products are tangible and visible. In other words, the products are madeof visible material and have structure.
2. Products generally allow tasks to be performed easily. In other words,
products allow an effortless or unchallenging life. Essentially, reducing
work for people.
3. Products increase the speed and efficiency in which tasks are performed. In short, advances in science and technology reduce the time toaccomplish work.
4. Products can be operated according to a person’s control. In otherwords, advanced tools cater to the human desire to perform withoutcomplaint or disagreement; operations of a task are in accordance to theperson’s purpose and needs.

Let us now evaluate each category in detail. The fact that products ofscience and technology are (1) tangible is likely the easiest to comprehend. Each technological product, i.e. televisions, motor vehicles, computers, etc. are palpable items that we can see, feel and buy! In general,most products are easy to understand and functionally operate. Further,products that are visible are effectively appealing to the human senses
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nature of new products.
Products of science and technology also (2) reduce our often burdensome and strenuous work. People are habitually attracted to easy,
uncomplicated and elementary tasks. Most of us would prefer to reduce
any laborious work. For example, a tractor was designed to cultivate
fields more efficiently, while elevators and escalators decrease our laborof moving up vertical planes or stairs. A computer reduces peoples
thinking and brain functioning by conducting instantaneous calculations
repeated a thousand times faster and more accurately. Obviously, thistype of functionality in a product is very attractive to people. Modern
technology also allows us to carry multiple items and loads conveniently. Technology that reduces laborious work is applicable to everyone
and even helps physically challenged people function competitively.
Reducing the time it takes to do anything (3) is also very appealing topeople. The faster a job can be concluded, the more time we have to doother things, preferably leisure activities. The concept of finishing tasks
quickly often overlaps with reducing work or making tasks easier, as
mentioned above. For example, trains and airplanes can travel long distances in several hours that might take months by walking. Thus, arriving at our destination faster is generally thought of as a good thing.
Another example is email. In the past we wrote letters, and then we
began to send facsimiles, now with a click of a button we can instantaneously chat and send email. By reducing the time it takes to complete atask, we are able to utilize the time gained to do other things. However,the paradox is that as much as we would like to gain time for leisureactivities we often find ourselves performing more tasks! Our daily lives
are continuously filled with new tasks and deadlines to achieve—work
increases the faster we finish. Even though science and technology has
increased our ability to perform more tasks, the reality is that our capacity physiologically and psychologically are still very limited. In otherwords, human beings have not evolved at the same rate as science andtechnology.
The final feature of products is (4) the ability to perform and control
objectives according to the users wish. In other words, even though wesometimes can not move people’s heart in the direction we hope, we canalways move and operate technological products the way we please.
Good examples of this are cars and washing machines. If we turn thesteering wheel of a car to the right, the car travels to the right, to the left
and the car veers to the left. And, a laundry machine starts washingclothes the way we program it too with the push of a button. Neither the
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go in a particular direction or wash clothes because it is too tired today.
The clear difference between products and living organisms is that living entities have preference and will to make decisions. On the other
hand, people can decide when they want to task a product and when
they want to finish the task without complaint.
There is no question that the creation of science and technology products has allowed people to achieve tasks easier, faster and with better
control. Although we have presented some of the advancements under adimmer light, it goes without saying that not all progress and development are careless or bad. It can even be said that many more positiveand beneficial results have emerged from the advancement of scienceand technology, such as technological advancements for physically challenged people. We can also reaffirm that good ethical behavior andmoral standards have emerged though the development and advancement of science and technology. However, it is vital that people critically gauge the effects from fast developing technology, and always evaluate the ultimate purpose and goal of introducing new concepts whichshould be for the happiness of all humankind and living organisms on
the planet. We must always question ourselves as to what the ultimate
purpose of life might be.

Buddhist Perspective of Humanity
How does Eastern philosophy and Buddhist thought in general view theessence of the human existence? Here we would like to examine the features of science and technology from the perspective of Eastern philosophy. The objective is to describe the Buddhist view of what it means to
be human in relation to the four features of science and technology
advancements described above.
Eastern philosophy, particularly Buddhism describes the four featuresof humanity as follows, (1) intangible or invisible features are important. In Buddhism, intangibles such as the mind, life, trust and kindness
are some examples of invisible human elements that are highly valued.
Buddhism actually appraises the mind more than the physical body as
described by Nichiren Daishonin, “More valuable than treasures in astorehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart
are the most valuable of all.”1 In other words, more valuable than tangible items, tools or products are the ultimate values of the human heartand spirit.
Eastern philosophy also teaches that (2) struggles and challenges aregood for people; do not seek an easy life! People often quote, “It is good

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to buy hardships if you can” or “No pain, no gain.” In Buddhism it issaid that, “Evil passions of beings are themselves enlightenment(Bonno-Soku-Bodai),”2 or “Life and death of beings are themselves nirvana (Shoji-Soku-Nehan).”3 These particular references suggest that it ispossible to become happy or attain enlightenment through the experience of worry, suffering and life and death. People tend to live life to thefullest due to the reality of old age, sickness and death. In other words, it
is said that the more we are able to overcome hardships and struggle inour youth, the more we are able to enjoy and appreciate life towards theend near inevitable death. Thus, in a sense the struggles we endure
through life, particularly when young, are golden treasures and experiences for the remainder of our lives.
Eastern philosophy also teaches that (3) it takes time for humans tophysically and mentally mature or grow. It often takes more than ten
years for the human body to physiologically grow. It takes even longer
for the human mind to mature. For example, in the Analects of Confucius “Rongo” it is said, “The master (Confucius) said that at fifteen
years old I aimed to study; at thirty years old I supported myself; atforty years old I became not to be perplexed; at fifty years old I understood the Mandate of Heaven; at sixty years old I was able to hear what
other persons said, at seventy years old I obey what my mind wishes,and know the limits of my ability.”4 This example suggests that it takes avery long time for the human personality and character to grow, e.g. 30
years to become independent and 40 years to establish an immovable
self. In Buddhism, training, practice or exercises are also valued. It issaid that enlightenment can be achieved through practice which implies
that in order to become happy and polish our character it is necessary toallocate enough time to complete the process—happiness cannot be
achieved in a short, quick time frame. Thus, the maturity of the physicalbody, the development of wisdom and the sophistication of the humancharacter all require ample time.
The final feature of human life in relation to the features of scienceand technology is that (4) life does not always move in the direction wewish. Our lives are complex and our interactions with various people
and events are not always what we wish. All stages of our lives, frombabies to children to parents, and all people are faced with the same
dilemma that not all processes conform to our exact desire. Even petsthat are trained for many years do not always move as instructed andtrained. In short, to be alive is to exist in a complex and passionate
world that is not under the control of anyone. Ironically, the process oftrying to solve problems and sufferings in our daily lives is an effort to118

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live as we wish. Nichiren Daishonin wrote, “not to expect good times,
but take the bad times for granted.”5 The quotation from this letter suggests that it is unique and rare that a person’s life goes in the direction or
way that one wishes. From the above example we can clearly see thatthe advancements of science and technology do not always conform,
and in some instances go completely opposite of Buddhist philosophy
for the way to live a happy life.

What does Science and Technology Change?
As mentioned earlier, Buddhism values things that can not be seen or
are intangible that take time to nurture and grow through struggle andhardships, all essential for a long and prosperous life journey. Buddhism
often views life as a process in which experiences do not necessarily go
as planned—this is the essence of being human. However, the emergence of science and technology into the sphere of the human consciousness has altered and changed the way we pursue happiness. Froma Buddhist perspective, the fast pace of development has the potential toalter the dynamics of what it means to be human.
Let us now examine how science and technology changes the spirited
human existence. When it comes to raising children, the parents areoften obligated to raise a child to the best of their ability, and it is quite
natural for children to appreciate and be thankfully benign towards theparents. Buddhism values the compassion towards parents, and so thecrime of killing ones parents is a substantial act. Raising and loving
children to become good adults is a very difficult and challenging task
for parents. The process requires daily effort for many years and is only
possible through love. Obviously, a desire of the parents is to reduce thestrenuous aspects of raising children. Science and technology have madethe process of rearing children easier, faster and more efficient in many
ways. How does the introduction of science and technology change thedimensions of the parent-children relationship? The struggle of raisingchildren allows parents to appreciate their children more, and visa versa.
If the desire of raising children becomes easier and less of a struggle,
the value of children to parents becomes less and less. And, if the childdoes not grow up in the manor in which the parents approve, then naturally anger and confusion become strong. This is one example of how
the desires to make tasks in life easier and faster have trickled into modern society and are even affecting our ability to raise children.
One the other hand, what about the perspective of the child? The loveof parents towards their children is often non-tangible or easily misinter-

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preted. If children do not feel the affectionate love from the parents, they
begin to feel that they may no longer need parents at all. And, althoughchildren are economically attached to the parents, children cannot
understand this concept without substantial time for mental maturity.
When the children and the parents begin to loose love and appreciation
towards one another, both entities begin to act dysfunctional and could
eventual cause children-parent related domestic issues. Thus, the concept of science and technology making our lives easier, faster and inaccordance with our desires may have begun to alter many facets of ourdaily lives indirectly.
In the past many children and parents learned vital skills at homethrough interaction with each other that are slowly beginning to disappear today. For example, parents used to teach children how to cook,
wash clothes, and heat a bath. This was part of growing up. Today, bothchildren and parents can cook, clean and take a bath with a push of abutton; there is no need for interaction. People no longer need to know“how” food is cooked, clothes are washed or baths are heated as long as
the task is accomplished. However, there are a multitude of tasks that weshould learn from our parents, such as how to burn firewood for cooking
and bathes by allowing just the right amount of air and fuel. The interaction between parents and children allows for past experience and wisdom to be past down through human contact. Today, we can easily walkto the local convenient store and drive through a fast-food service to eat
food. We can also push the button of a microwave oven to eat deliciously warm food. Although many children and parents still actively interact
with one another, we can say that it is becoming less common in recent
years. Basically, aside from the economical reliance to a parent, a childcan generally survive today without the supervision of a parent.
Schools are another example of how the dynamics of human interaction have changed. In schools today a child can gain accurate, unlimited
knowledge very easily from a computer accessed to the internet. Children can basically access information without having to deal with thenuisance of interacting with an adult, not to mention the fact that the
information is more robust and non-biased in most cases. Further, students can answer their own questions without having to ask an irritatedteacher who is underpaid and not engaged in the teaching process! Thus,
the teachers’ role in the school begins to change. The transmission of
information becomes possible without the need for a persons oral skills
or person-to-person interaction. This is just one example.
It is easily understandable how we have evolved to favor the productsof science and technology more than human interaction since machines

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and appliances have allowed us to finish tasks sooner, easier and withoutcomplaint. We may even see a future where learning and education are
no longer part of human interaction, but realized through alternativetechnological means at home or in schools. In short, the intangible andinvisible essence of human values such as parents love and the humaninteraction at home, and the teacher’s love and trust towards students
may be lost in the future. We must be careful as to how we utilize theemerging new tools of the future.

Conclusion
The features of the science and technology have gradually infiltrated our
minds and people’s current way of life. The ideal ways of the interpersonal relationships of the past may have begun to change by the recent
explosion of advances in science and technology. In conclusion, we
would like to describe a few important points that should be consideredwhen thinking about the application of science and technology.
Firstly, products of science and technology should always be limited
as means and tools for human civilization. Unfortunately, the “tool” hasbecome the purpose for living where people are being controlled by the
direction in which science and technology are moving. Our lives arecontrolled by our desires for new tools. Our civilization is beginning to
make decisions based on the direction technology is heading, not basedon the direction for the happiness of all humankind. In other words, people are being controlled by “tools” and “products,” and influenced on
moving in directions based on the functionality of the tool. Moreover,
information and wisdom for living a successful and fruitful life thatwere passed from one generation to the next are now just easily accessible knowledge from the past.
Second, it goes without saying that we are now in the process of conducting one of the largest field experiments of human existence. The
grand human and social experiment is to see how human civilization
will be affected by the rapid advancement of science and technology.
Unfortunately, this is an experiment that cannot be re-designed or conducted over and over again. We only have one opportunity to make thisexperiment work correctly. The current experiment is only 30–40 years
old and we have not even performed an inevitable generational
exchange. Although the older generation of today understands the history of recent advancements, children today have no experience of theinconveniences of the past and thus nothing to gauge against. In otherwords, children today have no practical experience of the potential posi-BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE OF RECENT ADVANCES

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tive and negative effects of rapid advancements in science and technology. Thus, we are now entering the final stages of the experiment where
the next generation of children will design society and determine thefuture for ages to come. There is a chance that this experiment without
proper control and humanism, will roll out of control towards the unfortunate collapse of civilization.
Lastly, it is critical that we consider the consequences for the humancivilization from the rapid advancement of science and technology. We
must begin to parse out the positive and negative consequences, the possibilities and the realities, and what is best and worst for humans and theplanet Earth. We must step back from the thinking and concern of only
developing newer and faster concepts. In order to change this way ofthought, we must consider the humanistic aspects of our developments.
The development of science and technology should be the means andideal way to elevate the human spirit, develop compassion and strengthen human interaction and dialogue. This should be the vision of scienceand technology. It is becoming increasingly critical for people to get toknow one another better to make this humanistic vision of science andtechnology a reality. Currently, the random development of science andtechnology are blossoming without the essential human interaction. At
the current rate, the grand human experiment may reach hazardous levels of failure. In our opinion, Buddhist and Eastern philosophy shouldhave an important role in the experiment to nurture and guide society
towards a more humanistic science and technological advancement.
References
1“Nichiren-Daishonin-Goshozenshuu,” p 1173, Soka-Gakkai, 1952, Tokyo. The
Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, “The Three Kinds of Treasure,” p 851, 1999, Soka
Gakkai, Tokyo.
2
Yamamoto S. (1992) “Contribution of Buddhism to Environmental Thoughts,” The
Journal of Oriental Studies, vol. 8, pp 144–173. “The evil passions of beings are themselves enlightenment. (Bonno-soku-bodai)” means that evil passions are inseparablefrom Buddhahood. That is, evil passions and Buddhahood are considered to be two sidesof the same coin.
3“Life and death of beings are themselves nirvana (Shoji-soku-nehan).” From thestandpoint of the Lotus Sutra, birth and death are two integral phases of eternal life. The
sufferings of birth, death and nirvana are inseparable.
4
http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/itot/rongo-1-2.htm
5“Nichiren-Daishonin-Goshozenshuu,“ pp 1190–1191, Soka-Gakkai, 1952, Tokyo.
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, “On Persecutions Befalling the Sage,” p 998, 1999,
Soka Gakkai, Tokyo.