The Evolving Mind

·期刊原文
In the West, the conversation between evolutionary biologists and
religionists has not always been friendly. One of the major
obstacles to dialogue has been the issue of the evolution of human
consciousness. As Buddhist teacher Robin Cooper demonstrates in his
book, however, Buddhist religious thought is thoroughly compatible
with the idea of a biological evolution of human consciousness.
Cooper, who is a scientist as well as a revered Buddhist teacher,
explores the process of evolutionary development from the lowest
organism to the highest form of Enlightened Being (Buddha).
Convinced that limiting the idea of evolution merely to a physical
and biological understanding is a mistake, Cooper then proceeds to
demonstrate that evolution, like the tenets of Buddhism, is rather a
continual process of self-transcendence. The author draws upon
sources as diverse as Darwin's Origin of Species and the Dhammapada
to illustrate his thesis. In an age when science and religion seem
to be closer than ever before, Cooper's sparkling prose will
encourage ongoing dialogue between the two camps. (July)