Quantum Physics And Spirituality, According To The Dalai Lama

The connection between quantum physics and spirituality is, according to the Dalai Lama, an obvious fact. He claims that all the atoms in our bodies are made in part of that ancient bond that once gave birth to the Universe. We are stardust and we are biologically connected to any living being; we are beings made of invisible energy that vibrates, entities united, in turn, to everything that exists …

If there’s one thing we all know, it’s that science and spirituality aren’t exactly famous for the harmony between their principles. Therefore, while in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance the progress in the scientific field was understood as extremely dangerous, in a context dominated by the ecclesiastical class (this is the case, for example, of Giordano Bruno’s sad epilogue), today the most spiritual approaches have been perceiving for years that critical and ascetic vision that comes from the scientific world.

To say that these two traditionally antagonistic areas or universes of our society have now found a meeting point is too daring. However, they have come close to converge on some ideas which, no doubt, can invite us to reflect. Buddhist philosophy is that framework from which the links with a complex and fascinating branch of science can be strengthened : we are talking about quantum mechanics.

The New Delhi conference

A first approach took place in New Delhi, in 2015. The Dalai Lama, on that occasion, gave a two-day conference on quantum physics and Madyamaka philosophy; here, together with a number of prominent physicists and scientists from different branches, various themes were explored to discover their commonalities. Axes that complement each other and that, in a certain sense, enrich human knowledge even more.

The connection between quantum physics and spirituality: what does the Dalai Lama think?

The theories supporting a connection between quantum physics and spirituality are not new nor come only from the Dalai Lama. We have at our disposal books such as Physics of the soul: the quantum book of living, dying, reincarnation and immortality , by Amit Goswami, a retired professor in the Department of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oregon and a pioneer of the new scientific paradigm that seeks to lay the foundations for a science of consciousness.

But still Fritjof Capra, a renowned Austrian physicist, researcher in subatomic physics. This scientist is known for his work The Tao and Physics (1975), in which he initiates a lukewarm opening of the academic world to the spiritual world. We are not mistaken, therefore, in saying that there is a clear rapprochement between the physical community and Buddhist philosophy.

Physicists such as Raja Ramanna, who died a few years ago, but known above all for his role in the development of nuclear power in India, became interested in his last days in the texts of the philosopher Nagarjuna, to discover a surprising fact: many of the utterances of the founder of the madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism coincided with some principles of quantum physics. 

Let’s see what the points in common are, those principles that the Dalai Lama spoke about during the 2015 conference held in India.

What is quantum physics?

The term “quantum” comes from “quantum”, which is the smallest unit that forms light. Quantum mechanics therefore studies the phenomenology of the atom and of all those elementary particles that compose it. It is a science that arose around the twentieth century, in the context of which names like that of Max Planck have elaborated most of the theories available to us today.

A discipline as interesting as it is complex, which aspires to define and understand what we do not see, what we cannot measure and all that indeterminism transcribed in the particles that make up our reality. If we could see an atom under a microscope, we would discover that it is a small tornado. A vortex in which quarks and photons move.

If we get a little closer to them, we will discover something even more interesting: a void. Because atoms do not have a physical structure, they are actually made of invisible energy, of concrete matter. The idea that we are energy is one of the pillars that shape the connection between quantum physics and spirituality, and of what the Dalai Lama said.

A consciousness that goes far beyond physics

Nowadays, in almost any library we can find an infinite number of titles containing terms such as “quantum”, “quantum computation”, “quantum mind”, “quantum psychology”, “quantum medicine”. .. It is as if that mysterious microworld suddenly orchestrated much of our daily activities. However, the link between quantum physics and spirituality is still one of the most relevant, due to those principles established by the Dalai Lama during the conference in India.

Quantum physics shows us that beyond all that is tangible and material there is energy. Buddhism has always defended this concept and the need to go beyond the physical dimension to give greater prominence to our consciousness. After all, it is that psychological imprint that gives meaning and shape to reality itself. We are what we think and it is thought that defines what surrounds us.

A creative mind

Amit Goswani, a professor of physics at the University of Oregon, tells us that the behavior of microparticles changes according to the action performed by the observer. When one observes the appearance of a type of wave, when the experiencer does not act, there is no change. 

All this shows how sensitive atoms are to whatever we do. Buddhism has always relied on this same aspect: our emotions and thoughts define us and the reality that surrounds us.

Universal bond

In each of our atom resides part of that stardust from which the universe itself originated. In a sense, as the Dalai Lama says, we are all connected and part of the same essence. Conceiving such a connection can help us understand the importance of doing good, because all our actions seem to be reflected in the Universe without being returned.

To conclude, the connection between quantum physics and spirituality invites us to see this branch of science through another prism. This is perhaps a more suggestive perspective and, although not acceptable to the more orthodox and rigorous minds, it nevertheless deserves our attention.