Buddhism and molecular physics intertwine

Express News Service (7/13/09)

HYDERABAD, India - Philosophy and advanced science can often merge to the point that they become indistinguishable. At an eclectic gathering comprised of college kids, 30-something professionals, and senior citizens, this was the message that came from senior Buddhist monk, Geshe Nyma Tashi on Sunday morning.

Buddhist monk Geshe Nyma Tashi delivers a talk on "Buddhism and Science" at the Chitramayee State Art Gallery at Madhapur.

The event, held at the Chitramayee State Art Gallery at Madhapur, saw the Buddhist monk and scholar speak on the issue of science and its relationship with Buddhist philosophy. The organizing committee, composed of a Buddhist delegation from the Tibetan Buddhist Meditation and Study Centre at Bengaluru, was on a tour of Hyderabad to promote its recently established foundation in Hyderabad.

The Dharma Megha Foundation in Hyderabad was established in May 2009. According to spokesperson Darima Daribazaron, it is presently “in the process of strengthening the bond of Buddhism in Andhra Pradesh.” She explained that “the State was one of the major sites of Buddhist culture and learning since the time of Acharya Nagarjuna, and thus has indelible ties with Buddhist philosophy.”

The foundation, in this regard would be conducting conferences, meetings with scholars, and meditation workshops open to the public, Daribazaron added.

Speaking on the occasion, Geshe Nyma observed that Buddhist philosophy at its core has had numerous similarities with scientific study of modern times. “The idea of structural theory is similar to the Buddhist notion of all events and objects beings linked to each other,” he said. Giving an interesting twist to conventional religious doctrine... More>>

Hand of God in Space

NASA Chandra X-ray nebula (NASA)

We've already seen pictures of the eye of God [in Buddhist terms, Maha Brahma]. Now we have the first image of the hand. A ghostly blue cloud seems to form an outstretched thumb and fingers grasping a ball of fire.

The amazing image was taken by NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, which is orbiting 580km above the Earth. It recalls pictures of the Helix planetary nebula, with its blue center surrounded by white clouds, which earned it the nickname "the eye of God."

The hand was created when a star exploded in a supernova, creating a rapidly spinning 20km-wide star called a pulsar, which is deep inside the white blob at the hand's wrist.

The pulsar is spewing out enormous amounts of electromagnetic energy, creating a dust and gas cloud so wide it would take 150 years to cross at the speed of light. The red disc is a separate gas cloud. The fingers are thought to have been created as energy passed from the pulsar to the gas cloud. More>>

Human hands wave back (Timesonline.co.uk)