Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, & Christianity
By 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.
Wallace is a master, guiding our inquiry into consciousness in exciting new directions. Shift Summer 09 Thought-provoking and at times insightful, this volume raises many interesting philosophical issues and presents many useful references. Choice 9/1/09 Anyone interesting in understanding more about the mind and consciousness would enjoy reading this book. -- Marcia Howton Inquiring Mind Fall 2009
B. Alan Wallace spent fourteen years as a Buddhist monk, ordained by H. H. the Dalai Lama. He then earned his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in physics and the philosophy of science at Amherst College, and his doctorate in religious studies from Stanford University. His Columbia University Press books are Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness, Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge, and Buddhism and Science: Breaking New Ground (editor). A prolific writer who has translated numerous Tibetan Buddhist texts, he is the founder and president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies (http://www.sbinstitute.com).
