This is an initiative developed by two Shambhala sangha members: Alexis Shotwel and Sergio Gomez, from Canada and Chile respectively. It all started with the common ground our practice and the need of opening the conversation about the ethical standpoints between the personal and collective enlightenment and Science.
As Shambhala touches all aspects of our life and society, we feel that it is vital to start thinking on the role that science has nowadays and the role it should have in an enlightened society. We feel that it's a good time for our community to have a discussion on how to take an ethical, Shambhalian standpoint on how Science is conducted. There are several questions about which we would like to invite to share your insights and opinion.
- What is science?
- Is science an enlightened activity?
- Do we have a view on how we want science to be conducted?
- Can we as an awake kingdom dare to have science and research in it? If so, how should that science be practiced?
- How should an awakened scientist be and behave?
I probably could write an entire book on any combination of the subjects noted above, but I’ll attempt to limit my responses in the interest of brevity. Firstly, science (including research) and enlightened society are entirely compatible, as much so as are business and enlightened society, and politics and enlightened society. It is a matter of ethics and perspective. In my own life and practice, I often find that one action can be promulgated by any number of intentions (science, business, and politics not excepted here); intentions based in Bodhisattva activity are consistent with enlightened society. By contrast, intentions based in ego-formation activity are not. For example, the eagerness to prove “my” theory conflicts with the desire to develop life-saving technologies, even though the same action (research) could be the result of either intention.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there are activities that, no matter what the (presumably good) intention, fail to appreciate the full impact and consequences of the action. Vivisection and torturous practices of animal cruelty for the purposes of developing life-saving medicines for humans fails to appreciate the interconnectness of all life and damages the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health of all beings, our planet, and our societies. These are practices that are widespread in scientific research today that should be eradicated from our tool kits, just as there are widespread political and business practices that are abhorrent to us (genocide [both physical and cultural], greed, war, hostile take-overs).
An awakened scientist is aware of the consequences of his or her actions, enters into scientific inquiry as Bodhisattva activity first and foremost, has ethical standards that supersede those promulgated by national or international secular scientific communities, and never engages in practices that severely harm other sentient beings.
I propose a reaching out to scientists in Shambhala for a task force or committee to develop these standards of conduct and practice. I, for one, would be glad to serve on such a task force.