Matthieu Ricard - Beyond the Self: Conversations Between Buddhism and Neuroscience

Matthieu Ricard and Wolf Singer

The MIT Press

Cambridge, Massachusetts

London, England

2017 Allary Editions

Published by special arrangement with Allary Editions in conjunction with their duly appointed agent 2 Seas Literary Agency.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher.

This book was set in Scala by Toppan Best-set Premedia Limited. Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Ricard, Matthieu, author.

Title: Beyond the self : conversations between Buddhism and neuroscience / Matthieu Ricard and Wolf Singer.

Other titles: Cerveau & mditation. English

Description: Cambridge, MA : MIT Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017010026 | ISBN 9780262036948 (hardcover : alk. paper)

eISBN 9780262343015

Subjects: LCSH: Neurosciences--Religious aspects--Buddhism. | Buddhism--Psychology.

Classification: LCC BQ4570.N48 R5313 2017 | DDC 294.3/3153--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017010026

ePub Version 1.0

It all started in London in 2005, when we first discussed the theme of consciousness. That same year we saw each other in Washington, DC, to talk about the neuronal basis of meditation at a meeting organized by the Mind and Life Institute. This book is the result of this extended conversation, nourished by friendship and our shared interests.

The dialogue between Western science and Buddhism stands out from the often difficult debate between science and religion. It is true that Buddhism is not a religion in the sense we usually understand in the West. It is not based on the notion of a creator and therefore does not require an act of faith. Buddhism could be defined as a science of the mind and a path of transformation that leads from confusion to wisdom, from suffering to freedom. It shares with the sciences the ability to examine the mind empirically. This is what makes the dialogue between a Buddhist monk and a neuroscientist possible and fruitful: a broad range of questions can be broached, from quantum physics to ethical matters.

We have attempted to compare the Western and Eastern perspectives, the different theories concerning the constitution of the self and the nature of consciousness as seen by the scientific and contemplative points of view. Until recently, most Western philosophies have been built around the separation of mind and matter. Scientific theories that are today attempting to explain how the brain works bear the mark of this dualism. Buddhism, meanwhile, has proposed a nondualistic approach to reality from the start. The cognitive sciences see consciousness as being inscribed in the body, society, and culture.

Hundreds of books and articles have been dedicated to theories of knowledge, meditation, the idea of the self, emotions, the existence of free will, and the nature of consciousness. Our aim here is not to make an inventory of the many points of view that exist on these subjects. Rather, our objective is to confront two perspectives anchored in rich traditions: the contemplative Buddhist practice, and epistemology and research in neuroscience. We were able to bring together our experiences and skills to try and answer the following questions: Are the various states of consciousness arrived at through meditation and training the mind linked to neuronal processes? If so, in what way does the correlation operate?

This dialogue is only a modest contribution to an immense field confronting the points of view and knowledge about the brain and consciousness of scientists and people who meditatein other words, the meeting between first- and third-person knowledge. The lines that follow take this path, and we feel humility in front of the size of the task. We sometimes allow ourselves to be swept away by the themes close to our hearts, which translate in certain places into changes in direction or repetitions. We made the choice to retain the authenticity of the dialogue because it is rare and productive to develop an exchange over such a long period. We would nevertheless like to apologize to our readers for what may seem like an oversight.

This dialogue allowed us to make progress in our mutual understanding of the themes we addressed. By inviting our readers to join us, we hope they too will benefit from our years of work and investigation into the fundamental aspects of human life.

Our capacity to learn is far superior to that of other animals. Can we, with training, develop our mental skills, as we do for our physical skills? Can training the mind make us more attentive, altruistic, and serene? These questions have been explored for 20 years by neuroscientists and psychologists who collaborate with people who meditate. Can we learn to manage our disturbing emotions in an optimal way? What are the functional and structural transformations that occur in the brain due to different types of meditation? How much time is needed to observe transformations like this in people new to meditation?

Matthieu:

Although one finds in the Buddhist literature many treatises on traditional sciencesmedicine, cosmology, botanic, logic, and so onTibetan Buddhism has not endeavored to the same extent as Western civilizations to expand its knowledge of the world through the natural sciences. Rather it has pursued an exhaustive investigation of the mind for 2,500 years and has accumulated, in an empirical way, a wealth of experiential findings over the centuries. A great number of people have dedicated their whole lives to this contemplative science. Modern Western psychology began with William James just over a century ago. I cant help remembering the remark made by Stephen Kosslyn, then chair of the psychology department at Harvard, at the Mind and Life meeting on Investigating the Mind, which took place at MIT in 2003. He started his presentation by saying, I want to begin with a declaration of humility in the face of the sheer amount of data that the contemplatives are bringing to modern psychology.

It does not suffice to ponder how the human psyche works and elaborate complex theories about it, as, for instance, Freud did. Such intellectual constructs cannot replace two millennia of direct investigation of the workings of mind through penetrating introspection conducted with trained minds that have become both stable and clear. Any sophisticated theory that came out of a brilliant mind but does not rest on empirical evidence cannot be compared with the cumulated experience of hundreds of people who have each a good part of their lives fathomed the subtlest aspects of mind through direct experience. Using empirical approaches undertaken with the right instrument of a well-trained mind, these contemplatives have found efficient ways to achieve a gradual transformation of emotions, moods, and traits, and to erode even the most entrenched tendencies that are detrimental to an optimal way of being. Such achievements can change the quality of every moment of our lives through enhancing fundamental human characteristics such as lovingkindness, inner freedom, inner peace, and inner strength.