182 EXPLoRING Buddhism And science
effect” of “gravitational lens” by observing the increase in red-shift in the visual spectrum of light in the presence of a number of galaxies directly hit by a distant beam from Quasars. The presence of more than one solar system in the universe has further been confirmed by mapping the orbital path of the planet Pluto, the last planet in our solar system. It is found that this planet revolves around the sun of some other unknown solar system (Jammer 1999; Einstein 1931; Einstein and Seelig 1954). Conclusion
Einstein was very much influenced by such Buddhist concepts as the absence of a Creator God, the absence of a soul or self (anatt ā), dependent origination (pa iccasamupp da), impermanence (anicca), and the emphasis on practicing compassion with moral-driven, volitional activities (kamma) (Dukas and Hoffman 1953; Jammer 1999). He also predicted that the religion of the future will be a “cosmic religion”: it would transcend a personal God and avoid dogma and theology, and be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. To Einstein, Buddhism fits this description aptly: “if there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism” (Dukas and Hoffman 1954).