Tibetan Buddhism and Science: Dialogue based on the Teaching of Kalachakra

Abstract

The article reviews possible perspectives of the development of the dialogue between Buddhism and Science in intercultural philosophical discussions by involving the teaching of Tibetan-Buddhist tradition Kalachakra, which fluctuates between the religious-philosophical and scientific thought. The narrative of Kalachakra has three parts: theoretical, practical, and applied. The theoretical part tells about the Kalachakra Doctrine of Time (cosmology, eschatology, calendar system, and World cycles). The practical part includes the methodology of tantric meditations (visualization, chanting mantras, and yoga). The applied part consists of astrological and medical algorithms on the account of the state of the space for a certain moment of time (astrology of stars, astrology of elements, astrology of sounds, natural medicine recipes), which are described in traditional treatises. Thus, the paper proposes to consider the connection between Kalachakra teaching and classical Buddhist sciences; in particular, traditional astronomy (astrology) and medicine (alchemy). Particular attention is paid to the Kalachakra metaphysical system (which offers its own model of the phenomenal world and makes it possible to identify certain connections between different levels of consciousness) and to the potential of philosophical approaches to the analysis of this system. The focus is definitely on the ethical side of the Buddhist Tantra that necessarily transfers to the applied Buddhist Sciences (astronomy and medicine) based on the Kalachakra tantric teaching. Also, possible sociopolitical and phenomenological connotations are considered, towards which it is worthwhile to conduct philosophical studies for strengthening the foundation of the intercultural perspective of the dialogue between Buddhism and Science. In conclusions, we formulate remarks on the cardinal difference of the paradigm of applied Buddhist Sciences from the modern Western scientific and philosophical positions, which should be taken into account in the field of intercultural philosophical research. (The article includes the materials of the Oriental Studies Workshop that was hold by the author at Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, NAS of Ukraine, on March 26, 2019.) Article received 16.04.2019