On the last weekend in March, the Europe Center hosted a unique cross-field event, mapping the exciting intersection between Buddhism and Science. Within the frame of the 7th Transmission weekend, these two ways of understanding reality were presented by Traveling Teachers who are also scientists, supported by a few dharma friends, themselves working in different fields of science. We started off with a look on how both Buddhism and Science use reasoning and evidence to support their explanations. The Buddhist philosophy and logic has developed continuously over the 2450 years of its existence, often being directly confronted with other world views and religions. Science evolves through its never-ending self-disproving cycle, where each generation of scientists replaces the existing theories with their new, more accurate models and concepts.

Over the weekend, we then explored neuroscience and psychology—especially in relation to meditation—with Dr Peter Malinowski (UK), Jean Paul Pozuelos (Spain) and Michael Fuchs (Germany), physics and mathematics with Dr Matt Huddleston (UK), Mag. Guido Czeija (Austria), Dr Nick Neshev (Bulgaria) and Dr Rene Staritzbichler (Germany). Over 20 researchers also presented their work at Saturday’s “market place” with their posters filling most of the Diamond room walls. At the end of the event we even touched the exponentially growing world of computer science and artificial intelligence with a brief contribution by Prof Dr Jörg Siekmann (Germany).

And as heaps of papers were filled with dense notes and heads with fascinating facts, new friendships and bonds were formed while meditating and socializing together.

PS: Thanks Daniel & the Frankfurters for keeping the whole crowd well nurtured the whole time!

Photos by Simon Pruciak

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