| t Einstein, the great scientist of the atomic age, says: | | | | been given credit for. They studied these problems |
| “The religion in the future will be a cosmic | | | | long ago and found the answers also. We are now |
| religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid | | | | rediscovering the ancient wisdom of the East.” |
| dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the | | | | H.G. Wells, a distinguished historian, says these words |
| spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising | | | | in praise of Buddhism: “Buddhism has done |
| from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, | | | | more for the advance of world civilization than any |
| as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this | | | | other influence in the chronicles of mankind.” He |
| description.” And he further says, “If | | | | further says: “It is possible that in contact with |
| there is any religion that would cope with modern | | | | Western science, and inspired by the spirit of history, |
| scientific needs it would be Buddhism.” | | | | the original teaching of Gotama, revived and purified, |
| Bertrand Russell, one of the great minds of the 20th | | | | may yet play a large part in the direction of human |
| century, says: “Buddhism is a combination of | | | | destiny.” |
| both speculative and scientific philosophy. It advocates | | | | The great poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, expressed this |
| the scientific method and pursues that to a finality that | | | | appreciation of Bud-dhism: “I have often said, |
| may be called rationalistic..... It takes up where science | | | | and I shall say again and again, that between Buddhism |
| cannot lead because of the limitations of the | | | | and modern science there exists a close intellectual |
| latter’s instruments. Its conquests are those of | | | | bond.” |
| the mind:” He also writes: “There is no | | | | Aldous Huxley writes: “Alone of all the great |
| reason to suppose that the world had a beginning at all. | | | | world religions Buddhism made its way without |
| The idea that things must have a beginning is due to | | | | persecution, censorship or inquisition.” |
| the poverty of our imagination.” | | | | According to Francis Story, a British exponent of |
| Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, says: | | | | Buddhism, “The doctrines of Buddha Dhamma |
| “If I am to take the results of my philosophy as | | | | stand today, as unaffected by the march of time and |
| the standard of truth I should be obliged to concede to | | | | the expansion of knowledge as when they were first |
| Buddhism the pre-eminence over the rest.” | | | | enunciated. No matter to what lengths increased |
| Professor Carl Gustav Jung, the outstanding | | | | scientific knowledge can extend man’s mental |
| psychologist of Zurich, wrote: “As a student of | | | | horizon, within the framework of the Dhamma there is |
| comparative religion, I believe that Buddhism is the | | | | room for the acceptance and assimilation of further |
| most perfect one the world has ever seen. The | | | | discovery.” |
| philosophy of the Buddha, the theory of evolution and | | | | The great Pali scholar Professor Rhys Davids spoke |
| the law of Kamma were far superior to any other | | | | of his conviction in Buddhism in these words: “I |
| creed.” | | | | have examined every one of the great religions of the |
| As Dr. Graham Howe, an eminent British psychiatrist, | | | | world, and in none of them have I found anything to |
| puts it: “To read a little Buddhism is to realize | | | | surpass the beauty and comprehensiveness of the |
| that the Buddhists knew, 2,500 years ago, far more | | | | Four Noble Truths of the Buddha. I am content to |
| about modern problems of psychology than they have | | | | shape my life according to that path. |