In general, decision makers in the society are at least 20 to 30 years behind science and even behind the education system. I have witnessed it in the climate science field. The resistance to change has been especially strong by people well established and prospering under the current system, many in leadership roles.
But fortunately new generation of school children is now taught basic research skills from primary school, well beyond reading and memorising.
“You should not learn cosmology.
“Na, bhikkhave, lokāyataṁ pariyāpuṇitabbaṁ.
If you do, you commit an offense of wrong conduct.”
Yo pariyāpuṇeyya, āpatti dukkaṭassā”ti.
“You should not study pointless knowledge.
“Na, bhikkhave, tiracchānavijjā pariyāpuṇitabbā.
If you do, you commit an offense of wrong conduct.”
Yo pariyāpuṇeyya, āpatti dukkaṭassā”ti.
I had a lot of non-fiction, non Buddhist books on my to-read list as a novice monk, now that I had ordained as a Bhikkhu, I am trying to navigate how much to let go and how much can I still enjoy reading.
It seems the word lokāyata, rendered as ‘cosmology’ or ‘natural philosophy’, refers to some philosophical inquiries about the nature of the world. But it seems it could mean more than that.
At Savatthī. Then a brahmin who was a cosmologist approached the Blessed One … and said to him:
“How is it, Master Gotama: does all exist?”
“‘All exists’: this, brahmin, is the oldest cosmology.” (jeṭṭhametaṃ lokāyataṃ)
“Then, Master Gotama, does all not exist?”
“‘All does not exist’: this, brahmin, is the second cosmology.” (dutiyametaṃ lokāyataṃ)
etc.
Aṅguttara Nikāya Book of Threes #58, Tikaṇṇa
The Blessed One said: “But how, brahmin, do the brahmins describe a brahmin who is a master of the threefold knowledge?”
…
…he is fully versed in natural philosophy and in the marks of a great man. lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayoti
…
“Brahmin, a master of the threefold knowledge in the Noble One’s discipline is quite different from a brahmin who is a master of the threefold knowledge as the brahmins describe him.” ‘‘Aññathā kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṃ tevijjaṃ paññapenti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye tevijjo hotī’’ti.
Sure, yes. If we restrict ourselves to cosmology in the sense of modern physics, then yeah, we can familiarize ourselves with the field, make some speculations, but we’ll never understand it like a physicist does who actually works in the field.
