The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of LifeJean Francois-Revel, a pillar of French intellectual life in our time, became world famous for his challenges to both Communism and Christianity. Twenty-seven years ago, his son, Matthieu Ricard, gave up a promising career as a scientist to study Tibetan Buddhism -- not as a detached observer but by immersing himself in its practice under the guidance of its greatest living masters. Meeting in an inn overlooking Katmandu, these two profoundly thoughtful men explored the questions that have occupied humankind throughout its history. Does life have meaning? What is consciousness? Is man free? What is the value of scientific and material progress? Why is there suffering, war, and hatred? Their conversation is not merely abstract: they ask each other questions about ethics, rights, and responsibilities, about knowledge and belief, and they discuss frankly the differences in the way each has tried to make sense of his life. Utterly absorbing, inspiring, and accessible, this remarkable dialogue engages East with West, ideas with life, and science with the humanities, providing wisdom on how to enrich the way we live our lives. |
Contents
From Scientific Research to Spiritual Quest | 3 |
Religion or Philosophy? | 24 |
The Ghost in the Black Box | 53 |
A Science of the Mind | 83 |
Buddhist Metaphysics | 118 |
Acting on the World and Acting on Oneself | 149 |
Buddhism and the West | 171 |
Religious and Secular Spirituality | 189 |
Decline and Renaissance | 245 |
Faith Ritual and Superstition | 255 |
Buddhism and Death | 263 |
The Supremacy of the Individual | 277 |
Buddhism and Psychoanalysis | 294 |
Cultural Influences and Spiritual Tradition | 303 |
Progress and Novelty | 306 |
The Monks Questions to the Philosopher | 319 |
Tracing Violence to Its Sources | 202 |
Wisdom Science and Politics | 214 |
The Red Flag on the Roof of the World | 232 |
The Philosophers Conclusion | 342 |
The Monks Conclusion | 348 |
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Common terms and phrases
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