Preface by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Editor's Note
Foreword by Editor-in-Chief Tuptenjinpa

Chapter 1: General Commentary on the Sutras

1.
Various classification methods for establishing a system of various laws
2.
How to establish a system of laws and analyze them
1) The importance of logical analysis and the system of the four principles of dependence
2) Analysis method according to the three small quantities
3) Analysis based on the four principles of morality
4) Causal Dependent Origination
5) Logical denial and establishment based on contradiction and relationship
3.
A brief introduction to the logical method of 『Seopryuhak』
1) General introduction
2) How to learn logic

Chapter 2: The System of Objects of Knowledge

1.
General introduction to the target system
2.
A way of asserting the essence of color
3.
Color, etc.
1) Color
2) Voice place
3) Incense place
4) Taste
5) Touch
4.
Eyes, five sense organs, etc.
5.
The color of the law
6.
The four major causes
7.
Non-corresponding practice method
8.
System of cause and effect
1) Cause
2) Results
9.
The law of non-action
10.
Other systems of small quantity
1) Definition [Nature], Object of Definition [Nominal Appearance], Example [Example]
2) One and many
3) Universal and Individual
4) Positive law and anti-law
5) Contradiction and Relationship
6) System of negation and establishment
7) Three small quantities

Chapter 3: The Microscopic System that Forms Color

1.
General information
2.
The smallest unit of color, the microscopic
3.
The way in which the coarse color is formed by the accumulation of ultrafine particles
4.
Analysis of the presence or absence of non-radiant ultrafine particles

Chapter 4: The System of Time

1.
The essence of poetry
2.
Poetry that is established through dependence and poetry that is established through the law of gayu
3.
How to establish the three worlds
4.
Analysis on the shortest time
5.
Fine impermanence

Chapter 5: The Creation and Destruction of the World of Instruments and the World of Sentient Beings

1.
The process of creation of the rudimentary and sentient worlds as explained in the Abhidharma treatise
2.
The process of formation of the world as explained in the Kalachakra Tantra
3.
The process of extinction between the sentient and the energetic world
4.
The movement of celestial bodies and the emptiness of space as explained in the Kalachakra Tantra
5.
The movement of celestial bodies as described in Ariyabhata's book on astronomy
6.
Units of measurement and number systems
1) General introduction
2) Color unit
3) Unit of time
4) Unit of number

Chapter 6: The process of fetal formation in the uterus and the system of pulse, wind, and bright points

1.
General information
2.
Place of birth
3.
The process of fetal formation as described in the scriptures
4. The process of fetal formation as described in the Kalachakra Tantra
5.
The process of fetal formation described in Buddhist medical literature
6.
The system of subtle body pulses, wind, and bright points
1) The method of teaching in the Tantra of Free Yoga
2) The pulse and wind system described in Buddhist medical literature
7.
540 Brain Systems Explained in Buddhist Medical Literature
1) General introduction
2) The process of brain formation in the womb
3) Classification of the brain
4) Brain pulse system
5) Components of the brain: spinal cord, meninges, and medulla oblongata
6) Analysis of the relationship between body and mind

Translator's Note
References

Why does Buddhism keep talking about science?

Nalanda University (temple), which existed in northeastern India from the 5th to the 12th centuries, is known as the world's oldest university.
The scale also surpasses that of most modern comprehensive universities.
The Tang Dynasty monk Yi Jeong, who visited this place in the 7th century, wrote in his 『Biographies of Eminent Monks Seeking Dharma in the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty』 that there were 'over 2,000 professors and 10,000 students.'
In six large auditoriums and over 300 classrooms, over 100 different classes were held every day.
The library's collection is said to exceed 5 million volumes.
The purpose of establishing Nalanda University was to 'study and promote Buddhist studies'.
What is interesting, however, is that not only Buddhist studies, but also philosophy, literature, and even natural sciences such as astronomy, medicine, and pharmacy, which at first glance seem to have little to do with Buddhism, were particularly emphasized in research and classes.


Likewise, the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang, who studied here in the 7th century and wrote a travelogue called “Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang,” recorded that there was an astronomical observatory called Khagola in Nalanda.
This observatory was not simply for 'appreciating' stars.
Through this observatory, the 5th-century scholar Ariyabhata of Nalanda observed that lunar and solar eclipses occurred when one of the three objects, either the sun and the moon or the sun and the earth, passed between them, and that the earth was round, rotated once a day, and revolved around the sun.
It is consistent with the explanation of modern science.
It took exactly 1,000 years for Galileo Galilei to appear and announce to the world that the Earth was round.

That's not all.
Among the 5 million volumes housed in the library at the time, there were many books on advanced mathematics, medicine, pharmacy, and architecture.
The existing literature attests to its level and is still used as a reference material by modern scientists.
But why? Why did Nalanda University, which primarily studied Buddhist studies, place such a strong emphasis on natural sciences?

Of course, both in the East and the West, philosophy, religion, and science were originally put together in the same basket.
Regardless of East or West, it was common for philosophers to leave behind writings related to science or mathematics.
After all, how the world came to be and what matter is made of were common interests for all three.

However, as we enter the 4th and 5th centuries, attitudes toward science begin to differ markedly between religions.
It was from this time that two religions, one claiming that the world was 'created' and the other that it was 'formed', took root and expanded in the East and the West, respectively.


Since the Roman emperor Theodosius issued an edict around 392 declaring Christianity the sole and compulsory religion of the empire, Christianity has been ruthlessly suppressing 'pagan' science.
The ancient schools in Athens and Alexandria were closed, and all documents that did not conform to Christian doctrine were massively and systematically destroyed.
Only Plato and Aristotle, who were pagans but believed in the immortality of the soul, were tolerated.
Because there is an order created by God, rebelling against it is unacceptable.


Opposition to the beauty created by God was also not tolerated.
Lucretius' work, On the Nature of Things, which laid the foundation for atomic theory, the foundation of modern science, more than two thousand years ago, was kept hidden in the monastery archives and was not made public until 1417.
It is an event that scientists say has delayed the advancement of science by centuries.
This is proven by the fact that the Renaissance was ushered in by a rapid advancement in worldview following the publication of Lucretius's works.


However, Buddhism, which developed mainly in Central Asia, had a markedly different attitude.
Buddhism does not recognize a ‘monotheistic God who creates.’
Of course, there is no such thing as beauty that God pursues.
There was no preconception, which is the greatest challenge in uncovering the essence of things.


Moreover, Buddhism believes that the root of unwanted suffering is ignorance, the inability to know the true nature of the object.
Buddha said, “Ignorance cannot be eradicated by prayer or religious rituals.
We must develop the wisdom to overcome ignorance and eliminate it.
He also said, “This wisdom arises from knowing the essence of the object without being converted.”
As the Dalai Lama interprets it, “In Buddhism, reincarnation and liberation, suffering and comfort depend on whether one knows the ultimate nature of the object.”
It has been clear from the beginning that the fundamental motive and primary purpose of Buddhism is the comfort of a state of complete freedom from suffering, and that the wisdom to know the true nature of things is an indispensable condition for this.


In the end, it is said that properly understanding the nature of the world and the principles of things is the first and last way to be freed from ‘suffering.’
When the Buddhist scriptures were established and the precepts were established, the first thing that the Buddha's disciples sought was the essence of the world.
It is no coincidence that during the sectarian Buddhist era, as Abhidharma began to flourish, natural scientific knowledge appeared more frequently in Buddhist treatises.

What does this book cover? - From the microscopic to the celestial movements

This book contains a classification, analysis, and commentary on the 'material world' discussed in the Abhidharma.
The material world we are dealing with here refers to everything from the infinitesimal world to the celestial bodies, that is, the entire external world excluding the mind.
The main subjects are the material that makes up the world, time and space, and the human body including the brain.

Mainly cited are the works of 17 masters, starting from Nagarjuna to Atisha, known as the Seventeen Nalanda Masters.
Including the works of other scholars who were active before and after the war, a total of 180 documents were cited.
The total number of citations is approximately 970 (including the recent Buddhist Science Philosophy Series 2 - Mind).

First, the Dalai Lama's preface, the editor's note, and the editor-in-chief's preface, which take up 30% of the book, mainly explain the relationship between Buddhist tradition and modern science.
Chapter 1 of the text then explains the various classification methods used to establish the system of all dharmas in Buddhist scriptures, the methods of establishing and analyzing the system of all dharmas, and the methods of learning logic.


Chapters 2 through 6 cover everything about the material world in Buddhism.
It explains the nature of color and internal and external colors, dharmakaya, great and small, the law of non-corresponding actions, the system of cause and effect, the law of non-action, definition [性相], object of definition [名相], examples [例], the system of one and many, universal and individual, actual and anti-dharma, contradiction and relationship, negation and establishment, the three small quantities, the system of infinitesimal things that form color, the nature of time, the method of establishing the three times, analysis of the shortest time, minute impermanence, the birth and death of the kinetic world and the sentient world as explained in the Abhidharma treatise, and also the infinitesimal emptiness and the movement of celestial bodies as explained in the Kalachakra Tantra, the movement of celestial bodies as explained in the astronomical books of Ariyabhata (?ryabha?a), the system of units of measurement and numbers, and the sutras, the Kalachakra Tantra, and Buddhist medical literature. The system of the subject of the possession is presented in a wide and detailed manner, including the process of fetus formation in the uterus, the system of pulse, wind, and bright points explained in the Musang Yoga Tantra, the system of pulse, wind, and brain explained in Buddhist medical literature, and an analysis of the relationship between body and mind.

It is not simply a patchwork of essays.
The difficult points in the treatise were analyzed and decided based on the commentaries of Indologists and their interpretations by Tibetan scholars.
To make all topics easy to understand, we have omitted arguments from other schools, establishment of our own schools, and exaggerated sentences. In the introduction of each chapter, we have explained the connection with the upper level topic and briefly introduced the topic.
To help readers understand, we have extracted key points from the Dalai Lama's writings and supplemented their interpretations of each topic.

It took four years and over 70 of the Gelugpa's most distinguished scholars to complete the writing.
Translated by Venerable Geshe Tenzin Namkha, the most authoritative Tibetan monk active in Korea

The origins of this book date back to 2011.
It is well known that the Dalai Lama is particularly interested in science and is putting effort into dialogue between Buddhism and science.

In 2011, the Dalai Lama ordered a clear and concise explanation of what science means in Buddhism.
After much discussion, an editorial committee was formed consisting of about 70 Geshe, the greatest Tibetan scholars.
The editors primarily reviewed the works of the 17 Nalanda scholars and other Abhidharma scholars, and extracted from them all the material related to science and philosophy.
Afterwards, I classified and selected them according to the table of contents, and added explanations where explanations were needed, and added footnotes where footnotes were needed.


The collected information is sometimes absurd, and sometimes it is consistent with modern scientific knowledge.
The idea that there is a Mount Sumeru at the center of the Earth that seems to reach the sky is of course not true.
On the other hand, the principles of solar and lunar eclipses and the claims made at the time that the Earth revolves are consistent with the claims of modern science.


This book contains all the claims about the material world made in the Abhidharma treatise, including claims and facts, fiction and reality.
As the Dalai Lama stated in the preface, the purpose of this book is not to reaffirm the worldview advocated by Buddhism.
The goal of this book was to clearly organize the scientific and philosophical content discussed in Buddhist treatises so that it could serve as a bridge between Buddhism and modern science.
So, I included all the necessary topics without any additions or subtractions.


For this purpose, this book has been translated into English and Chinese (Traditional) since its publication in Tibetan, following the instructions of the Dalai Lama, and now a Korean translation has been published.
Translations are currently in progress into Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish.

The Korean translation was done by Tenzin Namkha, a monk who holds a degree from Geshe Harampa, the highest Tibetan Buddhist monk.
Venerable Tenzin Namka has been active in Korea since 2004, spreading Tibetan Buddhism.
While this may be a difficult read for the average person, it is a must-read for anyone seeking to lay the foundation and broaden their understanding of the Buddhist worldview, as well as those contemplating the intersection between Buddhism and modern science.