Religion, Is It Possible to Be Taught?: With Brain Science and Zen Buddhism

ABSTRACT

In these days, we witness tremendous scientific evidences for the relation of the brain with the consciousness. Zen buddhism also which presents the fundamental question of the mind and the thought itself has been affected by brain science. But prior to discussions about facts which brain science gives a contribution to progresses and educations of zen buddhism, first of all we should contemplate in advance the encounter with theses two areas. It is the reason, which needs to contemplate for this encounter, that progresses of zen buddhism and studies of brain science initiate from the mind with the non form and the brain with the form respectively, and then orient to the ends of each others. Because zen buddhism which the mind has appeared abruptly by questioning the course of education or the goal itself, it is very rare to find. Meanwhile brain science emphasizes the materiality of the brain, but finally orients to the non material mind or consciousness beyond the region of matter which we have accepted commonly. We have started by addressing the problem of the knowledge and the form in the center of this situation, since the knowledge relate not only to the science but also to the origin of religion. Then the scientific knowledge also could be oriented to ‘the knowledge about something’, but it is important problem in this discussion that whether to ‘the knowledge of knowledge itself’ as like the religious knowledge or not. First, we show that ‘the knowledge about something’ is about the object and relates with the form, then could be investigated by brain science. And we show that ‘the knowledge of knowledge itself’ is not fixed by any forms and relates with the non form, then could be investigated by zen buddhism. Nevertheless in the base of these facts, revealing knowledge that both the form which brain science has studied and the non form which zen buddhism has prompted to, we show that brain science could prompt to ‘the knowledge of knowledge itself’ and zen buddhism to ‘the knowledge about something’, we have shed light on the gap between the form and the non form by the 金剛經. Finally, after “By the religion to be taught, could we eliminate this gap?”, then we would argue ‘the argument of religion to bo taught’ through the meaning of the experience immediacy.