TTLV: Identifying the relationship between Science and Buddhism from the perspective of epistemology

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Student's full name: Dao Thi My Dung.

2. Gender: Female.

3. Date of birth: April 3, 1973.

4. Place of birth: Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa.

5. Student recognition decision No. 1883/QD-XHNV-SDH dated October 21, 2010 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in training process: No

7. Thesis topic name:Recognizing the Relationship Between Science and Buddhism from an Epistemological Perspective 

8. Major: Science and Technology Management. Code 60 34 04 12

9. Scientific instructor:Dr. Trinh Ngoc ThachWorking agency: National Assembly Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children.

10. Summary of thesis results:

Through the study and identification of the relationship between Buddhism and Science from the perspective of epistemology, we can see that Buddhism and science have more similarities than differences.

The role of science in Buddhism:

- Developing worldview: Making religious "beliefs and beliefs" more scientifically based.

- Developing a philosophy of life: Religious education based on scientific truth will transform people, help them orient their social relationships and move towards truth, goodness, and beauty in life.

-Develop techniques and technology to disseminate knowledge and beliefs, modernize Buddhist facilities, and contribute to expanding international exchange relations of Buddhism.

Science also uses Buddhism to perfect its methodology in researching and solving problems of humans and the world or to supplement things that science has not yet explained to enrich the fields of spiritual research and expand scientific activities. Thanks to the progress of science, Buddhism has developed in many aspects, from which the relationship between Science and Buddhism is increasingly clearly demonstrated from different perspectives. This shows us that Buddhism and science both have their own functions and important positions in society, they have a relationship that promotes each other to develop together.

Difference: However, not all people in all eras are aware of the benefits of the interaction between science and Buddhism, but sometimes they even absolutize the separation between science and religion, making Buddhism and science contradictory, unrelated and pushing Buddhism into an extreme position reserved only for those in the superstitious class, but on the contrary, they also push science into classes where people only aim at the truth, forgetting the present, making human perception become rigid, mechanical and lacking the practicality of moral life. This is the difference between the two forms of science and Buddhism.

11. Practical applicability: Create a theoretical basis to clearly identify the relationship between Buddhism and science to develop well in management work, applying information technology in Universities, Buddhist Colleges and pagodas nationwide.

12. Further research directions: The beneficial effects of the relationship between Buddhism and Science and Technology at Vietnamese Buddhist Universities.

13. Published works related to the thesis:

a. Published research works:

1. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung) Buddhism and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Most Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Associate Professor, Dr. Truong Van Chung, Editor-in-Chief. 2014 - Religion Publishing House. Article:Buddhism and environmental protection.

2. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung) Proceedings of the Conference commemorating the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (1981-2011). Article:Needs and solutions for spreading Buddhism to remote areas.2012 - Religion Publishing House.

3. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Proceedings of the 30-year Buddhist Seminar in the Capital. Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Hanoi. Article:Needs and solutions for spreading Buddhism to remote areas.2012 - Hanoi Publishing House.

b. Scientific reports presented at conferences:

1.Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Scientific conference King - Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong - Life and career. (On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of entering Nirvana 1308-2008). Conference Proceedings (2008). Article:Buddhist King Tran Nhan Tong in Vietnamese spirituality.

2. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Scientific Conference on Dharma Propagation of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Conference Proceedings (2010). Article:Buddhist Education - Orientation for the future.

3. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Scientific conference to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Conference Proceedings (2011). Article:Needs and solutions for spreading Buddhism to remote areas.

4. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Workshop on Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism and the work of planning, preserving and promoting the values ​​of Yen Tu relic site today. Workshop Proceedings (2013). Article:The influence of Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism in Vietnamese cultural life today.

5.Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Buddhism contributes to the implementation of the new millennium development goals of the United Nations. Conference Proceedings (2014). Article:Buddhism and global warming on environmental protection.

6. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Scientific discussion on Vu Lan - Buddhism's filial piety in Vietnamese society today, by the Center for the preservation of Religious Cultural Heritage. Conference Proceedings (2014). Article:Buddhist Education on Filial Piety.

7. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Buddhism in the Ly Dynasty with 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi. Conference Proceedings (2010). Article:Zen Master Van Hanh in the inheritance, convergence and development of Dai Viet Buddhism during the Ly Dynasty.

c. Articles published in Magazines:

1. Dao Thi My Dung (2014). Environmental protection from the perspective of Buddhist epistemology.Educational Equipment Magazine, Special Issue July 2014.

2. Dao Thi My Dung (2014). The need for scientific research in Religions. Journal of Educational Management,number 63

3. Dao Thi My Dung (2014). Buddhist education on filial piety. Religious Work Journal of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs,number 8

4. Dao Thi My Dung (2014). Cultural beauty in organizing Mid-Autumn Festival with children at Tang Phuc Pagoda - Hanoi.Religious Affairs Journal of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs,number 9

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Dao Thi My Dung 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: 03/04/1973 4. Place of birth: Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa

5. Admission decision number: 1883/QD-XHNV-SDH Dated October 21^st2010 of Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities

6. Changes in academic process: No

7. Official thesis title: Identifying the relationship between Science and Buddhism from epistemology

8. Major: Science and Technology Management 9. Code: 60 34 04 12

10. Supervisors: Dr Trinh Ngoc Thach Office: Committee of Culture, Education, Youth and Children of National Assembly

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

There are more similarities than differences in the relationship between Buddhism and Science from an epistemological Approach. The commons are that under the help of science, Buddhism could be developed according to extensiveness of applying information technology for propagating religious tenets, such as: recording, tape, internet, phone, movie... On the contrary, with the help of Buddhism, science could be completed from the aspect of epistemology in researches on resolving relations between human being and world, or supplementing mysterious things, which haven't been explained by science. Thereby, researches on psyche have been rich and scientific fields have been extended. With the advances of science, Buddhism has developed in some aspects, thus relations between science and Buddhism have been performed clearly. Obviously Buddhism and Science have specific/proper functions and play important roles in society. They have mutually interacted and motivated for development.

Differences: However not everyone in every eras has the perception of advantage of interactive relation between science and Buddhism. Sometimes, they absolutely have conceived of separation between science and Buddhism, so Buddhism and science have contradicted each other and haven't linked each other. It is shown that at the negative aspect Buddhism belongs to the superstitious class, on the contrary, science belongs to rationalistic man, who forget the present to become hard and mechanical, and their cognition has been lack of practice of moral life. This is the difference between science and Buddhism.

12. Practical applicability, if any: Establishing literature for identifying the relationship between Buddhism and Science in order to develop management and application of information technology at universities, vocational Buddhism colleges and pagodas in Vietnam.

13. Further research directions, if any: Advantages of relationship between Buddhism and science and technology at Vietnam Buddhism universities

14. Thesis-related publications:

a. Articles published in books

1. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung) Buddhism and United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Ven. Dr. Thich Nhat Tu, Ven. Dr. Thich Duc Thien, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Truong Van Chung Chief author (2014). Articles:Buddhism and environmental protection

2. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung) Report of Conference of 30th Anniversary of Vietnam Buddist Sangha (1981-2011). Articles:Demands and solutions for the propagation of the Buddhistic Dharma to remote areas., Religion Publisher.

3. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung) Report of Conference of 30th Anniversary of Hanoi Buddhistic Meeting: 30-year journey. Hanoi Vietnam Buddist Sangha, Chief author (2012). Articles:Demands and solutions for the propagation of the Buddhistic Dharma to remote areas., Hanoi Publisher.

b. Conference articles:

1. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Scientific Conference King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong: Life and career (On occasion of the 700th anniversary of the attainment of Nirvana of the King, 1308-2008), Article:King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong in Vietnamese peoples spirit.

2. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Scientific Conference of Communication Department of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Conference Report (2010). Articles:Buddhist education - future orientation.

3. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Scientific Conference on the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Conference Report (2011). Articles:Demands and solutions for the propagation of the Buddhistic Dharma to remote areas.

4. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Conference Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism and activities of planning, conservation, promotion values ​​of the Yen Tu relic at present. Conference Report (2013). Articles:The Impact of Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism in cultural life in Vietnam at present.

5. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Contribution of Buddhism to execution millennium development goals of the United Nations. Conference Proceedings (2014). Articles:Buddhism with global warming on environmental protection.

6. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Sciencific Seminar Vu Lan - Filialness Buddhism and Vietnamese society today, the Centers for heritage conservation Religious Culture. Conference Yearbook (2014). Articles:Buddhism Education on filialness.

7. Thich Dong Hoa (Dao Thi My Dung). Buddhism in Ly Dynasty with 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi. Conference Report (2010). Articles:Zen Buddhism Van Hanh with inheritance and development of Dai Viet Buddhism in Ly Dynasty.

c. Journal articles:

1. Dao Thi My Dung (2014).Environmental protection under Buddhist epistemological perspectives. Educational Equipment Magazine, Special edition, July 2014

2. Dao Thi My Dung (2014).The demand for scientific research in religions. of Education Management Magazine, no. 63

3. Dao Thi My Dung (2014). Buddhist education on filial respect.Religious Affairs Magazine of Government Committee for Religious Affairs, no.8

4. Dao Thi My Dung (2014).Cultural beauty in organization of Mid-Autumn festival with chilren at Tang Phuc Pagoda, Hanoi. Religious Affairs Magazine of Government Committee for Religious Affairs, no.9