The Universe in a Single Atom

About “The Universe in a Single Atom”

After forty years of study with leading scientific minds and a lifetime of spiritual and philosophical inquiry, the Dalai Lama argues that both science and spirituality are necessary to understand the truth. Science helps explain the physical world, while spirituality aids in dealing with human experiences. However, extremes of either approach limit understanding. Believing that everything is just matter and energy ignores emotions, culture, and compassion. On the other hand, unexamined spiritual beliefs can lead to rigid thinking. By comparing ideas like Darwinism and karma, quantum mechanics and philosophy, and neurobiology and consciousness, the Dalai Lama finds common ground between scientific and contemplative ways of understanding reality.