Technological progress is at the core of the modern (Western) philosophy of science and innovation scholarship, as it promises to end human suffering. However, ignoring the ‘inner capacities’ necessary to guide technology design and its interaction with human mind for too long is causing human suffering. In this blog, Birendra Singh explores how Buddhist philosophy, emphasizing simplicity, experiential knowledge, self-reliance, and the middle path, can inspire new approaches to science, technology, and innovation in creating more human-centric and sustainable futures.
The world we live in is becoming increasingly uncertain, unequal, and unsustainable. The technology and innovation that was initially developed to improve living conditions is now also causing suffering. It is clear that the current development model driven by technological progress has created ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in society. Because of this worrying development, philosophers, scholars, and religious teachers are revisiting philosophical underpinnings of the progress we have achieved thus far. Emphasis on inner self development and presenting moral framework to guide design and use of technology have been the essential part of this revisit (1). This philosophical revisit is necessary to search for alternative pathways to existing development models, which have failed to deliver the promised quality of life and equity for most of the world population by accelerating the concentration of wealth for a few.
Embracing frugality in (re)conceptualizing the field of Science, Technology, and Innovation (2) and focusing on ‘inner’ development to better respond to the sustainability challenges are suggested as possible alternative pathways (3). In this article, I will show that Buddhism is a philosophical outlook with valuable lessons that can be applied to this field. I will look at four aspects of the Buddhist philosophy and combine them with my lived experience in India, where I conducted my doctoral research on embracing experiential knowledge to practice frugality in addressing sustainability challenges (4). The aim of this piece is not to make a case for Buddhism but to take inspiration from its ‘pragmatic’ philosophical outlook in going ‘back to the basics’ and learning about different ways of embracing frugality, which has been an essential part of the Buddhist way of living. This exercise may be useful in searching for alternative futures, as historically and philosophically there is no direct relation between directionality and innovation or progress (5). In fact, chasing the direction of progress and centrality of materiality in development and innovation processes always carries a risk of leading to over-engineering and over-consumption.
No frills please — keep the story simple
The first thing we can learn from Buddhism is to keep the story simple in order to reach more people. Buddhism is no small religion; it covers a vast range of philosophical discussions, and millions of people practice it. Buddhism mainly has three traditions: the Pali, the Chinese, and the Tibetan. The Pāḷi tradition comprises the Sutta Piṭaka (discourses of the Buddha), Vinaya Piṭaka (monastic rules), and Abhidhamma Piṭaka (philosophical analyses). These three texts are written in Pāḷi, often considered as a mix of vernacular languages of the north India in Buddha’s time (i.e. Prakrit) and Sanskirt. All three Piṭakas try to avoids an endless discussion on supernatural powers, instead creatively engaging with ‘practical’ questions regarding everyday human life, such as code of conduct, practicing eight fold path to end suffering, and interaction between mind and its environment to make a sense of reality. The discourses of Buddha (Sutta Piṭaka ) present the discussions (often in the form of questions and answers) between the Buddha and his followers by means of storytelling. At present, with scholars facing enormous challenges in communicating complex research processes findings to communities and there is an increased pressure on them to ‘engage’ with society, embracing simple language and using storytelling methods could be helpful in helping bridge the gap between science and society.
Reality is multifold — experience it through body and mind
The next lesson that we can learn by looking at Buddhism is better recognizing experiential knowledge in making sense of a phenomenon. Interestingly, both the philosophy of science and Buddhism value sensory investigation and direct experiencing in searching truth. However, in contrast to the philosophy of science, the Buddhist philosophy does not stop at one type of truth. In contrast to modern (Western) Philosophy, Buddhism recognizes that there are at least two types of truth: relative and absolute (6). A relative truth can be experienced by an individual or group at a particular time or in a particular space. Experiencing this truth is an ordinary phenomenon which we all go through in our own realities. However, to experience the absolute truth, it is necessary to follow the eightfold path. One should be attentive or mindful to experience this truth. In practice, there is a direct relationship between mindfulness and experiencing the truth in Buddhism. In essence, the Buddhist philosophy accepts that reality is multifold and complex and suggests that it makes more sense to one if they experience it within the framework of body and mind. In a rapidly evolving and complex world, recognizing and emphasizing relationality and plurality in experiencing emerging through the interaction of the mind and its environment will be helpful for science philosophers and innovation scholars to contextualize technological solutions better while serving local needs.
Don’t complain — inculcate problem-solving behaviour
The Buddhist philosophical outlook also preaches self-reliance and resilience. I grew up listening to one of the most powerful and popular quotes of Buddha, Appa Beepo Bhava (‘be your own light’). Some believe that these were the last words of Buddha to his disciple Annada just before he passed away. This teaching emphasizes self-reliance and the importance of learning from lived experiences rather than depending on external truth claims. Embracing mindfulness practices like vipassana meditation and following the eightfold path are tools people could use to develop their inner self while engaging with structural problems like sustainability challenges (3). Promoting problem-solving behavior and focusing on internal capacities, including practicing attention (7) and embracing frugality as ‘doing more with less’ mindset, could help shape a possible alternative pathway to sustainable futures, as it equips a person with knowledge and skills to navigate structural challenges more ‘smartly’ through adaptive thinking (8).
Be flexible — follow the middle path
Lastly, Buddhism shows us that moderation is desirable. Two other religions, Jainism and Charvaka, were contemporaries of Buddhism and philosophically competed with it. Jainism often advocates for self-denial for the betterment of others, while Charvaka preaches hedonism, where sensory pleasure is the supreme goal of the human existence. Buddhist philosophy disapproves of both these positions. The Buddha grew up as a prince and then spent several years rigorously practicing asceticism. Based on his lived experience, he suggested that extremism is not conducive to truth. Through his storytelling style of preaching, Buddha motivated his disciples to find a right ‘balance’ in philosophy, religion, and practice. His teaching often advocates in favour of finding a ‘middle path’ that often emerges from experiencing realities by following eight fold path. Following a middle path is particularly important in current social and political climate, where science and society are moving even further apart. Taking middle path is also crucial in moving beyond often superficial and delusionary dichotomies in understanding complex relationship between science and society.
Conclusion
Rising inequalities, consumerism, and the extraction of natural resources are some of the side effects of human progress. Some cultures practice frugality to mitigate these side effects either at philosophical or material level (9, 10). Thus, philosophers, scholars, and religious leaders have been revisiting philosophical underpinnings of current human progress to seek other ways of attaining societal goals without doing as much harm. Embracing simplistic, frugal, and human-centric principles contained of Buddhist philosophy offers a unique opportunity to rethink progress, especially in the field of science, technology, and innovation, and to search for alternative pathways to existing development models.
References
- Allen, D. (2018). Gandhi after 9/11: creative nonviolence and sustainability. Oxford University Press.
- Leliveld, A., & Knorringa, P. (2018). Frugal innovation and development research. The European Journal of Development Research, 30, 1-16.
- Frank, P., Sundermann, A., & Fischer, D. (2019). How mindfulness training cultivates introspection and competence development for sustainable consumption. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 20(6), 1002-1021.
- Singh, B. (2023). In search of grassroots frugality: Everyday learning and experiential knowledge to navigate water uncertainties in the Bundelkhand region, India. [Doctoral Thesis, Erasmus University Rotterdam, ISS PhD].
- Sluiter, I. (2017). Anchoring innovation: A classical research agenda. European Review, 25(1), 20-38.
- https://buddhismnow.com/2018/02/16/tittha-sutta-buddhist-parable-of-the-blind-men-and-the-elephant/
- Bombaerts, G., Anderson, J., Dennis, M., Gerola, A., Frank, L., Hannes, T., … & Spahn, A. (2023). Attention as practice: Buddhist ethics responses to persuasive technologies. Global Philosophy, 33(2), 25.
- Wright, R. (2017). Why Buddhism is true: The science and philosophy of meditation and enlightenment. Simon and Schuster.
- Oudenampsen, M., & Mellink, B. (2022). The roots of Dutch frugality: the role of public choice theory in Dutch budgetary policy. Journal of european public policy, 29(8), 1206-1224.
https://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/in-japan-less-is-more-1502505355.html#google_vignette
About the Author:
Birendra is a trained genetic engineer and STS Researcher with a PhD degree in Development Studies. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Knowledge, Technology, and Innovation Chair group of Wageningen University and currently affiliated to the LDE-International Center for Frugal Innovation hosted by ISS/EUR.